State of Investment in Nature-based Solutions for Water Security 2024
Language
  • English (US)
  • Español
  • French (France)

  • State of Investment in Nature-based Solutions for Water Security 2024

    Welcome to the Survey

  • About the Report

    The results from this survey will inform a report on the State of Investment in Finance for Nature Based Solutions for Water.
    The report will provide a global benchmark by exploring:

    • How much is being invested in NBS for water around the world?
    • Where are NBS investments growing compared to 10 years ago? Where are they not?
    • Who is investing in NBS for water security?
    • Are new financing sources or mechanisms in play that were not 10 years ago?
    • What respective roles are the private sector, water users, and government agencies playing in NBS?
    • What motivates investments in NBS for water?

    The report will be published in early 2025.

    About the Survey

    You may save your responses as a draft and come back to submit at any time. The deadline for survey submissions is September 30th 2024.

    Data confidentiality

    This data is being collected to inform internal research by Forest Trends and The Nature Conservancy. We will NEVER share any raw data points with external third parties without obtaining prior permission. Data will be aggregated before publishing to provide privacy (minimum 3 data points per aggregate). Individual names and contact information will not be published or given out to third parties without prior permission. If you have additional privacy concerns for your data, please email us at msmith@forest-trends.org.

  • Scope

    This report includes programs and projects that executed funds in the period 2013-2023 on nature-based solutions that meet the following three criteria:

    1. The funds directly supported nature-based interventions on the ground to:

    - conserve or protect ecosystems;
    - rehabilitate or restore ecosystems; or
    - manage, enhance, or create natural processes in modified or artificial ecosystems.

    2. For the purposes of an explicit water security objective.

    3. In a terrestrial or freshwater ecosystem. Brackish areas that are connected to freshwater ecosystems will also be included.

    We intend to capture direct investments in implementation, such as construction and monitoring costs. On their own, intangible activities like capacity building, project development, policy changes, or other actions intended to improve enabling conditions for nature-based solutions are not included in the scope of this study.

    Exclusions

    The scope of the study does not include programs or projects primarily focused on:

    • Urban green and stormwater infrastructure, such as green roofs, bioswales, green streets, rain gardens, permeable pavement, urban greenways, and street trees
    • Nature based solutions in marine ecosystems, such as mangroves and coral reefs

    Examples

    Examples of nature-based solutions for water include, but are not limited to:

    • Protection and/or restoration of forests to enhance water and soil retention.
    • Protection and/or restoration of riparian ecosystems to stabilize streambanks, reduce sedimentation, and reduce flooding.
    • Protection and/or restoration of natural wetlands to improve water quality and reduce flooding.
    • Constructing artificial wetlands to support water filtration and flood mitigation.
    • Fire management of forests to reduce fires and protect water quality (e.g. prescribed burning or tree thinning).
    • Managed aquifer recharge through ancestral practices including infiltration canals, terracing, or permeable micro-reservoirs.
    • Grazing management (e.g., rotational grazing or fencing) on grasslands to reduce soil compaction and maintain natural water infiltration and groundwater recharge.
    • Restoring a river or flood plain through dam removal.
    • Removing invasive species to restore ecosystem functioning.

     

    FAQs

    What if I have significant amounts of data?

    Get in touch with us directly if you have multiple programs to report on. We can put together an excel sheet or schedule an interview that makes your life easier! Please contact Mia Smith at msmith@forest-trends.org.

    How does the survey address double counting?

    We’re conscious of double counting and conduct due diligence to ensure that it doesn’t take place, which is why we ask you to identify your partners throughout the survey. 

     

  • Contact Info of Survey Respondent

  • Project Manager

    This section should be filled out for the organization that manages the project.

  • Basic Project Info

  • 0/250
  • What is your organization's relationship to this project? Select all that apply.*
  • Which of the following water security objectives is the project explicitly designed to contribute to? Please select all that apply. These objectives could support a range of uses (economic, cultural, environmental, etc).*

  • Project Location

  • Interventions

  • What type of nature-based interventions did the project implement in 2023? Please select all that apply.*
  • Please select the ecosystem(s) for the conservation/protection interventions:*
  • Please select the ecosystem(s) for the rehabilitation/restoration interventions:*
  • Please select the ecosystem(s) for the management, enhancement or creation of natural processes in modified or artificial ecosystems:*
  • Please select the conservation/protection intervention(s):*
  • Please select the rehabilitation/restoration intervention(s):*
  • Please select the the management, enhancement or creation of natural processes in modified or artificial ecosystems intervention(s):*

  • Expenditures

  • Please report all expenditures that meet the three criteria defined in our scope (click 'Instructions (scope)' tab above for reference).

    If the project's main objective is for nature-based solutions for water security, please report all expenditures below.

    If the project's main objective is not nature-based solutions for water security (e.g. grey infrastructure projects that include some NBS for water interventions), please report only the expenditures for the NBS for water component. 

  • Coverage of Interventions

  • Units
  • Rows
  • Units

  • Sources of funding

    Payers are the actors who pay for the nature-based interventions or their outcomes. Please tell us about the payers who provided funding for the project's interventions implemented in 2023, or the most recent year for which you have data. Please add as many payers as needed.
  • If you selected public, please specify:*
  • If you selected private, please specify:*
  • If you selected non-profit, please specify:*
  • Payer 1 sector*
  • Is Payer 1 based in the same watershed as the intervention implemented?*
  • What best describes the nature of Payer 1?*
  • Rows
  • Would you like to add another payer?*
  • If you selected public, please specify:*
  • If you selected private, please specify:*
  • If you selected non-profit, please specify:*
  • Payer 2 sector*
  • Is Payer 2 based in the same watershed as the intervention implemented?
  • What best describes the nature of Payer 2?
  • Rows
  • Would you like to add another payer?*
  • If you selected public, please specify:*
  • If you selected private, please specify:*
  • If you selected non-profit, please specify:*
  • Payer 3 sector*
  • Is Payer 3 based in the same watershed as the intervention implemented?
  • What best describes the nature of Payer 3?
  • Rows
  • Does the project have more than 3 payers?

  • Implementation mechanisms

    Implementation mechanisms channel funds from the payer to the project implementer and/or land manager in exchange for actions or outcomes. Please describe all relevant implementation mechanisms for your project in 2023, or the most recent year for which you have data.
  • Did the project transact any credits, offsets, or water rights in 2023 (or most recent year)?*
  • What kind(s) of credits or offsets were transacted? Please select all that apply.

  • Financing instruments

    Financing instruments describe the arrangements that channel capital to support the nature-based solutions (e.g., through debt or equity).
  • Did the project use any up-front financing instruments (e.g., debt or equity) to secure capital to implement the activities in 2023?*
  • If so, what kind of financing instrument were used? Please select all that apply.
  • If you selected bonds, please specify:
  • If you selected corporate finance, please specify:

  • Project design in 2023

  • In addition to the water-related objective(s) indicated above, does the project's design explicitly target any other objectives? Please select all that apply*
  • What capacities did the project aim to strengthen? Select all that apply.
  • How did IPLCs participate in 2023? Select all that apply
  • What type of monitoring was included in the design? Select all that apply.
  • Does the project estimate benefits in terms of sequestration or avoided emissions of greenhouse gases?
  • Does the project use any standards or certifications to monitor, report on, or verify impacts? Select all that apply.

  • Trends and outlook

  • What are the major threats/drivers of change for water quality and/or supply where you work? Choose up to three.
  • What are the key barriers to scaling up your project's impact in 2023? Please choose the top three.

  • Program Manager

    This section should be filled out for the organization that manages the program.

  • Basic Program Info

  • 0/250
  • What is your organization's relationship to this program? Select all that apply.*
  • Which of the following water security objectives is the program explicitly designed to contribute to? Please select all that apply. These objectives could support a range of uses (economic, cultural, environmental, etc).*

  • Program Location

  • Interventions

  • What type of nature-based interventions did the program implement in 2023? Please select all that apply.*
  • Please select the ecosystem(s) for the conservation/protection interventions:*
  • Please select the ecosystem(s) for the rehabilitation/restoration interventions:*
  • Please select the ecosystem(s) for the management, enhancement or creation of natural processes:*
  • Please select the conservation/protection intervention(s):*
  • Please select the rehabilitation/restoration intervention(s):*
  • Please select the management, enhancement or creation of natural processes intervention(s):*

  • Expenditures

  • Please report all expenditures that meet the three criteria defined in our scope (click 'Instructions (scope)' tab above for reference).

    If the program's main objective is for nature-based solutions for water security, please report all expenditures below.

    If the program's main objective is not nature-based solutions for water security (e.g. grey infrastructure projects that include some NBS for water interventions), please only report expenditures for the NBS for water component. 

  • Coverage of Interventions

  • Units
  • Rows
  • Units

  • Sources of funding

    Payers are the actors who pay for the nature-based interventions or their outcomes. Please tell us about the payers who provided funding for the program's interventions implemented in 2023, or the most recent year for which you have data. Please add as many payers as needed.
  • If you selected public, please specify:*
  • If you selected private, please specify:*
  • If you selected non-profit, please specify:*
  • Payer 1 sector*
  • Is Payer 1 based in the same watershed as the intervention implemented?*
  • What best describes the nature of Payer 1?*
  • Rows
  • Would you like to add another payer?*
  • If you selected public, please specify:*
  • If you selected private, please specify:*
  • If you selected non-profit, please specify:*
  • Payer 2 sector*
  • Is Payer 2 based in the same watershed as the intervention implemented?
  • What best describes the nature of Payer 2?
  • Rows
  • Would you like to add another payer?*
  • If you selected public, please specify:*
  • If you selected private, please specify:*
  • If you selected non-profit, please specify:*
  • Payer 3 sector*
  • Is Payer 3 based in the same watershed as the intervention implemented?
  • What best describes the nature of Payer 3?
  • Rows
  • Does the program have more than 3 payers?*

  • Implementation mechanisms

    Implementation mechanisms channel funds from the payer to the program implementer and/or land manager in exchange for actions or outcomes. Please describe all relevant implementation mechanisms for your program in 2023, or the most recent year for which you have data.
  • Did the program transact any credits, offsets, or water rights in 2023 (or most recent year)?*
  • What kind(s) of credits or offsets were transacted? Please select all that apply.

  • Financing instruments

    Financing instruments describe the arrangements that channel capital to support the nature-based solutions (e.g., through debt or equity).
  • Did the program use any up-front financing instruments (e.g., debt or equity) to secure capital to implement the activities in 2023?*
  • If so, what kind of financing instrument were used? Please select all that apply.
  • If you selected bonds, please specify:
  • If you selected corporate finance, please specify:

  • Program design in 2023

  • In addition to the water-related objective(s) indicated above, does the program design explicitly target any other objectives? Please select all that apply*
  • What capacities did the program aim to strengthen? Select all that apply.
  • How did IPLCs participate in 2023? Select all that apply
  • What type of monitoring was included in the design? Select all that apply.
  • Does the program estimate benefits in terms of sequestration or avoided emissions of greenhouse gases?
  • Does the program use any standards or certifications to monitor, report on, or verify impacts? Select all that apply.

  • Trends and outlook

  • What are the major threats/drivers of change for water quality and/or supply where you work? Choose up to three.
  • What are the key barriers to scaling up your program's impact in 2023? Please choose the top three.

  • Data Management and Confidentiality

    Organization-specific data that is not currently publicly available (including prices, trade data, and other financial data) will only be reported at an aggregate, regional level or with permission. We never publish findings for which there are fewer than three data points at the regional/state or market level. Individual names and contact information will not be published or given out to third parties without prior permission. Survey responses are only viewed by Forest Trends or The Nature Conservancy employees or consultants who are directly engaged in report analysis and fact checking. If you have additional concerns about confidentiality, please contact our team.

  • Recommendations

    Would you recommend other contacts who should complete this survey for other programs or projects? Please provide us with contact details so we can get in touch with them.

  • Photo Contest

    Submit photos of nature-based solutions for water security below to enter into our photo contest! You may submit more than one photo. Please number them in the file name, so that you can provide the corresponding appropriate details below. By submitting photos, you authorize Forest Trends' to publish the photo in the report and/or any associated dissemination materials.
  • Browse Files
    Drag and drop files here
    Choose a file
    Cancelof

  • Subscribe

  • Additional projects or programs

  • Would you like to submit information for another project or program?*
  • Should be Empty: