Good Practices for Designing Effective, Inclusive, and Sustainable Nature-Based Solutions for Adaptation

This technical brief provides a comprehensive checklist for practitioners to design and implement Nature-based Solutions (NbS) for climate change adaptation. It integrates standards from the IUCN, CBD, and FEBA, emphasizing that effective projects must combine climate risk assessments with biodiversity co-benefits, gender-responsive and socially inclusive governance, and conflict-sensitive planning.

• Nature-based solutions (NbS) for adaptation, also known as ecosystem-based adaptation (EbA), are defined as actions that protect, conserve, restore, sustainably use, and manage natural ecosystems to increase the resilience of communities and ecosystems against climate change impacts.
• Effective NbS for adaptation must be informed by climate vulnerability and risk assessments that utilize scientific data, projections, and local and Traditional Knowledge, while specifically considering how conflict dynamics, gender, and social differences influence vulnerabilities.

APA

Jang, N., Terton, A., & Qi, J. (2024). Good Practices for Designing Effective, Inclusive, and Sustainable Nature-Based Solutions for Adaptation. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2024-08/nature-based-solutions-for-adaptation-good-practices.pdf

Chicago

Jang, Nicole, Anika Terton, and Jeffrey Qi. Good Practices for Designing Effective, Inclusive, and Sustainable Nature-Based Solutions for Adaptation. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2024. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2024-08/nature-based-solutions-for-adaptation-good-practices.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Jang |first1=Nicole |last2=Terton |first2=Anika |last3=Qi |first3=Jeffrey |title=Good Practices for Designing Effective, Inclusive, and Sustainable Nature-Based Solutions for Adaptation |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=August 2024 |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2024-08/nature-based-solutions-for-adaptation-good-practices.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{jang2024good, author = {Jang, Nicole and Terton, Anika and Qi, Jeffrey}, title = {{Good Practices for Designing Effective, Inclusive, and Sustainable Nature-Based Solutions for Adaptation}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2024}, month = aug, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2024-08/nature-based-solutions-for-adaptation-good-practices.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }