Nature-based solutions are actions to protect, sustainably manage and restore ecosystems that address social, economic and environmental challenges, while providing human well-being and biodiversity benefits.

Protecting, conserving, or restoring coastal ecosystems, such as mangroves and coral reefs, protects communities and critical infrastructure from storm surges and erosion. Coastal habitats also play an important role in climate change mitigation as they are particularly good at sequestering carbon.

Australia's international nature-based solutions investments bring together traditional knowledge and science to restore and protect critical ecosystems, working with Australian NGOs, local communities (including women and people with disabilities) and Indigenous organisations.

Funding also supports income for local communities through fisheries management, sustainable agriculture, high integrity carbon units and eco-tourism.

Investments in nature-based solutions include:

• Providing global leadership through the Australia-led International Partnership for Blue Carbon (with support from Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission-UNESCO) and the Indian Ocean Rim Associate Blue Carbon Hub.
• The multi-donor, French-led Kiwa Initiative, which provides nature-based solutions financing for Pacific governments, civil society and regional organisations ($6 million).
• Australia is supporting the United Nations Development Programme and Global Environment Fund’s Small Grants Program to implement a Community Based Adaptation program across the Pacific and South-East Asia ($10 million).
• The Climate Resilient by Nature program delivers a portfolio of community-led ecosystem restoration and conservation programs in the Indo-Pacific – boosting biodiversity, sequestering carbon, and making communities more resilient to climate change and disasters ($21.2 million).
• The Tropical Asia Forestry Fund 2 under the Australia Climate Finance Partnership, which will bring over 10,000 hectares of Southeast Asia forestry plantations under sustainable management practices (US$10 million).
• The Pacific Blue Carbon Program which builds capacity to measure, report and verify carbon in mangroves and seagrasses in Fiji and Papua New Guinea, and to incorporate this information in countries’ greenhouse gas accounts ($7.5 million).
• The Blue Carbon Accelerator Fund, delivered in partnership with IUCN, supports readiness and implementation activities internationally to help increase the supply of investment-ready blue carbon restoration projects climate, biodiversity and livelihood benefits ($7.25 million).