How can nature support resilience planning and climate action in cities?

This policy brief provides feedback on a new rapid approach to identifying (i) climate and natural risks, (ii) potential nature-based solutions (NbS) to address those risks, and (iii) strategies to implement these solutions.

Many cities around the world lack data on flooding, heat island, and ecosystems degradation risks, as well as information on the natural ecosystem solutions that can address these challenges with action in policy reform and landscape interventions. 

The new method of this Strategic NbS Framework integrates globally available datasets with local data to evaluate areas of a given city that are susceptible to extreme flooding and heat, as well as opportunities to expand existing natural spaces and create corridors of ecological continuity.

The goal is to provide cities with a planning framework that they can follow and interpret within their own context.

This framework was tested during a joint research program in Kigali (Rwanda) and Addis Ababa (Ethiopia), funded under AFD's Ecopronat programme. The recommendations are the direct result of feedback from the research activities themselves which enabled the implementation of the approach in the two cities in close consultation with local institutions and stakeholders.