Fostering resilience and climate change adaptation through nature-based solutions: a socio-economic study in the Moyen-Bafing National Park in Guinea

Abstract

The impacts of climate change and declining biodiversity are intensifying, with significant repercussions for populations around the world, particularly vulnerable communities. Nature-based solutions offer great potential for fostering resilience and adaptation to these global changes. Through the “Women Pro-Forests: Climate Change Adaptation in the Moyen-Bafing National Park, Guinea”, we aim to make a concrete contribution to the adaptation of women and their families to climate change in the National Park, which is a high-value area for biodiversity. As part of this three-year project, our research will focus on best practices for nature-based solutions in agroforestry contexts for adaptation to climate change, on the socioeconomic evaluation of ecosystem services provided by the Park's forest ecosystems, and on the design of a market-based instrument (payment for ecosystem services, carbon offsets, biocredits, etc.) adapted to the specificities of forest conservation in protected areas, for the benefit of vulnerable communities, particularly women. This will be performed through gender-sensitive mapping to identify resources use and associated ecosystem services; an institutional analysis to identify formal and informal rules surrounding the management of resources and ecosystem services; an analysis of the economic value of ecosystem services; and a gender-sensitive cost-effectiveness study on the contribution of Nature-based solutions in adapting to climate change and promoting biodiversity for vulnerable populations. Globally, the project aims to improve the economic opportunities of women and their families from nature-based agroforestry solutions and seeks to improve inclusive and equitable governance of forest biodiversity to support climate change adaptation.