Integrating Nature-based Solutions into policies for climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction

Abstract

Until now, there has been no systematic and consistent approach to legal and policy analysis that addresses the integration of Nature-based Solutions (NbS) into development strategies, sectoral policies and legal instruments. In responding to this gap, IUCN has developed a novel methodology to conduct such an analysis based on the IUCN Global Standard for Nature-based Solutionsᵀᴹ and tested this methodology in six economies in the Western Balkan region. 

ADAPT: Nature-based Solutions for resilient societies in the Western Balkans is a project funded by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) and implemented by IUCN. It aims to increase ecosystem and community resilience to climate change and environmental degradation in the Western Balkans. This regional umbrella initiative works with the six Western Balkan economies, regional and local partners. The comparative policy analysis was carried out between November 2020 and March 2021 and produces two types of results salient to current discussions on the role of NbS in climate change adaptation (CCA) and disaster risk reduction (DRR): 1. insights for policymakers in the Western Balkans on the status of Nature-based Solutions (NbS) in existing policy and opportunities for advancing NbS in these policies; 2. a first application of the IUCN Global Standard for Nature-based Solutionsᵀᴹ to policy analysis.