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Nature-based Solutions

Nature-based Solutions leverage nature and the power of healthy ecosystems to protect people, optimise infrastructure and safeguard a stable and biodiverse future.

EXPLORE TOPICS

Featured work
Issues brief
Nature-based Solutions (NbS) are actions to address societal challenges through the protection, sustainable management and restoration of ecosystems, benefiting both biodiversity and…
Policy brief 2022
NbS are closely aligned with the first draft of the Post2020 GBF. The focus on improving human well-being through the adaptive and resilient characteristics of biodiverse ecosystems directly…
Position paper 2023
The synthesis report of the Sixth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC AR6), released in March this year, has brought into sharp focus the irreversible losses and…
Blog 04 Apr, 2024
The 55th session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva concludes this week. As usual, ‘human rights and the environment’ has been one of the usual themes of the Council's March session. One of the…

About Nature-based Solutions 

Nature-based Solutions address societal challenges through actions to protect, sustainably manage, and restore natural and modified ecosystems, benefiting people and nature at the same time.  

They target major challenges like climate change, disaster risk reduction, food and water security, biodiversity loss and human health, and are critical to sustainable development.   

The design, implementation, and evaluation of Nature-based Solutions are supported by the IUCN Global Standard for Nature-based Solutions. The Global Standard helps users shape their solutions and make them truly effective through 8 criteria and 28 indicators, supported by guiding questions. 

USD 57 billion

Description

in flooding damages averted by mangroves in China, India, Mexico, US and Viet Nam each year

One third

Description

of climate mitigation needed to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement can be provided by Nature-based Solutions

USD 170 billion

Description

estimated global benefits in ecosystem services from Nature-based Solutions focused on climate

The benefits of Nature-based Solutions for biodiversity and human well-being flow from healthy ecosystems

Our work

IUCN pioneered the concept of Nature-based Solutions 20 years ago, first formulating a formal definition of NbS, then developing a rigorous standard to inform the design, implementation and evaluation of interventions: the IUCN Global Standard for Nature-based Solutions.   

The Global Standard for NbS is accompanied by a guide and an online self-assessment tool. 

The IUCN NbS Management Hub supports governments to mainstream NbS in national policies and strategic plans and helps communities and non-governmental organisations to improve actions on the ground.  

IUCN’s work on Nature-based Solutions is governed by IUCN’s International Standard Committee and is supported by experts from the IUCN Commission on Ecosystem Management (CEM) and its NbS Thematic Group. 

The Union offers stakeholders from all sectors the opportunity to learn how to apply Nature-based Solutions in their professional context through a Professional Certificate on NbS. This online course is offered by the IUCN Academy.