Nature Based Solutions (NbS)
Innovation Challenge and Business Incubation Program

ICIMOD is currently implementing the Himalayan Resilience Enabling Action Programme (HI- REAP), a component of the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office’s (FCDO) Climate Action for Resilient Asia (CARA) initiative. The programme aims to build a more cohesive and enabling regional environment for greener and more inclusive climate-resilient development pathways, creating the right policy and practice recommendations, and the institutional and investment environment to scale up new solutions. These solutions will be co- designed, co- tested, and promoted across a range of contexts in the Himalayan region.

One key focus area of HI-REAP is the wider-scale adoption of Nature-based Solutions (NbS) and promotion of them as key climate solutions. This requires close engagement with national and sub-national government institutions, communities, and regional and international partners to secure buy-in. HI-REAP’s work on NbS is well aligned with ICIMOD’s Strategic Group ‘Resilient Mountain Economies and Landscapes’ (hereafter referred as SG-2)’, which focuses on delivering environmentally sustainable, but economically viable and socially inclusive solutions through different interventions and projects. As part of NbS for green livelihoods, this assignment focuses on agroecology and bioprospecting.

The Nature-Based Solutions Innovation Challenge and Business Incubation Program is designed to support innovative entrepreneurs and startups in developing sustainable business models that leverage natural resources, processes and ecosystems. The goal of this program is to empower businesses that creates solutions to mitigate the threats of climate change, enhance biodiversity, and promote sustainable land and water use. The program will support enterprises working in two sectors: bioprospecting and agroecology. With the support of ICIMOD and technical support of KGS Inc. the program was implemented by Industrial Enterprise Development Institute (IEDI) which is an autonomous body of the Government of Nepal tasked for the development and promotion of startups in the country.