IUCN organises first training on Nature-Based Solutions in Bangladesh

On December 1, 2024, IUCN Bangladesh organised it’s first-of-a-kind training dedicated to Urban Nature-Based Solutions (NbS) for the Local Government Engineering Department (LGED), bringing together engineers, urban planners and policymakers in Gazipur to reimagine how cities in Bangladesh are built. 

Bangladesh recognises the benefits of NbS in addressing climate change impacts by including ecosystem-based adaptation strategies in their national climate adaptation plans. Yet, legal and institutional barriers as well as lack of technical knowledge limit the effective implementation and mainstreaming of NbS in practice, especially in infrastructure projects. To address these challenges, IUCN developed an ‘’Urban Nature-based Solutions in Bangladesh’’ training module to help local government officials understand the application of NbS in their city development projects.

With rapid urbanisation posing threats like flooding, drainage congestion, and vanishing green spaces in urban areas, this three-day training provided participants with the opportunity to present solutions. 

A globally acclaimed master trainer led 32 participants from LGED as well as project partners, the French Development Agency (AFD) and the Global Center on Adapdation (GCA), through a training on understanding how NbS fundamentals can be applied to real-world urban challenges. 

Participants debated how cities could embrace sponge city principles, which are urban areas designed to absorb, store and slowly release rainwater to reduce flooding and improve water management; opportunities to integrate green corridors that link urban green spaces through vegetation, parks and water bodies; as well as redesign infrastructure to work with nature. 

The highlight of the training was “The Infrastructure Challenge”, a simulation where attendees took on roles as project managers, engineers, and financial analysts. They collaborated to design sustainable, cost-effective urban projects to understand how NbS can be applied as a practical solution for Bangladesh’s urban future. Each participant crafted personalised action plans, proposing ways to integrate NbS in their work — from using climate-resilient materials in cityscapes to restoring native plant species in urban parks. 

As participants departed, they carried with them a new vision: a future where Bangladesh’s cities breathe with nature, where resilience is built not just with concrete but with trees, water, and ecosystems working in harmony. 

IUCN Bangladesh will continue to champion for urban development that goes hand in hand with nature, and work with partners to create thriving, sustainable, and prepared for the challenges ahead.