Implementing National Adaptation Plans through Nature-based Solutions for Sustainable Tourism in Coastal and Marine Areas

From May 19 to 21, the Government of Panama hosted representatives from Costa Rica and the Dominican Republic in Panama City for peer learning on nature-based solutions (NbS) in adaptation planning in the tourism sector, with a focus on coastal and marine areas.

In this peer learning exchange workshop, participants shared good practices, lessons, and examples emerging from their respective national adaptation plan (NAP) processes.

The overall objectives of this peer learning event were to:

• facilitate an open technical discussion on nature-based solutions in NAP processes, with an emphasis on sustainable tourism in coastal and marine areas;
• establish ongoing peer-to-peer exchanges and conversations on the challenges and opportunities in planning and implementing nature-based solutions for adaptation; and
• identify opportunities within the NAP process to scale up NbS initiatives for sustainable tourism in coastal and marine areas.

The workshop included participation from institutional partners, including Wetlands International, United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), and German Corporation for International Cooperation (GIZ).

The NAP Global Network provided technical and financial support for the workshop through funding from the Government of Ireland.

The presentations and photos from this forum are available below.

NAP Global Network | Introduction to the NAP process

NAP Global Network | Tracking Progress on the Integration of Nature in NAP Processes​

Government of Panamá-Wetlands International | Panama’s Development of the Coastal and Marine NAP (Spanish only)

NAP Global Network |Scaling-up NbS through the NAP Process​

NAP Global Network | Gender Equality and Social Inclusion in NAP processes and NbS​​

Wetlands International | Implementation of NbS in Coastal and Marine Areas​ (Spanish only)

UNEP Latin America and the Caribbean Office | Private Sector Engagement in NAPs and Nature-based Solutions (Spanish only)​

GIZ | Route for Sustainable and Resilient Tourism: Lessons learned from ADAPTUR​ (Spanish only)

Participants visited two sites in Panama’s Pacific coastal and marine areas to reflect on and discuss sustainable tourism practices and the implementation of NbS. Wetlands International facilitated these visits.

Resources on EbA and NbS in NAP Processes

• Tracking Progress on the Integration of NbS and EbA in NAP Processes, NAP Global Network report
• Building Resilience With Nature: Maximizing EbA through NAP Processes, NAP Global Network report
• Amplifying EbA with NAP Processes, NAP Global Network video

Gender and Social Inclusion for NbS and in NAP processes

• Toolkit for a Gender-Responsive Process to Formulate and Implement NAPs: Supplement to the UNFCCC Technical Guidelines for the NAP Process, NAP Global Network, Adaptation Committee, & Least Developed Countries Expert Group toolkit
• Inclusive NbS for Climate Adaptation: Reducing climate impacts in a way that works for everyone, IISD guide

Climate risk assessments in the NAP process

• Climate Risk Assessment for Ecosystem-based Adaptation: A guidebook for planners and practitioners, GIZ guidebook
• Guía metodológica para la incorporación de consideraciones de adaptación al cambio climático en el proceso de Evaluación de Impacto Ambiental de República Dominicana