Skip to main content
Home
  • About
    • What Is Resilience?
    • Who We Are
  • Building Resilience
    • Climate
    • Governance
    • Economic
    • Social
  • Regions & Countries
    • Africa
    • Asia
    • Latin America & the Caribbean
  • Events
    • Upcoming Events
    • Past Events
  • Resources
    • Training
    • Tools & Guidance
    • Reports
    • Monthly Newsletter

Breadcrumb

  1. Home
  2. Building Resilience
  3. Climate
  4. Nature-Based Solutions

Climate

  • Climate Information Services
  • Climate Finance
  • Climate-Smart Food and Agriculture Systems
  • Nature-Based Solutions
  • Disaster Risk Reduction
  • Water Resource Management

Nature-Based Solutions

Nature-based solutions address climate impacts through measures that conserve, manage and restore ecosystems. These efforts support adaptation and convey societal and economic benefits, including biodiversity conservation and economic growth.

Addressing Social Problems by Looking to Nature

Nature-based solutions for adaptation take an integrated approach to solving several connected problems in international development. By looking to nature to address societal and climate problems, nature‑based solutions offer more sustainable cross-sectoral results to international development challenges than could otherwise be achieved. Nature-based solutions almost always have climate adaptation and mitigation co-benefits, so that one action addresses both the causes and consequences of climate change.

Concrete examples are the best way to understand nature-based solutions. Take these five core global issues whose solutions can be based in nature:

  1. Disaster risk management
  2. Public health
  3. Food security
  4. Clean water
  5. Climate change mitigation

Nature-Based Solutions to Human Problems

Centuries of overexploitation … allowed a sense that humanity is somehow distant and disconnected from nature; when in reality we are deeply dependent on nature’s health to safeguard our own. It’s not appropriate to think of nature as just a provider of services ..... Rather it is time we recognize nature as the ally that she has always been.

"Powering Nature: Creating the Conditions to Enable Nature-Based Solutions", World Wildlife Fund

One nature-based solution — restoring an upland forest — can impact all five problems by protecting groundwater for both agricultural and domestic use, improving soil quality, safeguarding against the worst effects of drought, preventing landslides and sequestering carbon dioxide.  

Restoring coastal ecosystems, incorporating ecological corridors into road projects and leveraging green spaces as part of urban planning are all examples of nature-based solutions that simultaneously address societal issues and ecological ones.

 

 Participation by Indigenous peoples and local communities is an essential component of nature-based solutions. Natural climate solutions designed by or in collaboration with local partners are much more likely to result in equitable benefits.

Ecosystem-Based Adaptation Offers Wide-Reaching Solutions

Ecosystem-based adaptation (EbA) is a nature-based solution that promotes climate resilience through ecosystem integrity. EbA approaches can impact a variety of issues in international development including extreme weather, food security, water security and protecting coastal populations. EbA efforts include: 

  • Forest management activities designed to promote natural fire regimens, which protect local communities from dangerous wildfires in dry forests
  • Strategically placed shade trees which enhance soil quality, creating an ideal habitat for pollinators and protect watersheds
  • Conservation of marine and freshwater ecosystems, along with managing fisheries, to improve food security by maintaining fish stocks
  • Agroforestry and conservation practices, which allow farms to save water and protect farmers from the worst consequences of drought
  • Preserving or restoring coastal environments, including mangroves and coral reefs, which play a crucial role in protecting coastal communities from erosion and storm surge
Unlocking the Potential for Transformative Climate Adaptation in Cities

Cities face grave climate risks. Nature-based solutions are an important part of holistically addressing these challenges.

Learn more

More About Nature-Based Solutions

Event

Nature-Based Solutions and USAID's 2022-2030 Climate Strategy

30 Aug 2022, GMT -4 - Climatelinks , USAID

Nature-based solutions are critical to climate adaptation efforts, and represent one of the five foundational principles of USAID’s 2022-2030 Climate Strategy. 

View Event
Event

Ecological and Social Resilience

13 Jul 2022, GMT -4 - USAID Center for Resilience

Building resilience among vulnerable communities traditionally came as a response to humanitarian crises and as a means to increase food security.

View Event
Report

Youth Engagement in Agricultural Value Chains Across Feed the Future

24 Jun 2022 - Feed the Future Leveraging Economic Opportunities Activity

As global youth populations and unemployment swell to unprecedented levels, it is comforting to imagine the development of a stable, secure and diversified rural economy powered by youth, with trade and services...

View Resource
Operational Strategy

USAID Climate Strategy 2022-2030

22 Apr 2022 - United States Agency for International Development

USAID’s approach to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, help partner countries build resilience and improve its own operations.

View Resource
More Resources
Return to top
USIAD Logo USIAD Logo

Explore USAID’s LINKS sites for learning and knowledge sharing

Agrilinks Logo
Agrilinks Logo

Achieving agriculture-led food security

BiodiversityLinks logo
BiodiversityLinks logo

Advancing biodiversity conservation

ClimateLinks logo
ClimateLinks logo

Improving climate change and development programming

EducationLinks logo
EducationLinks logo

Creating successful and effective education programs

GlobalWaters logo
GlobalWaters logo

Solving global water and sanitation challenges

LandLinks logo
LandLinks logo

Strengthening land tenure and property rights

LearningLab logo
LearningLab Logo

Maximizing development outcomes

MarketLinks logo
MarketLinks logo

Sharing market-based solutions for development

ResilienceLinks logo
ResilienceLinks logo

Helping communities withstand crisis and thrive

UrbanLinks logo
UrbanLinks logo

Supporting sustainable urban development

  • Accessibility
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use

© 2023 Resilience Links

The information provided on this website is not official U.S. government information and does not represent the views or positions of the U.S. Agency for International Development or the U.S. Government. All rights reserved.

  • Twitter Twitter
  • LinkedIn LinkedIn

We use cookies on our website to evaluate site performance and improve your experience. Click Accept if you agree to the use of these cookies, or More Information to learn about how we manage information on our site.