Key Barriers to Advancing Climate Change Adaptation through Nature-based Solutions: Policy and Governance Gaps

The document argues that while global frameworks promote Nature-based Solutions (NbS), their implementation is stalled by institutional silos, regulatory ambiguity, and a lack of inclusive governance. It highlights specific gaps such as the preference for 'grey' infrastructure and the exclusion of Indigenous Peoples, while providing examples of successful coordination and legal innovations from countries like India, Costa Rica, and Peru.

• Despite global commitments from the Paris Agreement, the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, and the Ramsar Convention, NbS remain underrepresented in investment portfolios and national adaptation plans (NAPs). This is linked to a projected annual adaptation finance gap of USD 160 - 340 billion by 2030.
• Four primary challenges impede the scaling of NbS: institutional silos where sectoral ministries lack coordination; regulatory ambiguity due to a lack of formal recognition in land-use and procurement standards; narrative inconsistencies that favor techno-economic framings; and limited engagement with local communities and Indigenous Peoples.
• A systemic preference for conventional 'grey' or engineered infrastructure creates a cycle that discourages NbS adoption. In Scotland, for example, the benefits of rewetting peatlands are hard to prove because hydrological models are designed for engineered drainage rather than restored landscapes.
• Governance fragmentation across different levels of government can delay critical climate interventions. In São Paulo, Brazil, fragmented municipal, state, and federal governance delayed the implementation of flood-risk NbS despite a 2023 flood event where over 1.3 trillion liters of water inundated 13 municipalities.
• Lack of standardized indicators for social, economic, and ecological outcomes undermines investor confidence and evidence-based policy. The NetworkNature database has identified 171 distinct knowledge gaps across 30 thematic areas.
• NbS initiatives risk causing 'green grabbing' and environmental injustice when they lack rights-based frameworks. An example is Morocco’s Souss-Massa National Park, where conservation efforts displaced Amazigh communities without adequate consultation.
• Successful models for overcoming these barriers include India's multi-mission structure for cross-ministerial collaboration, Costa Rica's Payment for Ecosystem Services (PES) program for aligning conservation with economic incentives, and Peru's use of community-defined indicators and FPIC protocols in forest monitoring.

APA

WWF International (n.d.). Key Barriers to Advancing Climate Change Adaptation through Nature-based Solutions: Policy and Governance Gaps. https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/342/58rwln003q_Technical_Brief_02_Policy_and_Governance_Gaps.pdf

Chicago

WWF International. Key Barriers to Advancing Climate Change Adaptation through Nature-based Solutions: Policy and Governance Gaps. n.d. https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/342/58rwln003q_Technical_Brief_02_Policy_and_Governance_Gaps.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=WWF International |title=Key Barriers to Advancing Climate Change Adaptation through Nature-based Solutions: Policy and Governance Gaps |url=https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/342/58rwln003q_Technical_Brief_02_Policy_and_Governance_Gaps.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{wwfinternationalndkey, author = {{WWF International}}, title = {{Key Barriers to Advancing Climate Change Adaptation through Nature-based Solutions: Policy and Governance Gaps}}, institution = {WWF International}, url = {https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/342/58rwln003q_Technical_Brief_02_Policy_and_Governance_Gaps.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }