How IDA Works for Nature

For many low-income countries, nature is a path out of poverty. Nature-based sectors - including forestry, fisheries, and ecotourism - can create jobs, boost economies, and increase resilience to climate change, if sustainably managed. Conversely, low-income countries stand to lose the most from today's unprecedented loss of nature; the loss of even just a few key ecosystem services could cost low-income countries 10 percent of GDP annually by 2030. Many low-income countries have started to see recent development gains undermined by nature degradation, pollution, and climate impacts.

This is why the International Development Association (IDA), is a key resource for the World Bank to support low-income countries to invest in nature. The financial assistance provided by IDA serves to protect nature while also supporting economic development, creating livelihoods, and helping countries mitigate and adapt to climate change.

IDA is investing in nature for people and economies across the globe:

Community Engagement and Capacity Building:

IDA projects emphasize the importance of involving local communities and building their capacity to participate in biodiversity conservation. Transforming Landscapes for Resilience and Development (TRALARD) project aims to build a sustainable forest economy in Zambia by focusing on increasing ecosystem resilience and productivity within vulnerable landscapes and enhancing disaster preparedness. By working hand-in-hand with communities, the project is promoting awareness around value of forests and building capacity around climate change and sustainable management practices.

Building Climate Resilience:

Climate change is one of the drivers of biodiversity loss. IDA countries are hardest hit by the impacts of the climate crisis, even though they contribute very little to global greenhouse gas emissions. In Nepal , the First Green, Resilient and Inclusive Programmatic Development Policy Credit is supporting key reforms to build resilience to climate change. This includes measures to reduce the vulnerability of infrastructure, ecosystems, and communities to climate impacts. By enhancing resilience, the project helps protect biodiversity from the adverse effects of climate change and ensures the sustainability of ecosystem services.

Biodiversity underpins economies and human well-being in countries at all income levels, in all regions of the world. This is why biodiversity remains an important discussion point in the 21^st replenishment of IDA. For low-income countries, IDA is a key resource to ensuring development does not come at the cost of sustainability, and that communities can continue to harness the benefits of healthy ecosystems for generations to come.