Search Climate Insights Directory

The report finds that while most NAPs recognize the importance of ecosystems and include EbA or NbS actions, there is a significant disconnect between climate adaptation planning and national biodiversity strategies. Most countries prioritize ecosystems linked to productive economic sectors, such as forests and fisheries, while urban and mountain ecosystems remain underrepresented.

Nature-based solutions (NbS) are being integrated into climate strategies across Latin America and the Caribbean to address biodiversity loss and climate change. While they offer significant economic and ecological potential—such as protecting coastal resilience and sequestering carbon—they cannot replace the need for deep emissions reductions from fossil fuels. The document warns that vague definitions of NbS can lead to 'greenwashing' by polluting corporations and risk the displacement of Indigenous and local communities through land grabs and monoculture plantations. For NbS to be sustainable, the author argues they must be based on local knowledge, ensure Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC), and be supported by diverse financing mechanisms beyond voluntary safeguards.

The proposal outlines a 48-month project implemented by the UNDP to establish a comprehensive National Adaptation Plan (NAP) for India. It aims to address critical gaps in cross-sectoral coordination, climate risk data, and adaptation finance. Key activities include developing sectoral adaptation roadmaps for nine priority areas, creating a national monitoring and evaluation (M&E) framework, and establishing a web-based repository for vulnerability studies. A significant portion of the project focuses on the private sector, aiming to develop investment strategies and business cases to overcome the perception that adaptation is a "high-risk and low-gain" investment. The project will also develop two project concept notes to access further GCF funding and map existing adaptation finance flows in India.

The Thailand Country Programme (TCP) 2024 outlines a framework to align national climate strategies with GCF funding for the 2024-2027 programming cycle. Thailand aims for carbon neutrality by 2050 and net-zero emissions by 2065, with the energy sector identified as the largest GHG contributor. The programme identifies five priority areas: mitigation strategies and technologies, knowledge enhancement in agriculture and waste, advanced adaptive technologies, strengthening climate financing mechanisms, and awareness raising. To meet its Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC), Thailand estimates a need for THB 5,000 billion for unconditional targets and THB 7,000 billion for conditional targets. The TCP also details a readiness plan to strengthen National Designated Authority (NDA) capacity and accredit Direct Access Entities (DAEs) such as Kasikorn Bank and the Environment Fund.

The Nature-Based Solutions Inventory for Fiji catalogues various projects across the country's ecosystems, highlighting a concentration of efforts in the northern and western divisions. The inventory reveals a primary focus on coastal protection through mangrove planting and hybrid seawalls, alongside riverbank stabilization using vetiver grass and reforestation of native forests. These initiatives aim to address climate risks such as sea level rise, tidal surges, and flooding, while simultaneously tackling biodiversity loss and improving food security for local communities.

The document synthesizes international standards—including those from the IUCN, CBD, and FEBA—into a practical framework for nature-based solutions (NbS) for adaptation. It defines NbS for adaptation as actions that protect, restore, and manage ecosystems to strengthen the resilience of communities and ecosystems to climate change. The core of the brief is a set of eight good practices, which include conducting climate risk assessments, ensuring equitable distribution of benefits, prioritizing biodiversity health, and employing inclusive governance. Notably, the brief introduces a conflict-sensitive approach to minimize the risk of exacerbating tensions through adaptation actions.

The Nature-Based Infrastructure (NBI) Global Resource Centre assessed the economic viability of nature-based interventions in Costa Rica's Reventazón River basin. The analysis indicates that a pilot project involving reforestation, agroforestry, and contoured croplands would yield a net benefit of USD 3.17 million, with a return of USD 1.23 for every dollar invested. A scaled-up, basin-wide approach is estimated to generate a net benefit of USD 6.31 million over 30 years.

The report analyzes a failed government-led project to plant vetiver grass for erosion control in Fiji, identifying six behavioural drivers—salience of loss, choice uncertainty, outcome efficacy, collective efficacy, self-efficacy, and material access—that influence adoption. It argues that top-down interventions often fail because they overlook psychological and socio-cultural drivers, recommending that future climate adaptation projects integrate behavioural science and deep community engagement during the design phase.

The document examines the role of Ecosystem-based Adaptation (EbA) and Eco-DRR in enhancing disaster risk preparedness across Africa. It highlights that while Africa is highly vulnerable to climate hazards, government capacity and financing for disaster risk reduction (DRR) are severely lacking. The author proposes three primary opportunities for improvement: aligning climate, biodiversity, and disaster risk policies; developing blended and scalable financing solutions; and empowering local communities through natural resource management models. Practical examples from Uganda, Mozambique, Madagascar, and Malawi demonstrate how nature-based solutions, such as mangrove and bamboo restoration, can mitigate disasters while supporting livelihoods.

The guide outlines how to incorporate climate adaptation into the four steps of the Dominican Republic's EIA process: request and registration, preliminary analysis, scope definition, and study review. It emphasizes reducing climate risk by addressing exposure, vulnerability, and resilience for both the project and its surrounding bio-physical and socio-economic environments. Key tools include a detailed model for descriptive memories, sector-specific adaptation examples, and a comprehensive checklist for verifying adaptation themes within Environmental Impact Studies (EsIA). The document advocates for Ecosystem-based Adaptation (EbA) and Community-based Adaptation (CbA) while warning against 'maladaptation'—measures that inadvertently increase climate risk or greenhouse gas emissions.

The 'Resilient Puna' project is a 6-year initiative in the Southern High Andes of Peru (SHAP) designed to restore and conserve 23,914 hectares of Puna ecosystems (peatlands, wetlands, and grasslands). The project focuses on enhancing the resilience of 60,715 direct beneficiaries, primarily Quechua Indigenous Peoples, by integrating ancestral knowledge with modern science to implement EbA measures and develop Climate Resilient Value Chains (CRVC). A central feature is the 'Puna Facility,' a financial mechanism managed by Profonanpe that provides non-repayable and repayable grants to local initiatives. The project also aims to mainstream EbA into national and regional governance, improve water security for over 2 million indirect beneficiaries, and achieve a mitigation co-benefit of 407,657 tCO2eq.

The Sierra Leone Coastal Resilience Project (SLCRP) is a 60-month initiative requesting USD 25 million from the Green Climate Fund to enhance the adaptive capacity of 260,000 direct beneficiaries in five coastal districts: Kambia, Port Loko, Moyamba, Bonthe, and Pujehun. The project focuses on three main components: establishing participatory governance and climate-responsive planning (including Community Adaptation Plans), promoting climate-resilient farming and fishing practices to secure food and water security, and implementing ecosystem-based adaptation to protect and restore 1,500 hectares of mangrove forests. The project emphasizes gender equality and social inclusion, targeting women and youth for leadership in climate-resilient entrepreneurship and resource management. Implementation is led by Save the Children Australia (Accredited Entity), with Save the Children Sierra Leone and the Environmental Protection Agency of Sierra Leone as executing entities.

The E-Mobility Program seeks 169.92 million USD from the Green Climate Fund to leverage a total investment of 454.4 million USD for the transition to zero-emission urban mobility. The program focuses on the large-scale deployment of battery electric buses (BEBs), the integration of non-motorized transport (NMT), and the implementation of ecosystem-based adaptation measures to increase the resilience of urban transport infrastructure against flooding and extreme heat. It targets a total GHG emission reduction of 11,415,080 tCO2eq over the asset lifetime and aims to benefit approximately 3.68 million people.

The proposal seeks EUR 742,209 over 18 months to address four primary barriers to climate action in Guatemala: lack of integrated governance, an unfinished GCF Country Programme, the absence of an integrated monitoring and evaluation (M&E) system for adaptation and finance, and a lack of a common sustainable finance taxonomy. Implemented by GIZ and led by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MARN), the project will establish a national coordination mechanism, train public and private stakeholders, finalize a project pipeline aligned with the Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC), and develop a sustainable finance taxonomy to attract private investment.

The Sierra Leone Coastal Resilience Project's GESI Action Plan establishes a framework to integrate marginalized groups into coastal adaptation. It focuses on three main components: strengthening community governance and WASH infrastructure, enhancing climate-resilient food systems and livelihoods, and implementing ecosystem-based adaptation through mangrove restoration. The plan sets specific quantitative targets for the participation of women, youth (under 35), and people with disabilities across all project activities, supported by a dedicated GESI specialist and budget allocations for inclusive training and infrastructure.

Liberia's NAP Communication Strategy provides a roadmap for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to disseminate climate adaptation priorities. It identifies priority audiences—including political leadership, local communities, and the private sector—and proposes tailored messaging for six key sectors: agriculture, coastal zones, energy, fisheries, forestry, and waste management. The strategy emphasizes a multi-channel approach, prioritizing radio as the primary information source for both rural and urban populations, and includes a detailed implementation plan for 2024–2025 with a budget for activities such as community radio contracts and media training.

The report provides an evidence-based narrative of the April 2022 floods in Durban, which saw 304-311 mm of rain in 24 hours, resulting in 450 deaths and 40,000 displaced people. It evaluates the city's resilience strategies, such as the Community Based Early Flood Warning System (CBFEWS) and the Transformative Riverine Management Programme (TRMP), while detailing the devastating cumulative impacts on vulnerable populations. Through five case studies—including the Quarry Road West informal settlement and the Dassenhoek peri-urban area—the document highlights profound material loss, psychological trauma, and the erosion of development gains, arguing that such events serve as proxies for the broader impacts of climate change.

The proposal outlines a 36-month project implemented by the FAO to address Venezuela's high vulnerability to climate change. It focuses on creating a National Adaptation Plan (NAP) for agriculture, fisheries, and water resources by strengthening institutional coordination, producing a climate vulnerability evidence base, engaging the private sector, and establishing a long-term financing framework, including a dedicated National Adaptation Fund.

The proposal aims to move Cameroon beyond its 2015 National Adaptation Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC), which suffered from financial barriers and a lack of long-term planning. The project focuses on four outcomes: strengthening adaptation governance and coordination, producing an evidence base for adaptation solutions (including downscaled climate projections and risk assessments), catalysing private sector engagement, and increasing adaptation finance. Key activities include establishing a Technical Secretariat and Thematic Task Groups, developing a climate vulnerability and risk mapping tool, and creating an adaptation finance action plan. The project is implemented by UNEP in coordination with Cameroon's Ministry of Environment, Protection of Nature and Sustainable Development (MINEPDED).

The E-Mobility Program, managed by the Asian Development Bank (ADB), aims to replace fossil-fuel buses with battery electric buses (BEBs) and improve urban mobility in Armenia, Georgia, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Nepal, and Uzbekistan. The program integrates mitigation (reducing GHG emissions) with adaptation (increasing infrastructure resilience to floods and heat) and focuses on innovative business models to overcome high upfront costs. It requests USD 169.92 million from the Green Climate Fund (GCF) to leverage a total investment of USD 454.4 million.