Organisers: ICIMOD; CN-ICIMOD, Sichuan Office; and Chengdu Institute of Biology (CIB), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS)

About the event

We are organising this workshop for cross-learning on knowledge, practices, and policies on nature-based solutions (NbS) between research institutions in China and the Himalaya Resilience Enabling Action Programme (HI-REAP). Participants will also discuss the next steps in the implementation of HI-REAP. Moreover, the event will include a consultation workshop between ICIMOD and its partners from Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, Nepal, and Pakistan institutional strategies, alignment of plans, and scope for cooperation.

Objectives

• Hold a thematic exchange meeting to share regional experiences, particularly from China
• Conduct a field visit exploring thematic topics on NbS and other relevant topics
• Organise an interaction with Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) institutions on collaborative work under HI-REAP’s work on air pollution solutions (APS) and NbS and ICIMOD’s action areas following a field visit along the Chengdu-Songpan highway to the Tibetan Plateau and experts’ presentations
• Capture stories from participating countries on lessons and ideas for collaboration

Expected outputs

• Improved understanding of lessons from China and other HKH countries on NbS, APS, and other topics relevant to ICIMOD’s action areas
• List of collaborative actions going forward between ICIMOD and CAS institutions

HI-REAP’s focus on NbS

HI-REAP is a seven-year programme (2022-2029) that supports climate resilience actions in five countries: Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, and Nepal. It is supported by the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office’s (FCDO) Climate Action for a Resilient Asia (CARA) Programme, which seeks to deliver a major shift on resilience in Asia – moving from incremental and isolated investments to building systems resilience to climate change to unlock action and finance needed for transformational adaptation.

HI-REAP focuses on fostering regional cooperation and collaboration for policy influence and investment towards scaling NbS and APS. This is expected to lead to wider adoption of NbS; build a knowledge repository of NbS from the HKH region; and demonstrate gender equality and social inclusion-responsive NbS interventions in three priority sectors: water, air, and disaster. NbS design will be embedded into country-specific programmes and efforts will focus on scaling them through regional cooperation, public–private partnership, and policy support.

Learning from experiences in China

ICIMOD’s engagement in China builds on knowledge partnerships with research institutions under CAS. Two pillars of China’s development vision of ecological civilisation – conserving and protecting the natural environment and developing fit-for-purpose institutional mechanisms – directly support HI-REAP’s scope of work. The government emphasises and implements NbS and APS through national strategies such as the National Strategy for Climate Change Adaptation 2035 and the Guidance for Ecological Conservation and Restoration Programmes of Mountains, Rivers, Forests, Farmlands, Lakes, and Grasslands. The knowledge and experiences on NbS and APS from China can be valuable for HI-REAP countries in the region and beyond.

During a preliminary meeting between the Chengdu Institute of Biology (CIB) team and the ICIMOD HI-REAP team held on 27 September 2022, participants shared a brief overview of HI-REAP and the Chengdu Longquan Mountain Urban Forest Park (CLUFP). The CLUFP is a forested landscape in Sichuan Province that connects the eastern foothills and western plains of Chengdu. The CIB is engaged in assessing ecosystem services provided by the CLUFP, and the output will guide Chengdu’s policies and decisions on urban and peri-urban ecosystems. China has many other successful examples of NbS that HI-REAP hopes to learn from and share with other countries from the region.