Public International Funding of Nature-based Solutions for Adaptation: A Landscape Assessment

This research paper by the World Resources Institute and Climate Finance Advisors, produced for the Global Commission on Adaptation, assesses the landscape of public international funding—specifically climate finance and Official Development Assistance (ODA)—for nature-based solutions for climate adaptation (NbSA) in developing countries.

• Public international funding for nature-based solutions for adaptation (NbSA) remains relatively low. In 2018, it was estimated at between US$3.8 billion and US$8.7 billion, representing approximately 0.6% to 1.4% of total climate finance flows and 1.5% to 3.4% of public climate finance flows. This amount is small compared to the estimated adaptation investment needs in developing countries, which exceed US$140 billion per year.
• Funding for NbSA in 2018 was primarily provided through grants, which accounted for as much as 85% of funds deployed to developing countries. The largest bilateral donors included Germany, Japan, Sweden, and the United Kingdom, while major multilateral donors and channels included the European Union, the Green Climate Fund, the International Fund for Agricultural Development, and the Asian Development Bank.
• Geographically, approximately 50% of total public NbSA funding is received by countries in South and Central Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa. Latin America and the Caribbean are also noted as receiving a great volume of funding. ODA funding for NbSA is most commonly spent in the sectors of biodiversity, general environmental protection, and agriculture.
• Several systemic barriers hinder the scaling of NbSA funding, including the lack of a common definition of NbSA, a lack of clear metrics to value benefits, and a misalignment between donor funding sources and actual needs. Specifically, the reliance on grant capital fails to address long-term operational costs, and many developing countries lack the technical capacity to build a project pipeline.

APA

World Resources Institute (n.d.). Public International Funding of Nature-based Solutions for Adaptation: A Landscape Assessment. https://www.wri.org/research/public-international-funding-nature-based-solutions-adaptation-landscape-assessment

Chicago

World Resources Institute. Public International Funding of Nature-based Solutions for Adaptation: A Landscape Assessment. n.d. https://www.wri.org/research/public-international-funding-nature-based-solutions-adaptation-landscape-assessment.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=World Resources Institute |title=Public International Funding of Nature-based Solutions for Adaptation: A Landscape Assessment |url=https://www.wri.org/research/public-international-funding-nature-based-solutions-adaptation-landscape-assessment |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{worldresourcesinstitutendpublic, author = {{World Resources Institute}}, title = {{Public International Funding of Nature-based Solutions for Adaptation: A Landscape Assessment}}, institution = {World Resources Institute}, url = {https://www.wri.org/research/public-international-funding-nature-based-solutions-adaptation-landscape-assessment}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }