Working with nature and enhancing nature fundamental to achieving the climate and disaster risk reduction goals and meeting the many emerging societal challenges that unplanned development has increased and complicated in the last century. In March 2022, UNEA formally adopted the definition of Nature-based Solutions (NbS) as “actions to protect, sustainably manage, and restore natural and modified ecosystems that address societal challenges effectively and adaptively, simultaneously benefiting people and nature”. These solutions, such as forests, wetland conservations, and restorative agriculture, significantly enhance resilience to disasters and climate change.

NbS are increasingly becoming a part of our response plan to reduce risks, limit exposure to hazards and build resilience against climate change and disasters. A research study on 85 nature-based interventions from the global south concluded that in 95% of cases, there was a reduction in vulnerability primarily by lowering ecosystem sensitivity to climate impacts. Apart from this, these interventions also led to reducing ecological exposure and increasing social adaptive capacity. Assessments show that NbS hold the key to achieving 37% of mitigation targets of the Paris Agreement and maintaining the global temperature below 2 degrees Celsius. NbS solutions not only harness nature but also deliver on rights, economic growth, sustainable livelihoods, health, biodiversity, gender equality, and many other social and economic issues. A well-designed NbS can effectively deliver on all these fronts in a cost-effective and sustained manner.

This training course will provide introduce participants to the nuts and bolts of NbS and provide practical perspectives on their application to pressing challenges posed by climate change and disaster risks. The training will cover the essentials of implementing NbS for resilience-building and provide case studies on NbS in various countries.

With the effects of climate change becoming more evident, Nature-based Solutions (NbS) can greatly enhance resilience to disasters and climate change. Not only can they reduce exposure to hazards or act as natural buffers against them, they can also remove greenhouse gases from the atmosphere and promote the integrity of ecosystems, which are both likely to be critical in the achievement of Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) and Climate Change Adaptation (CCA) goals.

This course will introduce the participants to NbS for DRR and CCA, including the fundamental principles and Global Standards for NbS. It will guide the participants in setting-up and implementing NbS for resilience-building through case studies from various countries across Asia and the Pacific. The output of the course will be an action plan that outlines how NbS can be implemented in DRR and CCA and how the global standards can be applied in their nature-based interventions.

Online Phase: March 7 and 9, 2023 and Face to Face Phase: March 15-17, 2023

The specific objectives of the training are to:

• Introduce ecosystem services and nature-based solutions covering concepts, fundamental principles, and their importance in strengthening resilience to climate and disaster-induced hazards.

• Orient the participants to international frameworks around nature-based solutions, including IUCN’s Global Standard for nature-based solutions

• Provide practical insights to implement NbS for DRR and CCA and mainstream nature-based solutions into policies.

The training will be conducted in a blended modality. The onboarding for the training course will be conducted online. The onboarding will cover fundamentals that are pre-requisites for joining the course. This will be followed by a 3-day in-person training, which will use a case-study-based approach to introduce the mainstreaming and implementation aspects of NbS. During the in-person training, participants will be trained and mentored by experts to identify entry points for NbS in their areas of work.

1. Introductory Online Module (4 Hours)

The onboarding for this training course has two online sessions, each of 2 hours covering fundamentals to ensure that the participants have some uniformity in understanding the technical context of climate resilience and services provided by ecosystems. These sessions will also allow participants to engage with each other and break the ice before they join the in-person training.

1.1. Session 1: Fundamentals of climate and disaster risk reduction and resilience
1.2. Session 2: Ecosystem-based services and fundamentals of green-grey and hybrid infrastructure

2. Module 2: Fundamentals of Nature-based Solutions (2 hours – conducted on Day 1)

This module will initiate the orientation of nature-based solutions. It will help orient participants to a landscape of solutions, the benefits from NbS, and how they can effectively help manage risks originating from the changing climate.

2.1. Session 3: Nature-based Solutions: Key Concepts, Fundamental Principles and the need for nature-based solutions in managing climate and disaster risks.

3. Module 3: International Frameworks and Standards around Nature-based Solutions (5 hours – Conducted on Day 1)

This module will provide information to the participants on current international and global frameworks around nature-based solutions. A key session in this module will be on IUCN Global Standard for Nature-based solutions. These standards provide a common understanding of what constitutes NbS and support a shared vision to effectively use nature for sustainable development.

3.1. Session 4: International frameworks, opportunities, and challenges around Nature-based solutions
3.2. Session 5: IUCN Global Standard for Nature-based solutions

4. Module 4: Implementing Nature-based Solutions (10 hours – Conducted on Day 2 and 3)

This module will move towards the practice side and cover implementing issues in nature-based solutions covering aspects of mainstreaming in project cycles and in policies. This module also as

4.1. Session 6 A: Nature-based Solutions for managing Landslide Risks
4.2. Session 6 B: Nature-based Solutions for Flood Risk Management in Urban Spaces
4.3. Session 7: Mainstreaming Nature-based Solutions in policies and planning processes
4.4. Session 8: Gender and social integration in implementing nature-based solutions

5. Module 5: Making a business case for Nature-based Solutions (3 hours – Conducted on Day 3)

This module will cover public and private financing alternatives for nature-based solutions. It will also cover the fundamentals of valuation of nature-based solutions.

5.1. Session 9: Financing nature-based solutions
5.2. Session 10: Valuation of Nature-based Solutions: Concepts. Issues and Challenges

This course shall use various trainer-cantered methodologies, including:

• Participatory lectures and discussions
• Presentations
• Group Exercises
• Case studies
• Exposure visits
• Pre- and post-tests

At the end of the course, the participants are expected to prepare a roadmap for mainstreaming NbS in their areas of work.

The course is open to those from various sectors, including government departments such as the ministries of environment, water, agriculture, disaster risk management, land use, finance, and planning, NGOs, INGOs, UN agencies, and the private sector. Participants from policy and mid to senior management levels are welcome if they are keen to know more about NbS and how they are implemented so they can effectively support NbS interventions.

$900 (without accommodation)
$1,200 (with accommodation)

Fees are inclusive of course materials (soft copy), cost of instructions and course certificate. For face-to-face training, fee is inclusive of morning and afternoon snacks and lunch during the course.

Interested individuals and organizations can register online at www.adpc.net/apply.

For more information about the course, you may also contact Apibarl Bunchongraksa at apibarl@adpc.net and telephone numbers +66 22980681 to 92 ext. 132.

Due to limited slots for this course, interested parties must register on or before February 28, 2023.

If you are selected to attend the course, the payment should be transferred to ADPC's account through a bank transfer not later than February 28, 2023. Otherwise, your participation will be cancelled.