The potential of NbS to tackle both the climate and biodiversity crises depends on whether they enhance the health of an ecosystem, including its biodiversity, the condition of its soil and water, and its ability to maintain its functions despite environmental change. However, while research has helped to improve our understanding of how nature-based interventions for climate change mitigation affect ecosystem health, we still do not understand the outcomes of interventions aimed at addressing climate change adaptation. To address this, in this project we systematically reviewed the outcomes of 109 nature-based interventions for climate change adaptation for 33 different indicators of ecosystem health.
Country: Global South
This project collated and synthesized evidence on the development outcomes of investments in nature (protection, restoration, management, creation of ecosystem, and nature-based food production). This includes conservation interventions and more recently labelled “nature-based solutions” to societal challenges. The scope of development outcomes considered was broad, ranging from jobs, food security, empowerment, to climate change resilience for local people in poor (low- and lower-middle-income).
Although evidence for the effectiveness of NbS for adaptation is growing, there is scant information on whether and how NbS reduce vulnerability to climate change in the Global South, despite this region being home to the majority of the world’s most climate-vulnerable people. To address this, we systematically collated 85 case studies of nature-based interventions in rural areas of low and lower-middle income nations across a range of ecosystems and addressing a diversity of impacts of climate change. We assessed the effectiveness of these interventions at reducing social and ecological vulnerability, through three different pathways: reducing exposure and sensitivity, and building adaptive capacity. We then conducted an analysis on the mediating factors of effectiveness of these interventions.