United Nations Environment Assembly recognizes the role of NbS and makes a resolution

Why rely on Nature-based Solutions for climate change adaptation?

"If we want to ensure food and water security for all the world's people, we must prevent ecosystem collapse." Under-Secretary-General - United Nations Environment Assembly, Amina Mohammed.

The fifth session of the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA-5) adopted a resolution on the adoption of an internationally validated definition of Nature-based Solutions recognizing the important role they play in the global response to climate change and its social, economic and environmental impacts.

Nature-based Solutions are intended to sustain human well-being in ways that reflect the  cultural and societal values of the places where they are implemented.

Implementing Nature-based Solutions makes particular sense in an area like the Pacific, where communities are severely affected by the consequences of ⛈ climate change and rely significantly on natural resources for their livelihood.

Employing #nature by including traditional, local and scientific knowledge to:

• Preserve
• Restore
• Manage sustainably ecosystems that sustain the livelihoods of Pacific women and men mitigating climate change impacts, building food reserves, and diversifying community activities.

The Kiwa Initiative supports actors in the Pacific region to implement NbS in relation to their adaptation policy and strategy.

The Kiwa Initiative community strongly believes in the co-benefits that implementing NbS can generate for communities.

Resolution UNEA-5 formally adopted the definition of NBS as "actions to protect, conserve, restore, sustainably use and manage natural or modified terrestrial, freshwater, coastal and marine ecosystems that respond to social, economic and environmental challenges in an effective and adaptive manner, while simultaneously providing human well-being, ecosystem services, and the benefits of resilience and biodiversity.

The "Resolution on Nature-based Solutions to Support Sustainable Development" also calls on the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) to support the implementation of NbS, which protect the rights of communities and indigenous peoples.