Biodiversity and Nature-based Solutions Activities

Biodiversity and ecosystem services are essential for the well-being of growing urban populations, and the decisions that cities, states and other local and subnational governments take can have major impacts on biodiversity. Thus, the crucial role that local and subnational governments play in the pursuit of a greener existence through efficiently integrating urban development and biodiversity management are key actors for the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity.

ICLEI's biodiversity and nature-based solutions programs and initiatives seek local solutions and promote innovation to address the complex issues surrounding natural capital and the degradation of ecosystem services in a rapidly urbanizing world.

ICLEI East Asia works closely with ICLEI's Cities Biodiversity Center, which is embedded in the Africa Regional Office of ICLEI, to promote knowledge exchange between cities and regions through a broad portfolio of supportive services.

Objectives

ICLEI plays an active role in promoting the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity on the global stage. We design our works to:

Equip local and subnational governments with advanced knowledge and capacity to play the key role in the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity;
Foster the exchange of policies, experiences, tools, and technical guidance between local governments around the world;
Enable and accelerate the uptake of nature-based solutions in urban planning world-wide;
Promote local solutions and service providers globally.

Activities

Global Biodiversity Summit of Local and Subnational Governments

Since 2008, ICLEI has been in partnership with the Secretariat of the Convention and subnational hosts of the COPs to the Convention on Biological Diversity, convening Global Biodiversity Summits as parallel events to the COPs. The Summits provide a platform for national governments to engage with their local and subnational peers on their pivotal and increasingly recognized contribution in achieving the objectives of the Covnventions and the 2011-2020 Strategic Plan. ➔ Find out more

CitiesWithNature

An unique initiative that recognizes and enhances the value of nature in and around cities across the world. It provides a shared platform for cities and their partners to engage and connect, working with shared commitment towards a more sustainable urban world. ➔ Find out more

CLEVER Cities

A partnership of 31 organizations co-working with local authorities, communities, industry partners, NGOs and academics. It works with 16 European countries, Brazil, China, Korea, Georgia and Armenia who are investing in large scale implementation of nature-based projects in urban settings, and measures their impacts on climate change adaptation, health and well-being, social cohesion and sustainable economic development in the cities. ➔ Find out more

Resources and Tools

INTERACT-Bio

Led by ICLEI, INTERACT-Bio is designed to improve the utilization and management of nature within fast-growing cities and the regions surrounding them. It enables governments at all levels to integrate their efforts for mainstreaming biodiversity and ecosystem services into core subnational government functions such as spatial planning, land-use management, local economic development and infrastructure design. ➔ Find out more

EcoBudget

EcoBudget, developed by ICLEI for and with local authorities, is founded on the concept that natural resources, such as air, potable water, biodiversity, etc. can and should be managed with the same level of care and preciseness as our financial resources. The tool enables environmental values to be budgeted in the same way as a local authority would construct a financial budget. ➔ Find out more