Become a Climate Resilience Trainer

The ALBATROSS project is launching a Training of Trainers initiative across five African countries to help vulnerable communities move beyond traditional coping mechanisms that are no longer sufficient against escalating climate shocks. By integrating Nature-based Solutions (NbS) with data-driven Climate Services (CS), this program empowers local leaders to build long-term resilience and protect food, water, and economic security. The objectives pursued are:

• Build Technical Proficiency in NBS: Enable participants to understand and communicate how healthy ecosystems can be leveraged for protective and regenerative functions, offering sustainable alternatives to conventional engineered infrastructure.

• Develop Applied Skills in CS: Equip participants with the ability to interpret and disseminate scientific climate data and forecasts, facilitating proactive decision-making in sectors such as agriculture, pastoralism, fisheries, and urban planning.

• Foster Integrated Application: Demonstrate the synergistic potential of combining ecological restoration with climate intelligence to build comprehensive community resilience.

By the end of this program, participants will be equipped not only with technical knowledge but also with the practical skills and confidence to train others, empowering communities to use the twin tools of nature’s wisdom and climate science to build a more resilient future.

The first session will focus on NbS, deepening on their potential for disaster risk reduction, their contribution to sustainable agriculture and the importance of involving private owners in the implementation of NbS in their lands.

Understanding Nature-Based Solutions: Beyond Climate Change and Disaster Risk Reduction in Dar es Salaam

Prof. Wilbard Kombe, Institute of Human Settlements Studies (IHSS), Ardhi University, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
In the literature, nature-based solutions have predominantly been categorised into green, grey, blue, and hybrid types based on physical ecological attributes, with little attention paid to non-physical, integrated, beneficial aspects. This categorisation however does not fully capture the plural and socio-economic realities of NbS particularly in urban low-income communities. In this paper we build on the contestation surrounding the NbS categorisation, through a rapid assessment, key informant interviews, and focus group discussions, we question solutions to what and how to profile NbS, as understood by communities and stakeholders. The findings of NbS in Dar es Salaam city demonstrate the role of nature and community leadership in addressing not only the climate change risks but also serve as solutions to meet local communities’ social, ecological, and economic needs. Understanding and appreciating these typologies in their multiple dimensions provides critical entry point for academic discourse, for stakeholders in the co-designing, assessment, and scaling-up nature-based solutions beyond hitherto dominant ecological principles.

Building Resilience with Nature: The Power of Nature-Based Solutions in Agriculture

Ms Dorcas Owusuaa Agyei, head of IUCN’s Ghana Project Office/Coordinator NbS Guinean Forest Project
The IUCN defines Nature-based Solutions (NbS) as actions to protect, sustainably manage, and restore natural or modified ecosystems in ways that address societal challenges—such as climate change, food and water security, and natural disasters—while simultaneously enhancing human well-being and biodiversity (WCC 2016, Resolution 06).
NbS are increasingly recognized as sustainable approaches to agriculture due to their triple benefits: improved long-term food security and farmer livelihoods, strengthened climate resilience through mitigation and adaptation, and enhanced biodiversity.
In farming systems, practices such as agroforestry, conservation agriculture, crop rotation, mixed cropping, organic fertilization (including composting and biochar), and integrated pest and disease management improve soil fertility, increase water retention, and build resilience to climate variability.
In pasture management, rotational and multispecies grazing, silvopastoral systems, and wetland restoration reduce land degradation, enhance biodiversity, and support carbon sequestration.
In fisheries, mangrove restoration, sustainable aquaculture, and protection of breeding grounds restore aquatic ecosystems while sustaining livelihoods.
In apiculture, habitat restoration, planting native flowering species, agroecological farming, and reduced pesticide use improve pollinator health and productivity.
Overall, NbS provide scalable, cost-effective, and long-term solutions, hence should be mainstreamed across agricultural and allied sectors for optimum benefits.

Nature-based Solution in Spatial Planning

Prof. Stefan Greiving, TU Dortmund University, Research Group: Regional Development and Risk Management.
The presentation focuses on mainstreaming Nature-based Solutions (NBS) into spatial planning, with a special emphasis on utilizing private land. It argues that NBS need a stronger evidence base, are highly place-specific, and require local capacity building. Using the Land4Climate project as a framework, it demonstrates climate risk assessments and impact chains to identify effective “no-regret” measures. Simulations show the quantifiable benefits of interventions like tiny forests (reducing heat stress) and reforestation (mitigating floods). However, implementing NBS on private land presents unique challenges: it complicates sequential engineering, demands investment certainty for authorities, and is hindered by diverse landowner interests. The presentation concludes that dedicated public policies and adapted funding schemes are essential to activate private landowners and successfully upscale NBS for climate resilience.

Do not miss the opportunity to learn from top-level experts. Click here for registration/to access the webinar:  https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScJSWTqogIchafVMtjmOMT3Eakbpu_MY5j3mgYqAS5Q7-hjmw/viewform