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Guidelines for Designing, Implementing, and Monitoring Nature-Based Solutions for Adaptation

This document by Conservation International provides general guidance and good practices for the identification, design, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of nature-based solutions for adaptation, especially for projects that already have the financial resources to implement such interventions. This document also includes information on vulnerability assessments, which are important for identifying the climate threats and impacts that nature-based solutions for adaptation are meant to address. Stakeholder engagement is also addressed, as it is key to ensuring that the visions of partners, governmental bodies, and local communities are embedded into all the stages of the project.

The document is divided into five stages, each one addressing an important aspect of a project cycle for adaptation to climate change:

  1. Assessment of climate impacts
  2. Identification of adaptation action
  3. Outlining of transformative potential
  4. Design of selected actions
  5. Evaluation of actions

For each stage, this document outlines a set of key activities and the best practices for implementation. Each section starts with a description of the purpose and importance of the stage and then provides examples in boxes to demonstrate some of the activities and best practices suggested.

The guidelines provided in this document can be used in a variety of different ecosystems and socioecological contexts. Please note that there is now a set of guidelines for the design and effective implementation of ecosystem-based approaches to climate change and disaster risk reduction developed by the Convention on Biological Diversity secretariat and partners, which present information that complements what is presented here.