Nature holds the answers to many of the world’s most pressing challenges

including to achieving ecosystem and human health as well as poverty reduction, climate and economic objectives. The global biodiversity framework must signpost the value of equitable and rights-based nature-based solutions (NbS) for the benefit of both people and nature.

Nature and people

Living in harmony with nature means recognising both the benefit of nature and the reliance we have on it. Working with nature and peoples’ best interests at heart by simultaneously addressing societal challenges and providing benefits for nature is the definition of a high quality nature-based solution. It is important that nature-based solutions are developed in line with standards such as the IUCN’s global standard for NbS.

The recognition that indigenous people and local communities contribute nature-based solutions is part of ensuring equitable and effective NbS. This includes full recognition of indigenous knowledge and culture, their knowledge and governance systems.

Photo:
© Tanmoy Badhuri / WWF International

HIGH-QUALITY NATURE-BASED SOLUTIONS

Likewise, high quality nature-based solutions must be inclusive and transparent, and governance processes should also take into account trade-offs. That means they are inclusive in the way they are governed, designed, implemented and monitored. But foremost a high-quality NbS will secure full and effective participation of rights holders in decision-making processes. This could prevent trade-offs to occur inadvertently and support better outcomes for people and nature.

It is essential that nature-based solutions are gender responsive. Women are amongst those most affected by biodiversity loss due in part to their lack of ownership rights and access to resources in indigenous and rural communities. Yet research shows that empowering women to reverse biodiversity loss has a greater impact. Women can be agents of change, leading biodiversity protection, conservation and sustainable farming efforts. Gender equality and women’s empowerment are central to effective environmental decision-making processes and lead to better resource governance and biodiversity conservation outcomes.

How can we reach a nature-positive world?

WWF believes that to create both effective and appropriate NbS the following core components need to be taken into account:

Be a place-based intervention that uses the functioning power of ecosystems

Explicitly address one or more of the identified societal challenges. This means that we need to be able to measure and report on how we are addressing the identified societal challenges, and have well-defined indicators for monitoring progress.

Ensure biodiversity and ecosystem benefits. All NbS must have a net positive impact on biodiversity. NbS depend on the ecological condition of the supporting ecosystems; therefore, it is in the interest of the NbS practitioner to ensure that implementation measures will, at the least, maintain the ecological integrity of the target area over the long term.

Provide social and economic benefits. A big advantage of NbS is that they deliver many co-benefits, which can be found in: income generation, livelihood diversification, revalorization of cultural practices, green jobs, etc.

Guarantee safeguards for people and nature: NbS should be people-centered approaches that are designed, implemented and monitored by indigenous people and by local communities. Strict safeguards should be put in place that can guarantee inclusive, transparent, equitable NbS that are developed respecting human rights-based approaches such as rights, views , and a fair distribution of benefits among all rightsholders .

High-level support

Nature-based solutions (NbS) have been recognised formally by several global texts and agreements.

The United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA) formally recognised nature-based solutions at a recent meeting. Read more about the decision and definition of NbS.

At the forefront of the nature movement, the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) should lead the way with inclusion of NbS in the new global biodiversity framework, and ensure that they are rights-based and equitable to benefit all people and the planet.

The CBD must ensure biodiversity enhancement and ecosystem integrity in NBS interventions, and strengthen its role as Nature authority, by promoting NbS which safeguard the rights of indigenous peoples and local communities as well as nature in the post-2020 GBF.

Rights-based and equitable nature-based Solutions should be included in the GBF alongside ecosystem-based approaches (Targets 8 and 11), both concepts complement each other to safeguard ecosystem integrity and health.