Five insights for High Integrity Nature-base
What do five years of nature-based solutions programming across 10 countries tell us about what works, what does not, and what it takes to make nature-based solutions high-integrity?
Over the past five years, Climate Resilient by Nature (CRxN) has supported nature-based solutions (NbS) across the Pacific and Southeast Asia, working with Indigenous Peoples and local communities, governments, civil society organisations, researchers and the private sector to strengthen climate resilience while supporting biodiversity and sustainable development. Across a diverse portfolio of projects, CRxN explored how NbS can be designed, governed, financed and scaled in ways that create lasting benefits for both people and nature.
While countries, ecosystems and livelihood contexts differed widely, a consistent set of lessons emerged. The most successful and enduring initiatives were not defined by a particular ecosystem, technical intervention or livelihood model. Instead, they shared five characteristics that together underpin high-integrity nature-based solutions.
1. Nature and people are interconnected
Healthy ecosystems underpin food security, livelihoods, climate resilience and community wellbeing. Investing in nature can deliver environmental, social and economic benefits simultaneously, while strengthening community stewardship. The strongest NbS recognise these connections and work with whole systems, helping people and nature thrive together
2. Everyone should be able to participate and benefit
Nature-based solutions are strongest when women, youth, people with disabilities, Indigenous Peoples and other groups can participate meaningfully in decisions and share fairly in the benefits. Inclusion is not simply about representation. It helps ensure that solutions reflect diverse knowledge, priorities and experiences, creating stronger community ownership and more durable outcomes.
3. Traditional Ecological Knowledge and governance matter
Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) is more than ecological understanding. It encompasses systems of governance, stewardship, cultural practice and intergenerational learning that have guided relationships between people and nature for generations. NbS are more legitimate, locally appropriate and enduring when they recognise customary authority and support Indigenous and local communities to lead decision-making.
4. People protect nature when they can see and feel the benefits
Visible and tangible benefits are often a powerful driver of environmental stewardship. Communities are more likely to support NbS when these activities contribute to food security, incomes, safety, climate resilience and wellbeing. Nature-positive livelihoods help create a reinforcing cycle in which healthy ecosystems support thriving communities, and thriving communities are motivated to care for nature.
5. Long-term investment and complementary finance pathways enable lasting impact
Nature works on ecological time, not project time. Ecosystems take years to recover, while local institutions, enterprises and partnerships also require sustained support. Public, philanthropic and concessional finance is essential for establishing the foundations for success but is insufficient to deliver NbS at scale. Reaching scale requires unlocking additional investment, particularly private capital — though private finance is unlikely to replace the role of public funding in supporting governance, community leadership and institution building. High-integrity NbS depend on complementary financing approaches that bring these forms of capital together.