Nature based Solutions (NbS) as a climate solution
Climate change poses a fundamental threat to nature, species, and people. Nature provides key solutions for both carbon storage and building climate resilience – if the global community takes steps to protect, restore, and better manage our natural resources (IUCN, 2023). There is a growing shift towards harnessing nature to combat climate hazards and disaster risk through Nature-based Solutions (NbS). The term ‘nature-based solutions’ refers to a broad range of actions that are inspired and supported by nature and are adopted to help address the challenges people are facing because of climate change, poor governance and urbanisation, subsequent biodiversity loss, and environmental degradation (ICIMOD, 2023). The historical developments at the international level collectively demonstrate the evolution of NbS and integration into key global policy frameworks, such as the Paris Agreement and the UN SDGs. This evolution reflects the growing acknowledgement of NbS as an essential approach for addressing climate change, conserving biodiversity, promoting sustainable development, and reducing climate-induced loss and damage.
