Nature-based solutions (NbS) offer opportunities to build climate resilience in rural landscapes while providing multiple co-benefits. NbS is an umbrella term that refers to “actions to protect; conserve; restore; sustainably use and manage natural or modified terrestrial; freshwater; coastal and marine ecosystems which address social; economic and environmental challenges effectively and adaptively; while simultaneously providing human well-being; ecosystem services; resilience and biodiversity benefits.” NbS has the potential to provide 37 percent of the necessary climate mitigation between now and 2030 and 20 percent between now and 2050. NbS can be used to manage floods; droughts and extreme weather events in ways that can be more flexible; cost-efficient and resilient than traditionally engineered solutions. NbS also offer high potential to improve degraded ecosystems; recover land productivity and improve soil fertility and soil health; leading to improved water quality and quantity; carbon sequestration and biodiversity; among other benefits. Technical gaps and limited learning resources hinder the adoption of NbS in developing countries. NbS is a relatively new approach that still lacks a common understanding. NbS guidance; typologies; technical assessments; and case studies that are accessible to government officials; and relevant to a diverse natural resource context are still limited. An improved technical knowledge base to support countries in the assessment of NbS options and scaling up interventions is necessary to support national development; climate; environment; and biodiversity priorities.The World Bank and CIF recognize the potential of NbS to deliver simultaneous climate adaptation; mitigation; biodiversity; and sustainable land management outcomes. This training is a partnership between the World Bank’s NBS Invest program and the CIF NPC Program’s Learning Platform. CIF NPC ProgramThe Climate Investment Funds (CIF) launched the Nature; People; Climate Program in June 2022 to deploy Nature-based Solutions (NbS) that protect natural environments integral to climate action; sustainable agriculture and food supply; healthy forests; and resilient coastal systems. For the initial round of investments; CIF has selected 9 countries and one regional program: Brazil; Dominican Republic; Egypt; Ethiopia; Fiji; Kenya; Rwanda; Zambezi River Basin (including Zambia; Malawi; Mozambique; Namibia; and Tanzania). CIF launched the Nature; People; Climate Learning Platform in August 2023 in response to requests from NPC countries and from the Independent Expert Group that evaluated the 49 Expressions of Interest submitted to the program. The Learning Platform is an effort to provide direct support to countries to strengthen their understanding of NbS; and how it can achieve climate and development objectives. This assignment will be among the efforts of the NPC Learning Platform to support countries in the design and implementation of NbS programs. This assignment could lead to follow-on opportunities to develop toolkits; research or other analytical products that continue servicing the needs of our government partners.NBS InvestNBS Invest is an initiative of the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and World Bank; launched in 2023; to increase funding for and mainstream NbS into climate mitigation and adaptation projects in LDCs. With funding from the GEF’s Least Developed Countries Fund (LDCF) NBS Invest offers technical; financial; knowledge; and capacity building support to LDC governments through World Bank projects in the environment; water; urban; agriculture; transport and energy sectors; in collaboration with relevant ministries and partner organizations. The project aims to increase: (i) planning and resources for NbS through World Bank projects and/or investments; (ii) policy recognition and high-level policy support for NbS adoption; (iii) country-level ability to design and apply NBS initiatives; and (iv) improved information and knowledge sharing on NbS best practices; lessons; and experiences.2. OBJECTIVES OF THIS ASSIGNMENTThe assignment aims to raise awareness of the climate and development opportunities of NbS across government officials from the CIF NPC Program and LDCs. Through the training; participants are expected to: i. Understand the technical foundations of NbS and how to differentiate them from other climate; nature; and development solutions.ii. Identify the potential NbS options available for the context of their country. iii. Identify the costs and benefits of NbS options; including from economic; social; environmental; climate adaptation and mitigation perspectives. iv. Be aware of case studies and examples of NbS implementation in developing country contexts.