THE ROLE OF NATURE-BASED SOLUTIONS IN DISASTER RISK MANAGEMENT IN FRAGILE, CONFLICT AND VIOLENCE-AFFECTED COUNTRIES The Disaster-Fragility, Conflict and Violence (FCV) nexus The World Bank (WB) estimates that, by 2030, up to two-thirds of the global extreme poor will be living in fragile and conflict-affected situations. Of the top 20 countries most vulnerable to climate change1, 14 are T HR EE BENEFIT S O F LEV ER AG ING N B S considered by the WB as fragile and conflict-affected2. IN FCV C O NT EX T S: 1 Households affected by conflict experience greater economic losses and longer recovery time in the after- Cost-effectiveness4: By leveraging local knowledge math of a disaster3. and practices and relying on natural systems, NBS can provide a cost-effective and flexible approach FCV conditions undermine governments and societies’ ability to prevent, prepare for, respond to, and recover for DRM in comparison with traditional disaster risk from disasters, as well as weaken their capacity to pre- reduction infrastructure solutions which often in- serve their environment and promote a sustainable us- volve larger funding and capacity. This can support age of their natural resources. Conversely, climate and the mainstreaming of disaster risk reduction invest- disaster risks, and how they are managed, can exacer- ments in FCV settings, which often face constrained 2 bate FCV conditions. financial resources. Nature-Based Solutions (NBS) Community-level resilience: NBS often rely on par- NBS is an umbrella term for a set of interventions that ticipatory approaches involving local communities in seek to protect, manage, and/or restore natural sys- planning, management, and maintenance process- tems, while addressing multiple development goals es. As such, NBS can address the needs of particu- such as climate and disaster risk resilience, economic larly vulnerable groups while enhancing disaster risk and social prosperity, food security and biodiversity awareness. Such approaches not only build commu- conservation. nity resilience but may also contribute to promoting social cohesion and strengthening trust in gover- NBS potential in addressing the nance structures. disaster-FCV nexus 3 In FCV settings, NBS may offer a sustainable approach by harnessing the resilience of ecosystems to miti- Create jobs while safeguarding natural resources: gate disaster risks, foster community resilience, and promote peace. As such, NBS interventions can yield NBS initiatives promote sustainable natural re- co-benefits beyond mitigating climate and disaster source management while generating employ- risks, potentially alleviating certain conditions of FCV. ment and livelihoods opportunities. This dual fo- cus addresses economic hardships and potential GFDRR’s Contributions to NBS In FVC Contexts resource-related tensions in FCV settings, thereby By providing targeted support and expertise, the Global enhancing the necessary conditions for sustain- Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery (GFDRR) able development. is instrumental in overcoming the unique challenges of FCV contexts, ensuring that NBS interventions are not only feasible but also effective in building resilience and stability in these vulnerable regions. Between Fis- cal Year 2012 and 2022, one-fourth of GFDRR’s funding went to activities in FCV countries, through a total of 320 grants amounting to US$153 million. CROSS-CUTTING CHALLENGES OF NBS IMPLEMENTATION IN FCV CONTEXTS FCV settings present challenges that can lead to increased costs and extended timeline for NBS interventions5 Ongoing conflict or high levels of interpersonal violence can lead to NBS site restrictions, Security concerns disrupt infrastructure, and hinder community engagement. Fragile governance and corruption may lead to a lack of continuity in NBS projects and Political instability priority shifts. The lack of reliable data on hazard exposure and vulnerabilty can challenge the planning, Data scarcity monitoring and evaluation of NBS investments. Human capital Phenomena such as brain-drain, or the absence of trained personnel with NBS-related constraints expertise, are common challenges in FCV countries. Lack of trust and cooperation between different parties can hinder community Broken social engagement and exacerbate resource competition, posing significant challenges to contract NBS operations. NBS IN FCV: INSIGHTS FROM THE WORLD BANK PORTFOLIO 6 P R O JE CT D I ST RI B U TI ON INV EST MENT IN NB S IN FCVS 47 projects (22%) distributed in 28 countries on the World Bank’s FCS list I M PACT G OA LS C O MMUNIT Y- BASED AP P R OAC H AND G EN DE R OV ER V IE W O F FCV C O UNT RIES W I TH PR OJEC TS TH AT I NC L UDE NBS S UP P O RT E D BY T HE WOR L D BA NK BETW EEN 20 1 2-20 23 SELECTED EXAMPLES OF HOW WORLD BANK NBS INTERVENTIONS SUPPORT THE ALLEVIATION OF CERTAIN FCV CONDITIONS Overcoming data constraints to Inclusive and resilient upgrading Increasing livelihood identify investment opportunities of vulnerable ne ighborhoods opportunities The NBS Opportunity Scan de- In the Central African Republic, The World Bank is supporting the veloped by the GPNBS conducts the World Bank is working with a government of the Republic of an analytical assessment using grant from the City Gap Fund to Congo to restore degraded agri- geospatial data to map poten- conduct community engagement cultural land through NBS activi- tial benefits of NBS and iden- workshops to prepare local devel- ties, which include reforestation tify investment opportunities. opment plans, which in turn are in- and assisted natural generation In Burkina Faso, this analysis is forming neighbourhood upgrading to improve soil stabilization and providing input for investments investments in the cities of Bangui reduce soil erosion. In parallel, in transport and urban develop- and Berberati. The neighbourhood the project is improving manage- ment, helping to move project and investment selection priori- ment capacity in protected areas, preparation forward in areas tizes areas of extreme vulnerabil- aiming to enhance livelihood op- with travel restrictions in place ity, with the presence portunities through ecotourism due to security concerns.   for indigenous peoples and local communities.   Disaster - Fragility, Conflict and Violence (FCV) Nexus The Global Program on Nature-Based Solutions for Climate Resilience (GPNBS) Through its thematic area on the Disas- The GPNBS is a cross-sectoral effort at ter-FCV Nexus, GFDRR and the World Bank the World Bank Group led by GFDRR, with are aiming to contribute to increasing de- a mission to increase investments in solu- velopment finance on disaster risk reduc- tions that integrate and strengthen natural tion and climate resilience in FCV settings. systems across regions and sectors. CASE STUDIES FROM THE WORLD BANK PORTFOLIO Integrating NBS in urban infrastructure in N’Djamena This project aims to improve flood protection and drainage in- frastructure and strengthen climate-resilient urban planning and community investments in the capital city of Chad. The potential of NBS, including green corridors and floodplains as flood-mitigation measures, will be assessed as part of the technical studies under- way. The project will aim to expand and consolidate local initiatives already present in the city, such as urban agriculture, local food mar- kets, production organic composting, and tree nurseries. Not only will this enhance food protection and climate resilience, but it will also help address some key drivers of fragility in Chad, such as water scarcity, food insecurity, and environmental degradation.  The GPNBS team is supporting the project task team with an NBS Opportunity Scan, and with inputs in the preparation of terms of reference for technical studies that will further assess the invest- ments that will be taken forward, ensuring that firms conducting these studies have the experience and capability to explore NBS GPNBS/World Bank as part of the project.  Landscape restoration and livelihood resilience in Niger With the support of the World Bank, the Government of Niger is work- ing to adopt climate smart restoration practices and improve access to livelihoods in targeted communities, recognizing the nexus between natural resource degradation, climate impacts and social conflicts.  Through landscape restoration, it aims to reconcile economic, social, and climate concerns, using the environment as the driver for so- cio-economic regeneration. In practice, this involves the use of com- munal planning tools, a governance structure that uses local com- mittees with strengthened conflict resolution mechanism to control the restored land, and promotion of capacity building activities nec- essary for long-term interventions, including encouraging women to take leadership roles in the process.   It is expected that landscape restoration activities will involve NBS activities such as tree planting and reforestation, which in turn will increase water availability, strengthen resilience against droughts, floods and other climate disasters, as well as support local food secu- rity and create employment opportunities.  World Bank 1   According to the ND-GAIN index. 2   The list of fragile and conflict-affected situations (FCS) is released annually by the World Bank and aims to inform strategic and operational decision-making within the World Bank. The list is based on publicly available global indicators followed by an internal review; and is updated every year on July 1st to reflect changes in country situations 3   GFDRR (2024). Economic analysis of disasters in FCV countries [upcoming]. 4   World Bank (2019). Nature-based Solutions: a Cost-effective Approach for Disaster Risk and Water Resource Management. Available at: https:// www.worldbank.org/en/topic/disasterriskmanagement/brief/nature-based-solutions-cost-effective-approach-for-disaster-risk-and-water- resource-management 5   The background note “Challenges and opportunities to scale climate finance for NBS in FCV countries” (forthcoming) provides more information on specific challenges. 6   These projects were identified as part of GPNBS’ portfolio review process. The team utilized an algorithm to search the World Bank’s Operation Portal Database and extract projects that used common NBS terms in project documents. The list of projects was then manually screened and reviewed to ensure that the project truly included specific NBS activities that aimed to build climate resilience.