Nature-based solutions to reduce climate-related health risks in low- and middle-income countries

Nature-based solutions, from urban green space and floodplain restoration to mangrove and watershed protection, are increasingly promoted as tools to build resilience against climate-related health risks. However, how strong is the evidence connecting these interventions to actual health outcomes and does combining scientific and institutional evidence sources add real value?

Through Impact Case 6 (IC6), we are producing an evidence synthesis, in partnership with the Planet Pillar of the UN SDG Synthesis Coalition. This synthesis will examine nature-based solutions as protective infrastructure that reduces hazard, exposure and vulnerability across low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), in cities and rural areas alike. The review covers extreme heat, flooding, storm surge, coastal erosion, landslides and drought.

Using a mixed-methods approach, we will integrate quantitative impact and evidence from the scientific literature with institutional and governance insights on implementation barriers and facilitators from UN evaluations, testing whether combining these sources yields findings beyond what either offers alone.

This synthesis will be relevant to policymakers and practitioners working on adaptation, disaster risk reduction and urban planning, as well as to UN agencies, funders and researchers engaged with the Sendai Framework, adaptation acceleration and Leave No One Behind commitments. We aim to deliver the synthesis by the end of 2027.