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Investing in nature and the services it provides is a proven and cost-effective strategy that contributes significantly to climate mitigation and adaptation, conservation, landscape restoration, and job creation. Nature-based solutions are increasingly viewed as central to achieving climate, biodiversity, and development goals.
Recognizing this potential, NBS Invest aims to increase funding and mainstream NBS into climate mitigation and adaptation projects and initiatives in the world’s Least Developed Countries.
Nature-based solutions offer practical, cross-sectoral solutions—from infrastructure to agriculture—that align climate, biodiversity, and development goals. They could provide up to one-third of global mitigation needs and save an estimated US$104 billion in adaptation costs by 2030. This approach is particularly critical in low-income countries where additional support is needed to address these multi-dimensional problems.
Reactive responses to climate change, natural disasters, and ecosystem degradation are often more costly when compared to planned adaptation interventions that are responsive to local contexts. Planned interventions are also less likely to cause unintended harm to people or nature.
NBS Invest is an eight-year, US$20 million Global Knowledge Platform (2023–2031), funded by the Global Environment Facility’s Least Developed Countries Fund and implemented by the World Bank.
NBS Invest aims to increase financing for nature-based solutions and mainstream nature into development agendas across Least Developed Countries.
To create the enabling environment for the scaling up of nature-based solutions, NBS Invest develops tools and analysis, shares knowledge, and provides technical assistance to integrate NBS into World Bank investments and make a business case for further NBS uptake by the World Bank and its development partners.
NBS Invest works on three key areas:
- Pillar 1: Build a Business Case for Investment—Develop global analytics and tools and expand financial opportunities to build a business case for investing in NBS.
- Pillar 2: Integrate NBS into World Bank Investments—Provide country-level technical assistance and capacity building opportunities to support the design of NBS-based projects and to integrate NBS into World Bank-financed projects.
- Pillar 3: Knowledge and Collaboration—Facilitate knowledge exchange activities, promote cross-sector coordination, and disseminate resources to increase NBS knowledge sharing and collaboration.
Key Results – 2023-2025
- Mobilizing over $115 million in LDCF funding, blended with IDA investments of $917 million
- Mainstreaming NBS into $1.01 billion of IDA investments through technical assistance
- Training a global network of over 500 stakeholders in NBS design and implementation, reaching over 2,400 beneficiaries through the supported investments and initiatives
- Embedding NBS solutions into strategic frameworks and active World Bank investments across 25 countries in Africa and Asia.
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NBS Invest Quarterly Update
NBS Invest Newsletter #3 | December 2025
NBS Invest Newsletter #2 | July 2025
NBS Invest Newsletter #1 | March 2024
Past Events
- Webinar: Implementing Nature Based Solutions for Impact Lessons from Kenya Malawi and Zambia:In September 2025, NBS Invest and the Climate Investment Funds’ Nature, People, Climate program hosted a webinar exploring how nature-based solutions are being scaled in Kenya, Malawi, and Zambia to address climate, biodiversity, and development challenges. The event brought together practitioners and policymakers to share experiences, lessons, and strategies for implementing NBS.
- Webinar: Nature-based Solutions in Fragile and Conflict-affected Situations: In June 2025, NBS Invest participated in a GEF webinar, sharing practical experiences of conflict-sensitive design, implementation, and monitoring for projects with nature-based solutions in fragile and conflict-affected settings.
- Training Program: In March and May 2025, NBS Invest delivered two four-day training sessions, “Introduction to NBS for Climate Action,” hosted in collaboration with the CIF, Pegasys Global Consulting, the Government of Kenya’s National Environment Trust Fund, and the Government of Zambia’s Ministry of Green Economy and the Environment. The first was held in March 2025 in Nairobi, Kenya, attended by 53 participants from nine countries. The second was held in May 2025 in Lusaka, Zambia, attended by 70 participants from 15 countries.
- E-Learning Course: In December 2024, NBS Invest launched an online e-learning course, “An Introduction to Nature-Based Solutions,” for the World Bank Academy, accessible via World Bank Online Learning Campus Massive Open Online Course and the World Bank Academy’s learning platform.
- Event: Leveraging Nature-Based Solutions for Resilience and Adaptation COP29: In November 2024, NBS Invest hosted an event on the sidelines of COP29, highlighting the importance of integrating nature-based solutions into climate adaptation strategies. The event brought together policymakers and entrepreneurs who discussed projects and examples of scaling NBS.
- Event: In November 2024, jointly with NBS Invest and FOLUR facilitated a side event at the regional agropastoral conference in Senegal (PPZS 2024). The conference was organized by the French Agricultural Research Center for International Development (CIRAD), the Pastoralism and Drylands in West Africa platform, and the West and Central Africa Support Group for the International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists.
- Training Program: In October 2024, NBS Invest conducted a two-day online webinar on NBS for integrated landscape management and restoration in collaboration with the GEF-funded FOLUR program.
- Training Program: In June 2024, NBS Invest organized a two-day training on NBS in Freetown, Sierra Leone, cofunded by NBS Invest and the World Bank Academy. Over 50 participants attended from the public and private sectors.
- Training Session: Accessing Funds from the GEF Least Developed Countries Fund: In February 2024, NBS Invest participated in a training session that provided an overview of funding opportunities for nature-based solutions in development projects.
Media Inquiries:
In Washington:
Liam Mullins
lmullins@worldbank.org