Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment for Species

Changes in climate are transforming our planet. To adapt, we must rethink traditional approaches to conservation and development, moving beyond managing for persistence to managing for change. Climate change adaptation—the process of adjusting to the changing climate and its cascading impacts—seeks to reduce the vulnerability and build the resilience of people and nature to the current and anticipated effects of climate change while managing the uncertainties of the future.

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Restoring Degraded Lands: The Dry Valley Rehabilitation and Productive Use (DVRPU) Approach for Climate Resilience in Ethiopia

In Ethiopia’s lowlands, climate change, erosion and drought degrade land, cut yields and fuel conflicts among agro-pastoralists. The Dry Valley Rehabilitation and Productive Use approach under the global GIZ ProSoil programme integrates technical and socio-ecological measures to restore dry valleys, secure water and promote sustainable land use. The approach uses Water Spreading Weirs, Dry-Stone Measures  and biological measures. Water Spreading Weirs span dry riverbeds to spread and slow floods, enhance infiltration, trap nutrient-rich sediments and improve soils and vegetation. Based on a traditional and administrative system, the approach follows 7 steps from satellite-based suitability mapping to participatory planning by user cooperatives, rehabilitation and productive use. GIZ, BMZ, Ethiopian agencies, research bodies and communities collaborated to build 110 Water Spreading Weirs and 205 Dry-Stone Measures in Afar with similar work in Somali and Oromia, restoring 55,500 ha of degraded land and supporting 6,000 people.

Mungano: Maputo national park friends club- redefining conservation for impact

The Maputo National Park Friends Club (MUNGANO – “friend”) is an innovative conservation finance model that mobilises domestic private-sector support for biodiversity, community development and sustainable tourism in Mozambique’s Maputo National Park (MNP). Through a membership platform for national and international businesses, MUNGANO strengthens park sustainability, builds partnerships and grows long-term local ownership. MNP, upgraded to a national park in 2021, protects 1,728 km² of terrestrial, coastal and marine ecosystems within the Maputaland–Pondoland–Albany hotspot and Africa’s first Transfrontier Marine Conservation Area, declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2025. The park faces funding gaps, limited infrastructure, human–wildlife conflict, unsustainable resource use, worsened by climate change. With Club backing, MNP has installed electrified fences to protect fields, restored mangroves, improved roads and water systems, and run creative campaigns that raised its national and international profile

Building community-led restoration capacity through an operational indigenous plant nursery

This Solution centres on establishing an operational indigenous plant nursery as part of an active restoration programme in the Grootvadersbosch landscape, South Africa. The nursery is used not only to propagate locally appropriate indigenous plants, but also as a practical training hub for community members involved in restoration.

The approach addresses key challenges including invasive alien plants, degraded riparian and forest-edge habitats, limited local restoration skills, and shortages of suitable planting material. By integrating training with hands-on nursery work and field implementation, the project has produced thousands of indigenous plants, restored degraded sites, and built lasting restoration capacity within the local community.

Scalable Model for Sustainable Coffee Farming in Panama

In Panama’s western highlands, small coffee farmers face growing pressures from pests, plant diseases and climate change. Heavy reliance on chemical pesticides has harmed biodiversity, degraded soils and threatened pollinators. This solution shows how endophytic fungi, microorganisms that live naturally inside plants, can serve as effective biological pest control adapted to local conditions. Fungal strains were identified and transformed into low-cost formulations that were tested on coffee farms, where they significantly reduced the need for chemical inputs. The initiative brings together scientists, government institutions and local communities, with a strong focus on training and empowering women farmers. By addressing biodiversity loss, land degradation and gaps in technical capacity, the project strengthens sustainable livelihoods and climate resilience. Farmers benefit through higher yields, lower costs and healthier ecosystems, creating a scalable model for sustainable coffee production in Panama and beyond.

First Payment for Environmental Services Scheme in Cuba: Promoting carbon removal through sustainable forest management

Cuba’s geological evolution, climate, and insular geography led to highly diverse ecosystems with various endemic species. Nonetheless, declining forest cover and climate change hazards have threatened the country’s rich biodiversity. Moreover, CO2 emissions accelerate the impacts of climate change on ecosystems, in addition to harming human well-being.

To address these challenges, the Cuban government, with support from the Biodiversity Finance Initiative (BIOFIN) of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Ecovalor project, established a payment for environmental services scheme that rewards carbon removal through sustainable forest management.

By March 2025, the scheme disbursed USD 238,000 (CUP 5,709,066) in payment for environmental services, associated with the removal of 999,473 tons of carbon across 12,646 hectares of forest. This initiative contributes to climate mitigation, ecosystem conservation, and the responsible use of natural resources in Cuba.

Kelp Blue

Kelp Blue is a commecial entitiy founded by Daniel Hooft in February 2020. Its business headquarters are in Zeist, The Netherlands. It has a subsidiary in Namibia with operational headquarters in Luderitz, Nambibia. At the moment it employs 12 full time employees, 5 part-time employees and 4 interns. The gender balance is 50% female, 50% male. Its mission is “to rewild the oceans by cultivating giant kelp forests”

Kelp Blue focused first on its MISSION. Next we needed to find FUNDING. We obtained in-pinciple funding from Climate Investor Two and Eos Capital for USD $60million.

At the same time we have built a strong competent multi-disciplinary TEAM with deep experience in multiple industries. Each of us brings our own learnings and unique skills to the table; this means we can take advantage of different perspectives and best practices as we look to grow  Kelp Blue.  

 

Always focus on your mission – it will dictate all of the decisions you from whom you employ, the selection of suppliers and even your processing techniques.

Having stong funding partners with the same vision is key.

Don’t underestimate the time and energy fundraising takes, start at least 6 months before you really need the funds.

Des engagements internationaux à la mise en œuvre locale – la restauration des paysages forestiers à Madagascar

Le bien-être des habitants de Madagascar dépend de ses ressources naturelles et de ses services, tels que le bois de feu, la nourriture et l’eau. De nombreuses zones sont dégradées dues à l’utilisation non durable des terres. Les aléas climatiques ajoutent plus de risques pour les personnes, la nature et l’économie. La restauration des paysages forestiers (RPF) est une priorité clé de l’AFR100 pour assurer un développement durable. Les écosystèmes résilients améliorant l’économie, la sécurité alimentaire et l’approvisionnement en eau, la conservation et la séquestration du carbone en sont les piliers. Cette solution couvre la mise en place de plateformes multiséctorielles , les mesures de renforcement des capacités des acteurs, le développement d’une stratégie nationale RPF et la priorisation des payasages à restaurer basées sur une évaluation multicritère. Les prochaines étapes consisteront à identifier des sites pour piloter des activités de restauration dans la région Boeny.

Restauration des Paysages Forestiers et mise en valeur du terroir villageois de Mogazang au Cameroun

La désertification et ses conséquences menacent le bien-être de la population du nord du Cameroun, en particulier des ménages ruraux. Le manque de feu de bois et bois de construction, et l’extrême pauvreté sont des défis majeurs pour la population de Mogazang. Les aléas climatiques comme la modification des régimes de précipitations exacerbent aussi risques pour la population. L’élaboration d’une carte par les membres de la communauté a permis la démarcation d’un terrain dégradé (10,74 ha) à restaurer. En adoptant une approche «d’apprentissage par la pratique», différentes techniques de restauration de la fertilité des sols ont été testées. En attendant que la parcelle soit productive, les femmes ont été formées à des activités alternatives génératrices de revenus et à la construction de foyers améliorés. L’initiative contribue ainsi aux objectifs de l’AFR100 par la restauration des terres dégradées, la réduction de la pression sur les ressources naturelles et la génération de revenus.

Restauración de sistemas ancestrales de manejo del agua en los Andes como una adaptación al cambio climático – Miraflores, Perú

La comunidad de Miraflores y el Instituto de Montaña implementaron una medida de Adaptación basada en Ecosistemas (AbE) en alianza con la Reserva Paisajística Nor Yauyos-Cochas y la UICN. Nuestra solución de adaptación combinó el conocimiento tradicional y local con la ciencia más reciente, y comprendió tres componentes: (1) Fortalecimiento de la institucionalidad y la organización comunal, (2) Fortalecimiento de capacidades y conocimientos locales e (3) Infraestructura verde-gris. Trabajando con conservacionistas, ingenieros y antropólogos, los miembros de la comunidad de Miraflores decidieron restaurar un antiguo sistema de gestión del agua diseñado por sus ancestros y que data de hace 700 años. Este sistema renovado es un híbrido de infraestructura verde y gris que aprovecha al máximo la ingeniería antigua y la ciencia moderna. Pudimos restaurar el flujo de agua a los pastizales y mejorar el manejo del ganado y pastos, una adaptación clave al cambio climático.

 

Des moyens de subsistance résilients et une protection contre les inondations et sécheresses grâce à la gestion durable des ressources naturelles

Le projet « Réserve de biosphère transfrontalière du Delta du Mono » vise la protection et l’utilisation durable de la biodiversité et des services écosystémiques dans le Delta du Mono en contribuant au développement durable surtout des communautés locales. L’introduction des mesures de gestion durable des ressources forestières et halieutiques contribue à augmenter la résilience des populations locales en face des défis climatiques existants tels que les inondations et la sécheresse.

Gobernanza para la adaptación en la cuenca compartida del río Sixaola

La cuenca binacional del río Sixaola, compartida por Costa Rica y Panamá, fluye hacia el mar Caribe. El área tiene una gran biodiversidad y riqueza cultural con una población afro-descendiente e indígena mixta. Las comunidades enfrentan vulnerabilidad social y carecen de capacidades de adaptación. El área se ve acentuada por el aumento de la fragmentación del hábitat, los cambios en los patrones de lluvia y el aumento de la incidencia de fenómenos meteorológicos extremos, particularmente inundaciones, que afectan a la vida local

 

La solución combina 4 elementos para fortalecer la gobernanza transfronteriza y mejorar la capacidad de adaptación al cambio climático, trabajando de cerca con la Comisión Binacional de la Cuenca del Río Sixaola (CBCRS) y maximizando la participación pública para aumentar su efectividad y consolidarla como plataforma de referencia de gobernanza.

Liderazgo comunitatio para la seguridad alimentaria e hídrica en el Volcán Tacaná, México

Para reducir la vulnerabilidad al cambio climático de las comunidades en el paisaje de la Reserva de la Biosfera del Volcán de Tacaná, se implementaron medidas de EbA con dos comunidades: La Azteca y Alpujarras. Las comunidades se organizan como ejidos, que es una estructura de tenencia de la tierra en México.

 

La solución tuvo como objetivo mejorar la resiliencia tanto del bosque nuboso como de la producción agroforestal de café para enfrentar tormentas y lluvias intensas que causan erosión, deslizamientos de tierra y pérdidas de vidas, impactos en fuentes de agua y producción agrícola.

 

A mediano plazo, esta combinación de medidas mejorará la captación de agua, reducirá la erosión hídrica y se obtendrán productos adicionales para consumo familiar. Además, se tomaron acciones a través de fondos estatales, federales y de proyectos para asegurar la sostenibilidad en el mediano plazo.

 

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