News

Financing Resilience: From Local Solutions to Systemic Change

What does it take to move Ecosystem-based Adaptation (EbA) from promising projects to solutions that can be implemented at scale? This was the central question at yesterday’s Global EbA Fund’s side event at UNCCD COP17 in Ulaanbaatar, which brought together researchers, practitioners, women leaders and…

Reception – Pecha Kucha on Rio Synergies: Connecting Locally Led Action with Global Agendas for Scaling Impact

Date: August 20, 2026 Time: 18:00 – 20:00 Location: IUCN Pavilion, Blue Zone, UNCCD COP17, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia How can locally led action help shape global solutions to the interconnected challenges of climate change, biodiversity loss and land degradation? This interactive evening reception brings together practitioners,…

Financing Resilience: Scaling Ecosystem-based Solutions for Degraded Lands through Integrated Research, Action, Finance and Policy

Date: August 17, 2026 Time: 15:00-16:30 Location: Room MET-06, Zone A, UNCCD COP17, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia As climate change accelerates land degradation and intensifies droughts, floods and other extreme weather events, restoring ecosystems has become essential for building resilient communities and landscapes EbA provides practical, nature-based…

July 2026 Newsletter from the Global EbA Fund

This World Conservation Day, the Global EbA Fund reflects on the connections between healthy ecosystems, climate resilience and peaceful societies, and on why building resilience requires knowledge, collaboration, finance and action that connect across sectors and communities.

World Conservation Day: Restoring Nature to Build Resilience, Cooperation and Lasting Peace

The world is currently facing the converging and escalating crises of climate change, biodiversity loss, and land degradation. At the same time, conflicts are globally on the rise, with 65 active conflicts recorded across 35 countries in 2025 – the highest number recorded since 1946. These…

From Roadmap to Resilience: EbA Knowledge Day Charts the Path from Synergies to Implementation

Ecosystem-based Adaptation (EbA) is effective, practical, and highly investable – but how do we fully unlock its potential to accelerate progress ahead of the 2028 Global Stocktake? That question brought together policymakers, practitioners, researchers, funders and local implementation experts at the 12th EbA Knowledge Day,…

Celebrating World Oceans Day 2026 – Reimagine: Community-led ecosystem-based adaptation for ocean resilience

The theme for World Oceans Day 2026 is “Reimagine: Beyond the world we know, a new relationship with our ocean”. This World Oceans Day acts as a reminder that oceans are not something vast, distant, and separate. Oceans form an integral part of the Earth’s…

Building an EbA Community of Practice: Linking Global EbA Fund Grantees with FEBA

Global EbA Fund Webinar │ 29 April 2026 │ Virtual Event  Across the Global EbA Fund’s portfolio of 65 projects, grantees have consistently highlighted a shared priority: strengthening connections with one another to exchange knowledge, raise the visibility of their work, and explore opportunities for joint initiatives.  This is precisely the kind of connection that the Friends of Ecosystem-based Adaptation (FEBA) network is designed to foster. While the Global EbA Fund…

12th EbA Knowledge Day – From Roadmap to Resilience: Operationalizing EbA Synergies for the 2028 Global Stocktake

Date: Friday, 12 June 2026 Location: Radisson Blu Hotel (formerly known as Marriott Hotel), Platz der Vereinten Nationen 4, 53113 Bonn (next to World Conference Center – location of Bonn Climate Change Conference) Duration: Full day (09:30 – 19:00 hrs., CET) Modality: Hybrid Background & Context: Nature remains our most vital ally against…

March 2026 Newsletter from the Global EbA Fund

This International Women’s Day, the Global EbA Fund celebrates projects that put women at the heart of climate resilience.

Women Leading Nature-Based Climate Action: Spotlight on the Global EbA Fund

© BothENDS – Human chain to urge action from local governments in southwest Bangladesh Each year, International Women’s Day is an opportunity to recognise the women advancing change in their communities and across the world. The 2026 theme — “Rights. Justice. Action.” highlights a stark…

IUCN’s NAbSA initiative launches new brief series to accelerate Nature-based Solutions for climate adaptation

Ottawa, Canada, February 2026 — At International Development Week 2026, IUCN’s NAbSA (Nature-based Solutions for Climate Adaptation: Monitoring & Impact Evaluation) initiative unveiled its new Nature-based Solutions (NbS) Brief Series — a collection of practical, evidence-based publications designed to help governments, investors and communities scale climate adaptation…

December 2025 Newsletter from the Global EbA Fund

As 2025 draws to a close, the Global EbA Fund is proud to highlight a year of momentum, innovation, and impact in Ecosystem-based Adaptation (EbA).

Nature’s power in action: Linking ground realities with global adaptation and resilience goals

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…

Global leaders visit Gunnar Vingren Park to spotlight urban Nature-based Solutions in Belém during COP30

© IUCN – Antônio da Costa e Silva, National Secretary of Brazil’s Ministry of Cities; Mr Ali Raza Rizvi, IUCN; Mr Rodrigo Perpétuo, ICLEI; Mr Martin Krause, UNEP; Mr Carsten Schneider, BMUKN; Mr. Igor Normando, Mayor of Belém   Belém, Brazil, 15 November 2025 (IUCN)…

Financing Ecosystem-based Adaptation: Trends, Barriers, and Opportunities

As climate change intensifies, the stability of ecosystems and the well-being of human communities are increasingly at risk. The urgency of implementing effective adaptation strategies has never been greater. Ecosystem-based Adaptation (EbA) has emerged as a strategic, people-centred approach, that leverages biodiversity and ecosystem services…

Nature’s Power in Action: Linking Ground Realities with Global Adaptation & Resilience Goals

Date: November 13 Time: 17:00 – 17:45 (GMT -3) Location: Finland Pavilion, Blue Zone, UNFCCC COP30, Belém, Brazil This COP30 side event, hosted by the IUCN Climate Change and Energy Transition Team, brings together a diverse group of global partners implementing climate adaptation solutions on…

From Local Solutions to Global Impact: Community-Led EbA Shines at the IUCN World Conservation Congress

As climate risks intensify, locally led solutions are proving to be powerful drivers of climate resilience. At the IUCN World Conservation Congress, the Global EbA Fund brought together grantees and partners from Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Levant, to share experiences from the frontlines of climate adaptation. Their work illustrates how Ecosystem-based…

Community-Led Ecosystem-based Adaptation: Local Solutions for Global Climate Resilience

Date: Monday 13 October 2025 Location: Programme Pavilion, Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates Occasion: IUCN World Conservation Congress 2025 Duration: 16:30 – 18:00 (GST) Background The Global EbA Fund is a catalytic funding mechanism for supporting innovative approaches to ecosystem-based…

Scaling with Purpose: Advancing Ecosystem-based Adaptation in an Era of Uncertainty

The 11th Ecosystem-based Adaptation (EbA) Knowledge Day convened experts, policymakers, and practitioners in Bonn, Germany, to take stock of more than a decade of progress—and chart the road ahead. With COP30 on the horizon, the event focused on building momentum for scaling EbA through collaboration, shared…

Nature, Climate, and Gender Symposium Day 3: Building Movements and Future Pathways

The final day of the Nature, Climate, and Gender Symposium brought into focus one of the most urgent challenges in the climate and development space: how to move beyond isolated pilot projects toward transformative, systemic change. With participants from development cooperation, the private sector, local…

Nature, Climate and Gender Symposium Day 2: Intersectional Struggles and Practical Tools

Day 2 of the symposium explored how locally led, intersectional approaches—rooted in Indigenous knowledge, gender equity, and intergenerational justice—are essential to delivering inclusive and lasting climate solutions. It opened with inspiring videos from Indigenous Peoples honouring the leadership of Indigenous Peoples and local communities in…

Nature, Climate and Gender Symposium Day 1: Grounding in Justice and Action

Day 1 of the Nature, Climate and Gender Symposium highlighted the urgent need for integrated, justice-based climate solutions that centre Indigenous knowledge, gender equality, and locally led action. It opened with a compelling call to action: Nature-based Solutions (NbS) must centre both ecosystems and human…

May 2025 Newsletter from the Global EbA Fund

Our first cohort of seven projects has finalised implementation, and our total portfolio of 53 projects continues to grow. While each project is unique in its context, location, approach, and stakeholders, there is much we can learn from each other’s processes, missteps, and successes.

11th EbA Knowledge Day: Navigating Uncertainty, Scaling EbA

Date: Saturday 21 June 2025 Location:  Marriott Hotel, Platz der Vereinten Nationen 4, 53113 Bonn (next to World Conference Center – location of Bonn Climate Change Conference) Modality: Hybrid Duration: Full day (in person: 09:30 – 19:00 hrs., CET, online: 10:00 – 12:50 hrs and 16:15…

Harnessing Nature for a Harmonious Future: Spotlighting Ecosystem-based Adaptation Solutions

In the face of escalating climate challenges, ecosystem-based adaptation (EbA) emerges as a practical approach with the potential to catalyse climate resilience, biodiversity conservation, and sustainable development. This strategic approach—leveraging biodiversity and ecosystem services to help communities adapt to the adverse effects of climate change—is…

Nature, Climate and Gender Symposium: Towards a Just and Sustainable Future

Date: 10-12 June 2025 Modality: Virtual Introduction: As climate and environmental crises escalate, the urgent need for equitable and effective solutions becomes paramount. There is growing global recognition of the crucial role that gender equality, human rights, and Indigenous knowledge play in building just and…

Global EbA Fund Gender Mainstreaming Webinar

As part of that mandate of catalytic action, innovation, and inclusion, and especially as it relates to scaling, the questions of how to address societal challenges such as climate change adaptation using ecosystems and nature raises the question of how to effectively engage people as…

Embracing Ecosystem-based Adaptation: Safeguarding Our Freshwater Ecosystems on World Water Day

As we commemorate World Water Day, it’s crucial to acknowledge the vital role that aquatic ecosystems play in the Earth’s water cycle, as well as the growing threats they face due to climate change. This year’s World Water Day focuses on the theme of glacier…

The Global EbA Fund Asia-Pacific Grantees gather to exchange lessons learnt and to explore ways to scale ecosystem-based adaptation

On 4-7 March 2025, the Global EbA Fund brought together representatives of 18 grant projects in the Asia-Pacific region for a learning exchange and networking workshop in Bangkok, Thailand. The workshop underscored the critical role of sharing experiences and lessons learnt to scale ecosystem-based adaptation…

Global EbA Fund grantees from Central and Latin America gather to exchange lessons learned on how to link biodiversity conservation and ecosystem health for climate action

Ahead of the CBD COP16, the Global EbA Fund hosted the first of its regional grantee learning exchange workshops from 13-17 October 2024 in Cali, Colombia. Bringing together 12 Global EbA Fund grantees implementing projects across nine countries in Central and South America, the workshop…

Register now for the 10th EbA Knowledge Day!

Register now for the “Get to Know the Global EbA Fund” webinars!

Register here for one of our upcoming “Get to Know the Global EbA Fund” webinars on Thursday, 8 February at 3pm Suva; and Register here for any of the two webinars taking place on Tuesday, 13 February at 10am Bogota/4pm Paris/6pm Nairobi and Thursday, 15 February at 11am Paris/1pm Nairobi/5pm Bangkok.

Interested in learning more about the Global EbA Fund? Register for an upcoming webinar here!

Register here for one of our upcoming “Get to Know the Global EbA Fund” webinars on Thursday, 8 February at 3pm Suva; and Register here for any of the two webinars taking place on Tuesday, 13 February at 10am Bogota/4pm Paris/6pm Nairobi and Thursday, 15 February at 11am Paris/1pm Nairobi/5pm Bangkok.

Additional Funding Tips

UNFCCC: Mapping of available sources of finance for climate change adaptation for the least developed countries

Apply under the 7th Cohort by 21 April 2024 

The Global EbA Fund is happy to announce its 7th application cycle with the cut-off date on 21 April 2024. We are receiving applications under General and Thematic funding tracks. The Thematic track for the 7th cohort is focused on Greening Infrastructure through Ecosystem-based Adaptation.…

Additional Resources for Thematic Call ‘Greening Infrastructure in EbA’

Green-Gray Community of Practice: Practical Guide to Implementing Green-Gray Infrastructure PIEVC Global Partnership: Green Protocol – Integrating EbA into Infrastructure Climate Risk Assessments IISD: Nature-based Infrastructure Resources UNEP: Nature Critical to Infrastructure for Sustainable Development

Greening Infrastructure through EbA

The thematic track under the 7th cohort of the Global EbA Fund (cut-off date: 21 April 2024) is dedicated to overcoming the barriers and creating enabling environment for the uptake of green and green-gray approaches to infrastructure planning, investment, implementation and monitoring to enhance resilience…

Join the Global EbA Fund and its partners at COP28!

Join us and our partners from 30 November to 12 December 2023, where we will participate in the 28th Session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC COP28) in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The Global EbA…

Join the Global EbA Fund and its partners at the Asia-Pacific Climate Week!

Join us and our partners next week for Asia-Pacific Climate Week. The Global EbA Fund is partnering with regional organisations and initiatives for exciting side events! The registration link for in-person attendance can be found here. If you are unable to attend in-person, it will…

The Global EbA Fund and its partners were at Latin America & the Caribbean Climate Week

Within the framework of Latin America and the Caribbean Climate Week, the Global EbA Fund and its grantees and partners organised a series of events to underline critical topics for Ecosystem-based Adaptation to Climate Change. The three events were held in person in Spanish and took place at the Marriot Panama…

The Global EbA Fund has moved its application process online!

The Global EbA Fund has launched its first pilot application programme that is entirely online. All applications under the 6th cohort with the cut-off date set for 15 September 2023 will be submitted through this platform. This process applies to both general and thematic funding tracks. Application documents…

Thematic Track for 6th Cohort

Following the introduction of general and thematic funding tracks in 2023, we are happy to announce the thematic track for the 6th cohort: Indigenous and Traditional Knowledge in Ecosystem-based Adaptation. The Fund is accepting applications for its 6th cohort under general and thematic tracks by  15 September 2023.…

Taking stock of global progress on nature-based solutions to climate change

Photo: Sean Phillips from Pixabay The role of nature-based solutions was recognised in key multilateral processes in 2022, including at UNFCCC COP27 and CBD COP15. This official side event of the 58th sessions of the UNFCCC Subsidiary Bodies (SB58) will take stock of the collective…

Applications Update

We thank all the applicants that submitted their proposals by the 28 April 2023 cut-off date. The next cut-off date for the 6th cohort is 15 September 2023. The next thematic track will be announced shortly. We encourage you to start developing your EbA proposal!…

Fifth Application Cut-off

The fifth application cut-off of 28 April 2023 has passed. Project proposals which were received in full with supporting documents by 28 April 2023 at 23:59 UTC+2 (Swiss time) will be considered for the fifth Global EbA Fund funding decision. The next cut-off date and…

Fourth Cut-off Update

The Global EbA Fund is excited to announce that it has invited a number of organisations to submit a Full Proposal Stage Application as part of the fourth cut-off (deadline 22 July 2022). We appreciate the more than 200 applicants who submitted concept notes for this…

Global EbA Fund Announces Thematic Track for its 6th Cohort: Indigenous & Traditional Knowledge in EbA

The Harnessing Nature to Build Climate Resilience: Scaling Up the Use of Ecosystem-based Adaptation report (UNEP, 2022) notes that Indigenous Peoples (IP), local communities, and women have the potential to lead global EbA efforts, benefiting from their dependence on ecosystems. Their extensive knowledge of local contexts contributes…

After its first year of implementation, catch up on the 1st cohort project updates

Grassland restoration in Kenya. © Charlie Shoemaker Restoring nature and peace threatened by climate change: monitoring human security benefits of EbA in Kenya, implemented by Conservation International (CI) Vetiver grass. © IUCN Scaling up the adoption of EbA solutions using behaviour-centred design: The case of…

Join our e-learning course on EbA, now available in French

Ecosystem-based Adaptation: Working with nature to adapt to a changing climate Now available in French & Spanish! The course will equip learners with transferable and replicable skills in designing and implementing Ecosystem-based Adaptation (EbA) initiatives by offering targeted training on key principles, risk assessments, monitoring,…

Global EbA Fund Announces its 5th Cut-off Date with Important Changes to the Application Process and a New Thematic Track

Washington, 25 January 2023 The fifth cut-off date for the Global EbA Fund set for 28 April 2023 has officially launched. Following the experience of the Fund over the last two years and the first four cohorts, some important changes have been made to streamline…

Third Global EbA Fund cut-off update

We are pleased to announce that a number of organisations have been invited to submit a Full Proposal Stage Application, as part of the third Global EbA Fund cut-off (deadline 28 February 2022). Thank you to the 290+ applicants who submitted a concept note for…

Third Global EbA Fund cut-off

The Global EbA Fund is no longer accepting applications at this stage. Please continue to check this page for announcements as we share information on the next cut-off date in 2023.

Applications Extension

Due to application accessibility issues, the next cut-off date has now been extended to 22 July 2022 at 23:59 UTC+2 (Geneva time). Check How to Apply for more details.

Global EbA Fund announces 2nd cohort

The Global EbA Fund is pleased to announce the selection of the second cohort of 16 grantees. The Fund received an overwhelming number of applications for the cut-off date of 15 September 2021, with more than 620 proposals submitted. Following an extensive review process, 16…

Global EbA Fund receives additional €10m investment from BMU-IKI, announces first cohort of grantees

At the 2021 UN Climate Change Conference (COP26), the Federal Environment Ministry of Germany (BMU) announced it will provide an additional €10m to the Global EbA Fund, a pioneering funding mechanism implemented by IUCN and UNEP and designed to support nature-based solutions for climate change…

Launch of the Global Fund for Ecosystem-based Adaptation

Ecosystem-based Adaptation harnesses the power of nature to increase the resilience of communities against the escalating impacts of climate change. By providing rapid and targeted financial support to innovative and catalytic projects, the Global EbA Fund will address specific gaps in policy and technical knowledge…

Challenges of Scaling Up and Financing Ecosystem-based Adaptation in Africa: The Role of Innovation

Nature is a critical component to scaling up climate change adaptation and resilience. However, financing mechanisms are needed to mainstream approaches such as Ecosystem-based Adaptation (EbA), which is the operationalisation of nature-based solutions for climate adaptation, to reach the communities who need them the most.…

Challenges of Scaling Up and Financing Ecosystem-based Adaptation in Africa: The Role of Innovation

Nature is a critical component to scaling up climate change adaptation and resilience. However, financing mechanisms are needed to mainstream approaches such as Ecosystem-based Adaptation (EbA), which is the operationalisation of nature-based solutions for climate adaptation, to reach the communities who need them the most.…