Review of Nature-Based Solutions in the Pacific Region: Focus and Opportunities

This 2022 research examines recent and current nature-based solutions (NbS) projects in the Pacific including: the current regional framework for NbS; key organisations and projects; NbS project trends by country, sector and habitat; and, design and implementation lessons with a focus on traditional knowledge and community participation.

Projects founded in community-based approaches that incorporate traditional knowledge from the start of the project were frequently mentioned as key approaches that led to NbS project success. Conversely, funding conditions are seen to be creating a number of barriers by: (1) being risk adverse, (2) generally only supporting short-time frames that are insufficient in the context of community-based management, and (3) not allowing sufficient time or funding for comprehensive community engagement and incorporation of traditional knowledge.