The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) unveiled its new Nature-based Solutions (NbS) Brief Series during International Development Week 2026 in Ottawa, Canada. Developed through the NAbSA initiative, the series provides practical, evidence-based guidance to help governments, investors, and communities scale climate adaptation efforts that benefit both nature and people. Drawing on on-the-ground experiences from various IUCN projects, including the Global Ecosystem-based Adaptation Fund, the briefs align with IUCN’s Nature 2030 Programme and its Eight Global Transformations for nature and people.
As climate impacts such as droughts, floods, and coastal erosion intensify, the briefs offer strategies to restore ecosystems while strengthening livelihoods. The first brief, Safeguarding Nature, Empowering Communities, emphasizes integrating community priorities, diverse knowledge systems, and equitable governance into adaptation strategies. This approach reduces maladaptation risks and ensures long-term resilience, particularly for Indigenous Peoples, women, and local communities.
The second brief, Beyond Carbon, addresses the need to value biodiversity in climate finance decisions. Highlighting how biodiversity supports food security, flood protection, and ecosystem stability, the brief demonstrates how accounting for ecological benefits can improve investment strategies, inform policy, and prevent narrow, carbon-centric approaches.
The third brief, Investing in Impact, explores gender-responsive financing for climate adaptation, focusing on Sub-Saharan Africa. It presents blended finance solutions and partnership models to close adaptation finance gaps, ensuring women, often disproportionately affected by climate change, are empowered as both decision-makers and beneficiaries.
The fourth brief, Proving the Promise, highlights participatory Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) systems. Drawing on experiences from the Global EbA Fund and Partnering for Climate, it shows how credible, people-centered evidence can enhance adaptive learning, local ownership, and scalability, ensuring that NbS integrated into national strategies remain effective and accountable.
The fifth brief, Farming with Nature, explores how agroecology and NbS strengthen smallholder farming while conserving biodiversity. By combining traditional knowledge with innovative practices, the brief demonstrates how sustainable agriculture can enhance food security, empower farmers—especially women—and align agricultural production with ecosystem health.
The sixth brief, Empowering Women in Coastal Blue Initiatives, focuses on inclusive approaches in marine and coastal adaptation. It emphasizes genuine leadership roles for women and underrepresented groups in blue economy strategies, linking social equity with ecological outcomes to foster regenerative ocean ecosystems.
Collectively, the NbS Brief Series provides a roadmap for systemic change, supporting multiple Nature 2030 Transformations including climate resilience, sustainable agriculture, regenerative blue economies, water stewardship, and financial reform. By offering practical tools, evidence, and policy guidance, NAbSA is helping to mainstream NbS into national frameworks, investment strategies, and community-led action, advancing a future where climate resilience, biodiversity protection, and social equity are pursued together.
