Q&A: The role of nature-based solutions in building resiliency

Nature-based solutions are an integral part of building resilient communities amid climate change and disasters, said Asha Varghese, president at the Caterpillar Foundation, which focuses on building complementary human and natural infrastructure that supports and builds community resilience.

“Investing in nature-based solutions — whether you're looking at forests, prairies, mangroves, or coastal biodiversity — is one way we can restore our local ecosystem and help local economies grow stronger, more resilient, and more sustainable,” she said.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature defines nature-based solutions as actions that “protect, sustainably manage, and restore natural or modified ecosystems,” while also addressing societal challenges.

“In Nigeria, for example, planting tropical fruit trees supports the local economy, especially women, who will directly benefit from the harvest and the sale of the fruit,” Varghese explained.

Speaking to Devex, she shared lessons the foundation has learned through its implementation of such solutions and what she sees as the way to create more resilient stronger communities while contributing to the United Nations 2030 sustainable development agenda.

This conversation has been edited for length and clarity.

What role do nature-based solutions and natural infrastructure have in building resilient communities?

They’re absolutely necessary in order to be able to provide a secure, environment-friendly solution that promotes a sustainable economy and social development. It’s important to equip local communities with the resources needed to achieve economic growth, but it’s equally important that we restore local ecosystems in vulnerable and disaster-prone areas to improve standards of living.

We heard from global leaders [at the G-20 and COP 26] — [and] in the weeks leading up to COP 26 — that everybody is impacted by [climate change], whether you're in a developed nation or in a developing nation. But we've seen — whether it's a result of the pandemic, disasters, or other calamities — that developing nations and low-income communities are the most environmentally vulnerable. Hence, it becomes more important for us to balance the needs of both the communities and individuals, as well as the environment in order to thrive and better withstand shocks and stresses.

Do you think the importance of such solutions is recognized?

If anything, the environment that we're living in today has told us that it's absolutely important that we recognize them. We also have an obligation to take a leadership role in galvanizing this momentum. There's a lot of great work being done around the world, but the reality is that there's still more to be done to increase recognition, action, and to drive change.

Summits like COP 26 certainly help to spread the word on the climate crisis and also advance calls for change and action. However, this can’t be relegated to a group sitting around a table and talking about the significance of the issue. What the Caterpillar Foundation considers to be more critical is how it translates into actionable activities and calls to action that we can implement across the globe. COP 26 has provided a platform to recognize the great work being done.

Some initiatives from our partners were highlighted and showcased at COP 26 this year [including] Conservation International and its green-gray infrastructure, [and] The Nature Conservancy, especially with its focus on Brazil. We're starting to see more and more partners [and] players across the sector recognize what needs to be done and share lessons learned and best practices.

When you say showcase, do you have some examples of solutions?

Our focus at the foundation has always been on solving for root causes. How do you look at a community and understand what type of systemic change is needed [and] ensure that our solutions are sustainable, and [they] provide for long-term sustainable progress? Our strategy is to be able to identify innovative solutions, [and] partnerships that maximize our resources furthers our philanthropic purpose and guarantees that the impact of those solutions goes way beyond the immediate outcomes. As we talk about natural infrastructure, the Caterpillar Foundation really strives to find that balance in our programs, to be able to identify the needs of the community, as well as the environment that we're working in.

In April, the Caterpillar Foundation launched a $1 million partnership with One Tree Planted to conduct 95 reforestation events across the globe … the idea behind that is yes, you plant trees, but it starts with a tree in order to build a message and awareness of nature-based solutions [and] looking beyond that to be able to provide environmentally conscious municipalities an opportunity to advance the Sustainable Development Goals … As an example, one of the things that really stood out to me is our work in Chile: 4,000 trees are being planted as part of this partnership, but it’s also directly benefiting 100 small beekeepers who have a fundamental role in protecting the habitat and reproduction of bees. For context, brush fires in recent years have dramatically affected the region, destroyed forests, and decimated the local bee population. The trees we’re helping to plant will help local community members reactivate their businesses and reengage with the economy.

What key lessons have you learned through this work?

The Caterpillar Foundation believes that no one organization, group, or person can achieve sustainable progress alone. It’s important for us to be able to build some of those partnerships, leverage some of the lessons learned, and truly leverage data to be able to help us identify — not just the challenges — but also the solutions. How do we really work across sectors to be able to build solutions that are localized, that can be owned by the community, and can really bring about the change that we're looking for around the world?

The foundation continues to encourage collaboration [and] public-private partnerships to help move the needle and drive sustainable progress on some of these global issues. And I wouldn't just stop at public-private partnerships, but it can also be private-private partnerships. The reality is that we need to start now, and we need to continue to make progress in order to be able to achieve the SDGs.