Philippines-Canada partnership on nature-based solutions for climate adaptation

The Philippines are among the world’s most vulnerable countries to disasters and climate change . This situation risks further marginalizing vulnerable communities including women and Indigenous People. This project aims to support vulnerable communities in adapting to the impact of biodiversity loss and climate change by strengthening their resilience and supporting their access to natural resources and healthy ecosystems. The project aims to support the financing capacity-building and learning necessary for gender-responsive nature-based solutions to climate change and biodiversity loss. Project activities include: (1) setting-up a nature-based solutions (NbS) grant facility that supports at least 20 NbS sub-projects in 18 communities. This includes key biodiversity areas marine protected areas critically endangered species vulnerable women and Indigenous People communities; (2) assisting in technical and capacity building to at least 100 local beneficiaries to design and implement gender-responsive NbS projects; and (3) organizing participatory assessments on climate vulnerabilities and biodiversity loss to inform local planning and decision-making for climate adaptation. This project benefits at least 50 000 hectares of landscapes and seascapes 500 representatives from civil society organizations (at least 50% women) and indirectly benefits about 6.1 million Filipinos from 6 highly vulnerable provinces and small island communities.

The expected outcomes of this project include: (1) improved decision-making and gender-responsive climate adaptation planning practices and governance of community- and nature-based solutions of local stakeholders in the Philippines; and (2) enhanced adoption of gender-responsive nature-based solutions with biodiversity co-benefits for climate adaptation of women and communities in the target project sites in the Philippines.