Blogs and Features
Stories and Insights from the Field
Explore examples from across the World Bank’s portfolio showcasing how nature-based solutions (NBS) are being applied to address climate challenges, reduce disaster risk, and support sustainable development frameworks. The blogs and feature stories below draw upon a variety of field experiences, technical expertise, and policy engagements to highlight the practical integration of NBS on the ground.
Learn more about our work through real-world examples that demonstrate the value of embedding nature into development planning and implementation.
Spotlight
Nature-Based Solutions Secure Guinea's Water at the SourceIn West Africa, Guinea is known as the region’s water tower. The country’s highlands are the source for over 22 major rivers in West Africa, including the Niger, Senegal, and Gambia. Groundwater resources are estimated at 13 trillion cubic meters, equivalent to nearly five Lake Victorias. In Guinea, water is not just a resource, it underpins jobs and economic growth.
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Embracing Nature's Resilience: Combating Desertification in Central Asia with Nature-Based SolutionsDrylands in Central Asia are among the most rapidly degrading and climate-vulnerable areas worldwide. Desertification caused by climate change and human activities has led to land degradation, soil erosion, and loss of vegetation and biodiversity that is costing Central Asia over 5% of regional GDP.
Nature-based solutions in the Netherlands: An inspiration to improve water securityGreen infrastructure and Nature-based solutions (NBS) can play a critical role in improving water security, including mitigation and adaption to climate change. It is often more resilient, flexible, and reversible than traditional infrastructure and it can allow clients to gradually adapt to changing circumstances.
How nature-based urban solutions can help cities to stay cool: the case of GuangzhouClimate change has brought cities unprecedented challenges manifested in higher temperatures, heat waves, floods, and storms. In addition, the energy and transport sectors in cities contribute substantially to greenhouse gas emissions. Cities therefore have an important role to play in reducing global greenhouse gas and carbon dioxide emissions.
The Sundarban – a unique wetland to preserveSpanning across the border between Bangladesh and India, there exists the Sundarban. With 10,000 square kilometers, it is the largest single track of mangrove forest remaining in the world. The unique and rich ecosystem is defined by a complex balance of tidal movements, freshwater inflow, and sedimentation with 60% of the forest falling into Bangladesh and 40% into India’s West Bengal region.
Wetland Centers and the Fight Against Climate ChangeRenowned naturalist Sir David Attenborough has brought attention to a global-scale man-made disaster, emphasizing climate change as “our greatest threat in thousands of years.". The acclaimed conservationist highlighted a powerful argument that our impact on climate could lead to the eventual vanishing of much of life on our planet and that this was an unfortunate result of our disconnect from nature.
