World Wildlife Fund Sustainability Works

Laying the Groundwork: WWF's Nature-Based Solutions Origination Platform Marks a Year of Progress

  • Date: 25 September 2024
  • Author: Virginia Johnson, WWF Forests


A Conversation With Josefina Braña Varela and Lucas Black

At last year’s Climate Week NYC, WWF formally launched the Nature-Based Solutions Origination Platform (NbS-OP), a novel tool designed to create large-scale positive change for people, nature, and climate across priority tropical forest landscapes. To mark the anniversary, we sat down with WWF’s Josefina Braña Varela and Lucas Black, platform co-leads, to reflect on 12 months of progress and their recent trip to Madagascar—one of the NbS-OP landscapes.

Lucas Black and Josefina Braña Varela in Madagascar

What are some favorite memories from your Madagascar visit?

Josefina:

A favorite memory was waking up to a strange noise outside, which grew louder until I realized it was the lemurs singing their unique songs. They sound like the forest's whales, using these calls to mark territory. Lemurs are endemic to Madagascar and found nowhere else. Hearing them in their natural habitat felt like a privilege, but it also made me reflect on the fragility of that experience. I wonder how much longer we'll have the chance to encounter lemurs in the wild. Having the opportunity to see them firsthand is something I deeply cherish.

Lucas:

I share Josefina’s awe for Madagascar's wildlife, especially the lemurs. Whether it's the indri, black-and-white ruffed lemur, or silky sifaka, their closeness to extinction is sobering and alarming. Only thousands of breeding pairs remain in shrinking forests. I was also blown away by the chameleons—a male Parson's chameleon we encountered on a trail was as big as my hand! This experience powerfully reminded me of WWF’s core mission: conservation. These creatures, so similar to us, are fighting to survive. Hearing their calls and seeing their beauty is an emotional reminder of WWF’s purpose. It also highlights the importance of staying focused on our work and connecting to the local people striving to protect these species and forests, even as other global priorities compete for attention.

A male Parson's chameleon Lucas and Josefina encountered in Madagascar

How do you see the NbS-OP helping people, nature, and the climate in Madagascar?

Josefina:

For me, the NbS-OP is about understanding the landscape as a whole. During our trip, we covered the entire area from the western coast to the highlands in the east, seeing challenges and opportunities firsthand. This big-picture view is key to identifying where we can add value. Madagascar’s unique landscape has urgent social needs tied to poverty and health, requiring a differentiated strategy. We need a mix of corporate, public, and philanthropic funding to move Madagascar toward sustainability. The challenges are immense, but so are the opportunities. And that’s what keeps us going.

Lucas:

Madagascar exemplifies the interconnectedness of people, nature, and climate. We often treat these as separate issues, but they are deeply intertwined. With 80% of the population living on less than $2 a day, engaging local communities—through participation in agroforestry schemes to generate additional income or adoption of more sustainable land-use practices—is essential for success. WWF-Madagascar’s holistic approach—honed over 50+ years of working in the country—is the only way to make a real impact. By connecting people and nature—and helping people realize the advantages of protecting forests and wildlife—climate benefits will follow. Our mission is to create sustainable landscapes where people benefit from living in harmony with nature. That’s what drives our efforts in Madagascar.

What is your proudest NbS-OP achievement this past year?

Josefina:

I’m proud of the relationships we’ve built with our WWF country offices. The NbS-OP has resonated with them, adding real value. Even if we don’t achieve everything we set out to deliver immediately, we’ve already shifted practices toward a landscape approach. In Madagascar, where their landscape strategy is advanced, we are getting ready to support implementation. Across all landscapes, we’ve accelerated the development of strategies and theories of change. We now have at least two interventions in each landscape ready for support—a significant achievement in just 18 months. It’s a testament to WWF’s strength and agility.

The NbS-OP has already attracted significant corporate support from Apple, the Cisco Foundation, HP Inc., International Paper, and the Walmart Foundation, among others. I can’t help but be proud of that.

Lucas:

Over the past 18 months, visiting landscapes in Peru, Madagascar, and Mexico, I’ve been consistently impressed by the dedication of our country office teams. They work tirelessly in tough conditions, making our activities possible. I’m proud that we’ve supported them in thinking bigger and more holistically about their landscapes and that we can be ambassadors for them by advocating for their work. It’s now about a broader, more integrated approach, particularly on the finance side—getting donors to see the benefits of collaboration and combining funding versus going it alone. We’ve built strong partnerships—efforts that often go unsung but will pay off in the long run. Laying this groundwork makes me confident it will lead to greater achievements and a more lasting impact.

Group photo at Marojejy National Park entrance in the Sava region. Left to right; Mihary Raparivo, Josefina Braña Varela, Brittany Williams, Feno Rakotondrasoa, Jacob Fjalland, Lucas Black

Where do you hope the NbS-OP will be a year from now?

Lucas:

I think we’re at a crucial turning point for the NbS-OP. My hope for the coming year is that we’ll land a couple of big partnerships that bring substantial funding to our landscapes for implementation. We’ve spent a lot of time building the foundation, and now it feels like we’re ready to showcase what we’ve developed. It’s like we’ve been creating a painting, and now it’s ready for exhibition. There’s also the potential for us to dive into areas we’ve been hesitant about, like the carbon markets. Next year, with the UN Climate Change Conference in Brazil and the focus on forests, I hope we can raise the profile of forests and climate and really make a splash in raising the profiles of some of these places, several of which are often under the radar.

Josefina:

A year from now, I envision us standing with partners, announcing a major collaboration that will affect 40 million hectares of forest. I see us shifting these landscapes toward sustainability and modeling what high-quality, high-integrity conservation looks like. In a year, I hope we’ll be talking about the real impact we’re having on the ground and celebrating a big partnership that’s helping us get there.

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