Overcoming Barriers to Scaling Nature-based Solutions for Climate Adaptation

The report examines why nature-based solutions remain insufficiently integrated into government policy, planning and investment despite their potential to reduce climate risks and benefit people and biodiversity. Drawing on consultations across Latin America, the Caribbean, Africa and Asia, the report identifies five interconnected barriers: fragmented governance, limited institutional and technical capacity, gaps in evidence and monitoring, inadequate and inaccessible finance, and insufficient awareness and meaningful stakeholder engagement. Its central finding is that scaling NbS-A requires addressing the institutional, financial and governance conditions that keep promising initiatives confined to isolated projects.

To address these barriers, the report proposes four mutually reinforcing levers: strengthening political and regulatory support, through clear mandates and coordinated policies; aligning economic incentives, by recognizing resilience benefits and improving project preparation and long-term financing; deepening local ownership and participation, through co-design with communities and Indigenous Peoples; and strengthening collaboration, to build capacity, connect knowledge and improve monitoring. 

Together, these levers provide a practical way forward for governments and partners to create the enabling conditions -and organize the targeted technical assistance- needed to mainstream, scale and effectively implement NbS-A, advancing climate resilience alongside biodiversity and development objectives.