Biodiversity outcomes of nature-based solutions for adaptation in the Tropical Andes

South America is one of the most biologically diverse areas of the planet, however, this diversity is threatened hugely by human activity and the changing climate. This project explores the outcomes of Nature-based Solutions for Adaptation upon biodiversity in the Tropical Andean region of South America and works towards building the evidence base of NbS for Adaptation. Using a combination of systematic reviews and on-the-ground fieldwork, this project looks at how species and ecosystems are responding in areas in which NbS have been implemented and assesses local knowledge and opinions upon NbS. The projects’ on-the-ground work is carried out in Tena, Ecuador, a city within the Napo province on the border of the Andes and Amazon.

Methodologies employed include camera traps, bioacoustic microphones for birds and bats, soil litter analysis, atmospheric and soil temperature analysis, and semi-structured interviews. These methods are being combined to develop an in-depth socio-ecological understanding of current efforts in the region and the findings will be used to develop a framework for scaling efforts further afield.