WCC 2020 Res 060 - Activity Report

CEM NbS Thematic Group organized and/or participated in a number of events to promote the NbS concept and the Global Standard for NbS, for different regions and for different types of stakeholders:
1. Participation in Panel at international conference on “Nature-based Solutions and Water-related Risks Insights from Humanities and Social Sciences” at the National School for Water and Environmental Engineering of Strasbourg (ENGEES), Strasbourg, France; and participation in Expert Panel at the Mega-Eco Project Symposium, at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, USA.
2. Participation in “Green works and Nature-based Solutions to address the climate and nature crises” course, taught for International Labor Organization (ILO); A second presentation was made on the Global Standard for NbS at a second ILO event.
3. Presentation on NbS at the EcoFuture Project on the Conservation of the Jordan Valley, at Chania, Greece. Presentation on the Global Standard for NbS at the National Climate Change Congress, Portugal.

The CEM Chair has been participating in several international events, advocating for and discussing the Global Standard for NbS.
Events organized:
a. Side event “Pathways for the consistent and effective application of Nature-based Solutions - the role of the IUCN Global Standard for NbS” at UNEA6, during which the NbS Global Standard was presented and discussed. UNEA6, Nairobi, Kenya.
b. Event on “Implementing Nature-based Solutions around the globe, to achieve multiple UN Sustainable Development Goals”, at the Science Summit at the 79th United Nations General Assembly (SSUNGA79), NYC, USA.

1. Publications:
- “The evolution and future of research on Nature-based Solutions to address societal challenges” - Communications Earth & Environment. https://www.nature.com/articles/s43247-024-01308-8
- The Information document "Proposing the IUCN Global Standard for NbS as the main operational framework to implement UNEA Resolutions 5/5 on NbS for supporting Sustainable Development" was prepared for and presented at the United Nations Environmental Assembly 6. Link to publication: https://www.iucn.org/sites/default/files/2024-02/iucn_information_paper_iucn_global_standard_for_nature-based_solutions_and_unea_resolutions_1502024.pdf
2. Collaboration with MERLIN research project to integrate the Global Standard for NbS as an assessment framework for multiple case studies in Europe. Collaboration on “Ecofuture project - A socio-ecological approach to combat desertification for a sustainable future”, in which NbS interventions and the Global Standard for NbS will be used to plan and implement solutions to address societal challenges in the Jordan Valley.