COP28, 2023 - Scaling up tangible Nature-based Solutions for Africa.

COP28 was a critical juncture to reiterate the importance of leveraging Nature based Solutions (NbS) to address the climate crisis and reduce the vulnerability of Africa’s people, biodiversity, and ecosystems.
Financial commitments have been made at COP28 we now need to ensure the money goes to where it needs to build the resilience of the most vulnerable. Seeing the financial flows directed to the right places and reaching projects on the ground will require multilateral cooperation in Africa between government, business NGO’s and CBO’s.
During COP28, twelve declarations were adopted, which notably included core topics that had previously been underrepresented, among which the Joint Statement on Climate Nature and People, endorsed by 18 countries.
The Africa Adaptation Hub organised two side events at the WWF Panda Pavilion on Africa day including Scaling up tangible nature-based solutions for adaptation initiatives in Africa and Accelerating transformative youth led actions on nature based solutions for adaptation in Africa. The outcomes of these two side events underscored the importance of building the right evidence and investing on innovative partnerships with relevant stakeholders to drive large scale NbS adaptation interventions in Africa
Harisoa Rakotondrazafy, WWF Africa Adaptation Hub Coordinator. "The reason why we organised these discussions among the partners is to see how we can join forces. Transformative change needs collaboration and only together can we connect the dots.”
While COP28 acknowledged the critical role of Nature-based Solutions (NbS) for adaptation, it left a mixed legacy. Concrete targets and implementation methods for NbS remain elusive, hindering progress on the ground. However, increased financial pledges and recognition of African leadership offer fertile ground for future action. Moving forward, closing the gap between promises and tangible NbS implementation must be the priority, ensuring a climate-resilient future for people and nature in Africa.
Introductory footage taken from UNFCCC footage of COP28. • Recap of the Last Two ... - UN Climate Change