El poder de la naturaleza en acción: Vinculando las realidades sobre el terreno con los objetivos globales de adaptación y resiliencia.

13 November 2025, Belém, Brazil, IUCN – At COP30, where the world is called to deliver on the “Global Mutirão” vision of collective, solutions-oriented action, IUCN’s Global Climate Change and Energy Transition Team convened partners from across continents to demonstrate one powerful message: community-led, nature-driven local adaptation is already improving lives and landscapes and transforming global ambition, and has the momentum to scale.

The event brought together practitioners, Indigenous leaders, researchers, youth advocates and policymakers advancing climate resilience through the Nature-based Solutions for Climate Adaptation (NAbSA) initiative, the Global Ecosystem-based Adaptation Fund (Global EbA Fund) and the PODONG Indigenous Peoples Initiative. These initiatives demonstrate how ecosystem-based and community-driven adaptation can respond directly to climate impacts while accelerating progress towards achievement of the Paris Agreement, the Global Goal on Adaptation (GGA), the Kunming–Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF) and the Enhancing Nature-based Solutions for an Accelerated Climate Transformation (ENACT) Partnership.

Setting the stage: EbA as a driver of systemic change

Opening the session, Ali Raza Rizvi, Director of IUCN’s Global Climate Change and Energy Transition Team, reminded participants that climate, biodiversity and development goals cannot be addressed in isolation.

He emphasised that Ecosystem-based Adaptation (EbA) has proven its effectiveness through ecological, social and economic benefits—but its impact depends on collaboration. From the Global EbA Fund, NAbSA and PODONG to the Friends of EbA (FEBA) Network and ENACT, he highlighted how IUCN works with governments, Indigenous Peoples, youth networks, and multilateral funds to fill knowledge gaps, strengthen frameworks, and embed EbA into climate negotiations.

His call to action was clear: “Explore the tools, evidence and partnerships emerging from these initiatives. Scaling adaptation requires collective ownership.”

Introducing the NAbSA Operational Framework

The session featured the launch of the NAbSA Operational Framework video, an introduction to a practical, community-rooted approach to designing and implementing adaptation and resilience nature-climate actions.

The Framework:

• provides a practical, integrated and community-focused approach to strengthen adaptation and resilience through nature–climate actions; is flexible and adaptable to diverse contexts;
• is rooted in respect for human rights, it supports the design, implementation and monitoring of actions;
• aligns with and supports delivery of the three Rio Conventions;
• draws on lessons from adaptation and resilience projects supported by the Partnering for Climate initiative of Global Affairs Canada;
• is intended to serve as one piece of a toolbox that includes a summary document, the full operational framework with detailed expert guidance, a training curricula for practitioners and an online platform that will serve as a repository for case studies, data, technical support and documentation.

Panel Discussion: Realities, Innovations, and Transformational Pathways

Moderated by Enni Kallio, Programme Officer at IUCN, the panel showcased the richness and diversity of adaptation actions supported by NAbSA, the Global EbA Fund and PODONG.

Youth, Women and Multi-Goal Forest Restoration

From Togo, Annette Luttah Aluora of Jeunes Volontaires pour l’Environnement (JVE) highlighted how co-creation with communities—especially women and youth—drives ownership and long-term success in Forest and Landscape Restoration (FLR).

Using field research to understand the local context – from soil composition of the land to social conditions and Indigenous knowledge, JVE – in partnership with UNU-EHS – helps communities plan FLR that simultaneously delivers on the GGA, the KMGBF, the Sendai Framework and the Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN) Conceptual Framework under the UNCCD.

Her message underscored a central theme of the event: locally driven and co-created solutions for restoration unlock synergies between global frameworks.

Evidence from the Andean–Amazonian Frontlines

From Bolivia, Marcos Terán, of Asociación Boliviana para la Investigación y Conservación de Ecosistemas Andino-Amazónicos (ACEAA), demonstrated how densely populated forest regions in the Bolivian Amazon are adapting to climate pressures. ACEAA works with communities to diversify local livelihoods through non-timber forest products such as Brazil nut and açaí palm. Combining Indigenous knowledge with scientific evidence, the project has recorded how climate change is impacting production of non-timber forest products and is working with local communities to enhance EbA approaches and to diversify their livelihoods.

He emphasised the need for robust on-the-ground evidence of how climate change is affecting value chains of valuable non-timber forest products and affecting local livelihoods. Elevating these local realities into policy and international climate negotiations is key to creating strong linkages.

Gender Just Adaptation

Stu Solomon of Plan International Canada highlighted that many adaptation projects and nature-based approaches fail to consider social aspects.

Through the emerging Gender Just Initiative, his team is addressing barriers such as unpaid care burdens, lack of confidence shaped by social norms, and governance structures that overlook women’s perspectives. Through awareness-raising and capacity building with local communities, they are building trust and changing perspectives and behaviour to enhance women’s participation in action on the ground, as well as local and national decision-making. He called for greater financing for Indigenous knowledge and gender-transformative adaptation, reinforcing that ecological, social and governance dimensions must be integrated.

Indigenous Knowledge and the Podong Initiative

Closing the panel, Lucy Mulenkei, Executive Director of the Indigenous Information Network (IIN) and Co-Chair of the International Indigenous Forum on Biodiversity (IIFB), spoke about the PODONG Indigenous Peoples initiative – led by IUCN, IIFB and IUCN Indigenous Peoples’ Organizations (IPO) Members – as being a real example of co-design, co-creation and co-implementation to strengthen Indigenous leadership, ensure direct access to funding and unite scientific and Indigenous knowledge systems. The initiative was created to ensure Indigenous Peoples have full and effective participation and decision making in global climate and biodiversity agendas.

“Podong,” meaning basket, symbolises a shared space where resources, knowledge and collaboration come together to support Indigenous-led conservation action. The initiative is currently active on the ground across Guatemala, Kenya, Nepal, Panama and Tanzania, demonstrating how Indigenous leadership strengthens the implementation of the GBF and global adaptation goals.

Four key messages for COP30 policy agendas

This side event embodied the heart of COP30’s agenda, highlighting four key messages from concrete examples and action on the ground:

• Accelerating adaptation and resilience calls for direct financing to partners on the ground – accessing large-scale climate finance is complicated and facilitating access to financing is key to accelerate climate action on the ground;
• Strengthening nature-based and rights-based climate action starts with generating knowledge from the ground and understanding the ground realities;
• Fostering inclusion, gender equality and Indigenous leadership is essential to ensure the long-term sustainability of the solutions developed – there’s a need to bridge the gap between the agendas of nature, climate and people;
• Connecting community realities to global policy pathways starts with telling the stories and showing the impact – a lot is being done on the ground, but these local innovations and solutions are not taken up in global policy.

By elevating voices from community organisations, Indigenous networks, and global funders, the event reinforced that nature-based adaptation is not only possible—it is already happening. What is needed now is scale, investment, and political commitment.

Looking Ahead

As the PODONG Indigenous Peoples Initiative continues to grow, the NAbSA Operational Framework enters its refinement phase and the Global EbA Fund continues generating lessons learnt and moves towards scaling, IUCN and its partners invite governments, donors and practitioners to join this growing community of practice.

Together, these initiatives contribute to a future where adaptation is grounded in ecosystems, shaped by communities, informed by rights, and aligned with global resilience ambitions.

For continued updates, resources and opportunities for collaboration, check out the below initiatives:

NAbSA supports gender-responsive, biodiversity-friendly climate adaptation solutions in vulnerable communities across Sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America. Through training, knowledge sharing, and technical support, it drives local action while shaping global NbS frameworks. NAbSA is a collaboration between IUCN and Global Affairs Canada under its Partnering for Climate (P4C) initiative. 

With a portfolio of over 50 projects, the Global EbA Fund provides catalytic financing for innovative projects that scale Ecosystem-based Adaptation. By bridging knowledge gaps and enabling policy and private sector investment, it strengthens resilience for communities and ecosystems worldwide. It is financed by the International Climate Initiative through Germany, and co-managed by IUCN and UNEP. 

El ENACT Partnership is a global alliance accelerating Nature-based Solutions (NbS) to tackle climate, biodiversity, and land degradation crises. It unites governments and non-state actors to conserve nature, enhance the resilience of 1 billion people, and drive integrated Rio Convention goals. It is co-chaired by Egypt and Germany in collaboration with IUCN.  

Coordinated by IUCN and supported by Germany through the International Climate Initiative (IKI), Amigos de EbA (FEBA) connects 115+ organizations advancing Ecosystem-based Adaptation, including government ministries, UN bodies, CSOs, NGOs, and research centres. As a global hub, it provides knowledge products, convenes expert groups, and hosts events that strengthen the role of nature in climate adaptation policies and strategies worldwide.

El PODONG Indigenous Peoples initiative centres Indigenous Peoples as rightsholders and leaders in biodiversity and climate solutions. The initiative channels resources directly to communities and supports actions co-designed with traditional knowledge holders. It scales Indigenous-led impact toward the Global Biodiversity Framework, the Paris Agreement, and the IUCN Global Indigenous Agenda.