Home » Resource Database Educational video Investing with Nature: Deep dive on nature-based solutions in urban areas Authoring Organisation UNEP FI Publish Date August 2023 About this Educational videoAccording to the World Bank, some 56% of the world’s population – 4.4 billion inhabitants – currently live in cities. As urbanization grows at an unprecedented rate, this number is expected to more than double, with nearly 7 out of 10 people living in cities by 2050. With 80% of global GDP generated in cities, there is also considerable value at risk in the face of growing climate change and nature loss. It is estimated that 90% of urban areas are flood prone and that losses in the real estate sector could top USD 700 billion annually unless cities are made more resilient. Nature-based solutions are ideal to help foster sustainable urban development, while meeting climate adaptation and mitigation goals. Building nature into cities improves their livability by reducing temperatures, filtering water and cleaning air. The fifth and last deep dive session of our “Investing with Nature: Exploring Investment Opportunities Across Ecosystems” webinar series – funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and supported by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH – will introduce nature-based solutions in urban areas by highlighting findings from the State of Finance for Nature in Cities report, exploring examples of urban nature-based solutions in cities across the world, and bringing in voices and perspectives from the public sector, financial sector and multilateral development banks. About this educational video (Investing with Nature: Deep dive on nature-based solutions in urban areas)(This link will take you to an external website) Related resources Investing with Nature: An Introduction to Nature-based Solutions The regeneration and sustainable management of our planet’s ecosystems offer significant opportunities for the financial sector and the society, generating benefits in terms of carbon sequestration, income generation, disaster risk reduction, and increased biodiversity. At the same time, as we... Investing with Nature: Looking forward – Scaling investments in nature-based solutions Nature-based solutions (NbS) are actions to protect, sustainably manage and restore natural and modified ecosystems that address societal challenges effectively and adaptively, simultaneously benefiting people and nature. While the use of NbS is specifically being called for in targets 8 and 11... Investing with Nature: Deep dive on nature-based solutions in farmlands Increases in population, wealth and urbanization around the world has resulted in an increase in food demand. Nowadays, more than half of the earth’s habitable lands are used for agricultural production and about 70% of the planet’s accessible freshwater withdrawals are used for agricultural... Investing with Nature: Deep dive on nature-based solutions in forests Nature-based solutions such as forest landscape restoration can reverse the effects of deforestation and degradation, and regain the ecological, social, climatic and economic benefits of forests. Not only can this make a significant contribution to climate commitments, it also positively impacts... Investing with Nature: Deep dive on nature-based solutions in freshwater ecosystems Freshwater is not only indispensable for wildlife, people and planet, it is also the habit of a wide variety of fish, plant and crustacean species. The freshwater ecosystem comprises of lakes, ponds, rivers, streams, springs, bogs and wetlands, and provides transport routes, hydropower,... Investing with Nature: Deep dive on nature-based solutions in oceans & coastal ecosystems In light of the agreement of the historic UN High Seas Treaty earlier last month to protect marine biodiversity in international waters, conservation and sustainable use of resources in oceans and coastal ecosystems is gaining attention. Nature-based solutions in this ecosystem have huge...