MNA Fellow

Nature-based solutions (NBS) offer a cost-effective approach to climate change adaptation while providing multiple benefits. NBS is an umbrella term referring to measures to protect, conserve, restore, sustainably use and manage terrestrial, freshwater, coastal and marine ecosystems, which address social, economic and environmental challenges effectively and adaptively, while simultaneously providing human well-being, ecosystem services and resilience and biodiversity benefits. Investments in green infrastructure, such as mangroves, wetlands, and watersheds, have proven to be cost-effective for water resource and disaster risk management, as they enhance the performance of traditional gray infrastructure and can sometimes replace it. For example, the Global Adaptation Commission estimates that the benefits of mangrove protection and restoration (e.g., coastal protection, job creation, fisheries enhancement, and carbon sequestration) are up to 10 times the costs. NBS can also help align climate change, biodiversity and green recovery agendas. The Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) estimates that 37 percent of the mitigation necessary to meet the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Paris Agreement can be delivered through NBS. NBS also offer high potential to improve soil fertility, recover land productivity and contribute to the achievement of land degradation neutrality. Country recognition and demand for NBS to support climate change adaptation are growing but investment remains low relative to overall climate finance. The majority of LDCs (38 countries) include NBS across National Adaptations Program of Actions (NAPAs), National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAPs) and Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), recognizing the potential benefits of NBS for adaptation. However, countries have yet to secure the funding necessary for the implementation of nature-based actions. The United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) estimates that investment in NBS needs to triple by 2030 and increase four-fold by 2050 to meet global climate change, biodiversity and land degradation targets. This is unlikely to be achieved based on current investment, and there is a risk that the emerging NBS programming opportunities are not taken up by LDC governments as a central adaptation strategy. To accelerate the volume and effectiveness of NBS investments, it is not only the capacity to create value that needs to be further demonstrated, but also the ability to build robust and bankable projects, to blend public and private financing to scale investment in NBS, and to promote and pilot innovative financing solutions that can be viable in the longer-term in LDC contexts. The World Bank increasingly recognizes NBS and their potential to deliver simultaneous climate adaptation, mitigation, biodiversity, and sustainable land management outcomes. NBS are a key topic under the IDA20 climate change theme in support of the overarching focus on ‘Building back better from the crisis: toward a green, resilient and inclusive future’. Agreed commitments under IDA20 aim to help countries address adaptation needs, decarbonization objectives and protect biodiversity, while enabling green recovery. The World Bank has also made a commitment to align all its financing operations with the goals of the Paris Agreement starting from July 1, 2023. However, there are opportunities to mainstream NBS into WB strategies, such as Climate Partnership Frameworks (CPF) and Country Climate and Development Reports (CCDRs) to contribute to direct funding to these opportunities. The World Bank is embarking on a consultancy to support the NBS Invest “Accelerating Investment in NBS To Help Address Climate Adaptation In LDCs” (NBS Invest) Global Knowledge Platform provides targeted analytics, technical assistance, and capacity building to address some of the most critical financial, mainstreaming, capacity and technical barriers inhibiting the adoption of NBS among LDCs. The project is organized around three pillars: 1) Building a business case for NBS investment: through the development of tools and analytics for implementing NBS solutions specifically designed for LDCs, expand the knowledge base on financial opportunities for NBS investment, and embedding NBS into World Bank strategies; 2) Incorporating NBS in country investments: through tailored and in-depth support for the design and preparation of at least 20 IDA20 investments and capacity building for NBS design and implementation; and 3) Communications, knowledge management and coordination. NBS Invest acts as a business accelerator for World Bank Projects and provides support across the whole investment cycle: building the pipeline, diagnosing opportunities, designing NBS and hybrid components, arranging finance through IDA/IBRD, GEF/LDCF and partners, and supporting delivery. Lessons from each operation are captured and fed into the next one. The team proactively screens investment operations for NBS entry points and policy and programmatic lending for reform opportunities, captures lessons, and provides services ranging from spatial, biodiversity and jobs analysis to finance structuring, policy integration, project clinics and knowledge management. Duties and Responsibilities

• The MNA Fellow will provide technical and analytical support to World Bank operations for their evaluation, design, and implementation.
• Provide support to selected World Bank projects as part of the NBS Invest task team, under the guidance of the Task Team Leader (TTL) and other team experts. This may include all services provided by NBS Invest, depending on the Fellow’s sectoral expertise.
• Contribute to the development of analytical products and/or tools for accelerating funding for NBS in LDCs and making the case for NBS investment.
• Support the incorporation of NBS in key World Bank analytical products and strategies, such as Country Climate and Development Reports (CCDRs), Country Partnership Frameworks (CPFs), and Country Economic Memorandums.
• Support the project’s missions, capacity building and dissemination events, providing technical inputs for the preparation of such events.
• Participate in virtual meetings and discussions related to the development of the Project.
• Upon agreement, carry out other activities as directed by the TTL.