event 28 Jul 2021

Report // Investing in nature for development: do nature-based interventions deliver local development outcomes

By Dilys Roe, Beth Turner, Alexandre Chausson, Emma Hemmerle and Nathalie Seddon. This project report shows how interventions that protect, manage, restore, create and harness nature can deliver a wide range of human development outcomes for local people in poor countries. And this gives us powerful insights into how nature can also contribute to COVID-19 recovery plans. The conceptual framework for this analysis highlights both the long-term contributions nature makes to people and the immediate contributions made by involving communities in implementing nature-based interventions.

Investing in nature for development do nature based interventions deliver local development outcomes

Abstract

Does investing in nature actually deliver development at the local level? This report provides insights into the types of direct, site-based interventions that can help or hinder the achievement of development outcomes for local people and, ultimately, the delivery of the post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework and the SDGs.

The report considers a wide range of interventions and development outcomes, both positive and negative. Focusing specifically on poorer (low- and lower-middle-income) countries, it explores documented evidence that ‘nature-based interventions’ or ‘investments in nature’ (including protection, management, restoration, and harnessing nature for food production), can deliver tangible development outcomes for local people, including jobs, food security, empowerment, as well as resilience to climate change.

Overall, we found a wealth of evidence that investments in nature can be a ‘win-win’ for biodiversity and development. Our findings confirm those of previous analyses and provide a sound empirical evidence base to complement the wealth of anecdotal evidence on nature-development links, while also highlighting key remaining ‘knowledge gaps’. The report concludes with key recommendations for policy and practice.

Published

June 2021

By

IIED

Citation

Roe, D., Turner, B., Chausson, A., Hemmerle, E., Seddon, N. (2021). Investing in nature for development: do nature-based interventions deliver local development outcomes?. IIED, London. https://pubs.iied.org/20206IIED

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Investing in nature for development: do nature-based interventions deliver local development outcomes

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