Nature Based Solutions for Disaster and Climate Resilience

INTERNATIONAL TRAINING ON NATURE-BASED SOLUTIONS FOR DISASTER AND CLIMATE RESILIENCE

1. COURSE BACKGROUND

The accelerating impacts of climate change and the escalating frequency and intensity of disasters pose profound challenges to communities and economies worldwide. Conventional “grey” infrastructure solutions, while valuable, often fall short in addressing the complex, multi-faceted nature of these challenges and can sometimes exacerbate environmental issues. Nature-based Solutions (NbS) offer a transformative approach, harnessing the power of healthy and well-managed ecosystems to reduce disaster risks and build resilience to climate change. By working with nature, rather than against it, NbS can provide cost-effective, sustainable, and adaptable solutions for pressing challenges like urbanization, coastal development, and dryland expansion. This approach recognizes the intrinsic link between human activities and ecological systems, emphasizing the need for inclusive, multi-stakeholder, multi-level, and multi-sector collaboration to integrate nature effectively into policy and practice.

2. COURSE OBJECTIVES OF THE TRAINING

By the end of this certificate course, you will be able to:

Gain comprehensive guidance on how to apply Nature-based Solutions in enhancing resilience to disasters and climate change.
Acquire knowledge about the interlinkage between human activities and ecological systems, along with the main tools and approaches for applying Nature-based Solutions to reduce disaster and climate risks.
Understand how policymakers are incorporating nature as a solution in policy processes for reducing disaster and climate risks, and how policies support the up-scaling of Nature-based Solutions for disaster risk reduction.

3. WHAT YOU WILL LEARN

This certificate course offers a structured learning journey into the world of Nature-based Solutions for building resilience. The curriculum is designed to provide both foundational knowledge and practical insights into applying NbS across various contexts. You will learn about:

Understanding Relevance: Why Nature-based Solutions are critical for addressing contemporary disaster and climate resilience challenges.
Defining NbS: A comprehensive understanding of what Nature-based Solutions entail in the context of disaster and climate resilience.
Applied Solutions: How Nature-based Solutions are practically applied to pressing challenges such as rapid urbanization, vulnerable coastal development, and expanding drylands.
Inclusive Action: The paramount importance of fostering multi-stakeholder, multi-level, and multi-sector approaches to ensure effective and equitable implementation of Nature-based Solutions.
Policy to Practice: Bridging the gap between conceptual frameworks and real-world application, exploring how policies facilitate the implementation and up-scaling of NbS.
The Business Case: Understanding the economic rationale and value proposition for investing in Nature-based Solutions.
Call to Action: Practical steps and opportunities for immediate engagement and implementation of NbS in your respective fields.

4. DURATION AND PROGRAM

This is a Certificate Course with a flexible program designed for comprehensive learning and practical application. While the exact duration may vary based on customization needs, the course is structured around seven distinct units. The delivery method is face-to-face, ensuring interactive engagement and in-depth discussions. This training can also be customized for your institution upon request and delivered at your preferred location, offering tailored learning experiences.

5. TARGET PARTICIPANTS

The course is open for anyone interested in this critical topic and is particularly beneficial for the following target groups:

Practitioners: Including disaster risk reduction & climate change experts, environmental managers, Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), and local government staff.
Policy Makers: Decision-makers at international, national, and local levels.
Engineers & Urban Planners: Including architects, geographers, and urban designers.
Businesses: Including banking, insurance, and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) managers.
Youth and Educators: Including parents, teachers, and students.

6. TRAINING MODULES

The course is structured around seven key units, each addressing a critical aspect of Nature-based Solutions for Disaster and Climate Resilience:

Unit 1: Why is this topic relevant for me?
This introductory unit establishes the urgency of the topic, linking global climate and disaster challenges to the personal and professional contexts of the participants.
Unit 2: What is Nature-based Solutions for disaster and climate resilience?
This unit defines Nature-based Solutions, differentiates them from conventional approaches, and outlines their core principles and benefits in the context of disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation.
Unit 3: Nature-based Solutions applied to pressing challenges: urbanization, coastal development, and drylands expansion
This module delves into practical applications, showcasing how NbS can address specific complex challenges prevalent in urban areas, vulnerable coastlines, and expanding drylands.
Unit 4: Inclusive Action: The importance of multi-stakeholder, multi-level and multi-sector approach in Nature-based Solutions
This unit emphasizes the collaborative nature of successful NbS implementation, highlighting the necessity of involving diverse actors from various sectors and governance levels.
Unit 5: From policy to practice
This module explores the critical link between policy frameworks and on-the-ground implementation, discussing how decision-makers integrate NbS into policy processes and how these policies support scaling up initiatives.
Unit 6: The business case for Nature-based Solutions
This unit focuses on the economic viability and financial benefits of NbS, demonstrating why these solutions are not only environmentally sound but also economically astute investments.
Unit 7: Time for action!
The concluding module synthesizes the course content and empowers participants with concrete steps, encouraging immediate application and fostering a sense of collective responsibility for building resilience through nature.