Nature plays a vital role in providing resources and services for human health and wellbeing, livelihoods, economy, climate regulation, global nutrition and food security, water quality and provision, and healthy biodiverse ecosystems.
Humans derive approximately US $125 trillion of value from ecosystems each year. More than half of the world’s GDP ($44 trillion) is highly or moderately dependent on nature. Around 1/3 of jobs in developing countries are directly dependent on biodiversity and ecosystem services, and rural and indigenous people and local communities are particularly dependent on nature for their livelihoods. Agriculture, forest loss, and land-use contribute 23% of global greenhouse gas emissions, but our land and coastal marine ecosystems could provide up to a third of cost-effective climate mitigation.
K4D Helpdesk Report 1006
Nature-based Solutions (NbS) – What are They and What are the Barriers and Enablers to Their Use?
Roz Price
5 May 2021
Who is this learning journey for?
This Learning Journey is part of the Knowledge, Evidence and Learning for Development Programme (K4D). It aims to support FCDO and other government departments’ understanding, capacity and influence related to nature.
Please note that this Learning Journey is currently ongoing so this webpage will be updated throughout.
Learning Journey Sessions
Session 1 – Our relationship with Nature
This introductory session introduced the interrelationship/integration between biodiversity, ecosystems, ecosystem services, human activity, and climate change. It will highlight how human activity is driving ecosystem degradation and biodiversity loss in combination with climate change, as well as the relationship between biodiversity and climate change and how the dynamics of each are mutually reinforcing.
The session made the case that to take action on climate change, biodiversity and poverty reduction, we need to protect, conserve and restore Nature, drawing on key arguments around the urgency and scale of the problem. It will define Nature interventions, which include Nature-based Solutions.
Session 2 – The dynamics of deforestation: drivers, nature, interventions and challenges
This deep dive considered deforestation through four interconnected lenses: one, the role of forests/deforestation in climate change (including emissions, mitigation and resilience); two, the links between forests and freshwater ecosystems; three, global production; and, four, local needs, poverty and development. It covered both the drivers of deforestation and how Nature interventions can tackle it, as well as some of the challenges and how Nature interventions/NbS may need to be paired with other interventions e.g. policy.
This session considered how drivers of ecosystem degradation (e.g. population growth, lifestyle changes etc.), human activity (as both a cause and response to ecosystem degradation), and climate change interact, before examining Nature interventions as solutions. Political economy aspects will be central to whether or not Nature interventions are adopted and implemented effectively: each deep dive will be related to the wider context. Linkages between the three sectors were highlighted. The session also considered trade-offs, governance and equity.
Session 3 – Agriculture, ecosystems, and sustainable land use
Agriculture for both food and commodity production can have significant negative ecosystem impacts. This session will highlight the key challenge of tackling the impacts of agriculture, whilst ensuring food security and fostering growth.
This session considered how drivers of ecosystem degradation (e.g. population growth, lifestyle changes etc.), human activity (as both a cause and response to ecosystem degradation), and climate change interact, before examining Nature interventions as solutions. Political economy aspects will be central to whether or not Nature interventions are adopted and implemented effectively: each deep dive will be related to the wider context. Linkages between the three sectors were highlighted. The session also considered trade-offs, governance and equity.
Session 4 – Oceans and Marine ecosystems: challenges, drivers and solutions
Healthy oceans, marine and coastal ecosystems provide a number of ecosystem services including climate change mitigation and play a key role in livelihoods and economic activities. Biodiversity loss, degradation and climate change are key threats for these ecosystems. Sustainable use of marine and coastal ecosystems is a key priority for the Convention on Biological Diversity’s post 2020 Biodiversity Framework. Conservation, protection and restoration interventions can deliver benefits for people, Nature and climate change mitigation and adaptation.
This session is one of three thematic deep dives that will consider how drivers of ecosystem degradation (e.g. population growth, lifestyle changes etc.), human activity (as both a cause and response to ecosystem degradation), and climate change interact, before examining Nature interventions as solutions. Political economy aspects will be central to whether or not Nature interventions are adopted and implemented effectively: each deep dive will be related to the wider context. Linkages between the three sectors will also be highlighted. The session will also consider trade-offs, governance and equity.
Session 5 – Increasing financial flows and the role of finance in sustaining nature
The global financial system enables a number of activities and trends that undermine Nature. However, it can also be put to work to protect/conserve/restore nature. This session will consider some of the financial instruments that can increase finance for Nature interventions and NbS. It will briefly cover use of public and private investment including carbon credits, bonds, payments for ecosystem services and others. It will explore the changes that are needed to redirect capital away from approaches or activities that degrade nature and towards approaches, activities and solutions that sustain nature. It will look at some of the opportunities, challenges and trade-offs that need to be navigated, explore the potential for unlocking private finance, and examine the role of bilaterals as well as other actors such as IFIs, DFIs, multilaterals etc.
Session 6 – Mainstreaming Nature: institutions, capacity, and evidence
This session will consider how we can overcome institutional failure, create enabling environments for increasing the uptake of Nature interventions, and entry points for influencing the uptake of Nature interventions in developing countries. It will consider both the international scale and national/intra-national scale.
Key contacts
