Training Course on Nature-based Solutions (NbS) for Disaster Risk Reduction in the Hindukush Himalayan Region

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Submission deadline: 29 July 2025

About the workshop

This training program is designed for delivery in two phases. The nominated trainees will participate both in the first phase, which is a 4-hour theoretical course that will be conducted virtually from 4 to 8 August 2025, and in a five-day, in-person practical training session in Thailand from 25-29 August 2025.

The 5-day in-person training course will provide a comprehensive exploration of NbS as a sustainable and cost-effective approach to DRR, with a focus on leveraging natural ecosystems to mitigate climate-induced hazards. Drawing from global and regional frameworks, case studies, and practical tools, the course will cover the conceptual foundations, implementation strategies, and inclusive approaches for NbS, particularly in vulnerable regions like the Hindu Kush Himalayan (HKH). Participants will engage with real-world applications through field visits and hands-on project development, fostering skills to integrate NbS into DRR policies and practices. They will gain practical knowledge and tools for planning, designing, financing, and monitoring NbS for DRR. The sessions will be participatory and solution-focused, blending global frameworks with regional best practices and case studies.

The training is organized by the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development, under Action Area A – Cryosphere and Water Risk and the Disaster Risk Reduction Intervention, in partnership with the Asian Disaster Preparedness Center with support from the United Kingdom International Development through ICIMOD’s Himalayan Resilience Enabling Action Programme.

Expected outcomes

By the end of the training, participants will be equipped to:

• Enhanced knowledge and skills on NbS for DRR in the HKH region with the capacity to design and implement NbS projects tailored to local contexts, addressing climate and disaster risks while promoting biodiversity and community resilience

• Ability to develop NbS project proposals using tools for financing, monitoring and scaling NbS, integrating GESI principles, and effectively advocating for the mainstreaming of NbS in national and local DRR policies through evidence -based strategies and stakeholder collaboration.

Background

The Hindu Kush Himalayan (HKH) region, spanning over eight countries and supporting nearly 240 million people directly through diverse ecosystem services, is a critical source of 10 major river basins providing freshwater to 2.1 billion people.  Despite this abundance, its geographic diversity leads to certain areas experiencing too much or too little (TMTL) water risks, in the form of floods and droughts. The risks of TMTL water, exacerbated by climate change, environmental degradation, and socio-economic inequalities, disproportionately impact marginalised communities. The HKH region is especially vulnerable to climate-induced disasters like floods, glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs), drought, landslides, and avalanches, with an increasing tendency of a hazard triggering cascading events. In this context, Nature-based Solutions (NbS) offer a cost-effective, inclusive, and ecologically sustainable approach to disaster risk reduction (DRR), drawing on the power of natural ecosystems to mitigate hazards, improve water management, enhance biodiversity, support livelihoods, and enhance disaster resilience.

NbS for DRR also offers a holistic approach, addressing barriers for inclusion of all community groups in furthering GESI and fostering broader societal well-being beyond just tackling hydrometeorological disasters. Recognising these multiple benefits, this training is designed to build the capacity among practitioners and planners and to operationalise NbS within national and local DRR planning frameworks. Furthermore, it will emphasise engagement of decision-makers, community-based organisations and youth, who are critical to mainstreaming NbS into policy, community practices, and future disaster resilience strategies.

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