Nature Based Climate Solutions
"Ridge to Reef: Nature-Based Solutions for Climate Resilience,"
Indonesia’s Papua region is home to 34.2 million hectares of primary forest, covering 85% of its land area and representing 32% of Indonesia’s total forests. As the largest intact rainforest in the Asia-Pacific, it plays a critical role in carbon sequestration, climate regulation, and biodiversity conservation, storing approximately 11 gigatons of carbon. Its vast mangrove forests, wetlands, and coastal ecosystems further strengthen its ecological significance.
Background
With climate change and biodiversity loss posing severe threats to ecosystems and communities, the need for impactful nature-based solutions (NbS) has never been more urgent. Nature-based solutions are actions that protect, sustainably manage, or restore ecosystems while delivering benefits to both people and nature (IUCN, 2025). These approaches offer a powerful pathway to mitigate climate impacts, enhance biodiversity, and support sustainable development.
The International Nature-based Climate Solutions (INBCS) conference in Manokwari, West Papua province seeks to bring together researchers, practitioners, and community leaders to exchange insights, share best practices and challenges, and co-develop strategies for climate-resilient ecosystem management across the Asia-Pacific, with special emphasis on the Coral Triangle region.
The conference’s inaugural theme, “Ridge to Reef: Nature-Based Solutions for Climate Resilience,” highlights the importance of integrated management across interconnected ecosystems—from upland forests and peatlands to mangroves, seagrass meadows, and coral reefs. By fostering collaboration among experts from diverse fields, the conference aims to build synergies that drive innovative solutions for ecosystem restoration and resilience in one of the world’s most vital regions.
The objectives are to:
1. Provide a platform to share successful case studies and innovative approaches in ridge-to-reef management, focusing on climate adaptation and mitigation.
2. Explore how local communities can actively participate in and benefit from NbS, especially in vulnerable regions.
3. Foster collaboration between governments, NGOs, local communities, academia, and the private sector to implement NbS that address climate challenges across ecosystems.
The wide diversity of ecosystems in the Asia-Pacific, the Coral Triangle region, and New Guinea island of which Tanah Papua provinces are part of, provide a multitude of case studies and environments for NBS practices. In parallel to the Flora Malesiana conference, the panel sessions of the INBCS conference would highlight research and encourage collaboration in this region, which is considered as one of the most pristine landscapes globally. The conference is organized together by the Regional Research and Innovation Agency of West Papua province (BRIDA Papua Barat), University of Papua (UNIPA) and the NUS Centre for Nature-based Climate Solutions, as part of their research collaboration.
