Human Rights in Nature-based Solutions for Climate Change Adaptation

This document is part of the training course on "Human Rights in Nature-Based Solutions (NbS) for Climate Change Adaptation in the Pacific" conducted by the KIWA Initiative. The module aims to equip participants with the ability to conduct human rights risk assessments and integrate them into Environmental and Social Management Systems (ESMS).

Key contents:

• Human rights risk assessment: This should be conducted from the early stages of an NbS project to avoid or mitigate negative impacts on human rights. This process requires close collaboration with the community to identify risks and appropriate solutions.
• 12 Rights to Consider: Rights to be considered include the right to healthy food, clean water, housing, gender equality, indigenous rights, rights of persons with disabilities, the right to live without conflict, etc.
• Integration into ESMS: Human rights risk assessment is a crucial component of ESMS, helping to build environmental and social safeguards throughout the project lifecycle.

Practical Example (Kau Reserve):

• This module uses the example of the Kau Reserve to illustrate how to analyze positive and negative impacts on human rights. Proposed risk mitigation actions include:
• Applying inclusive and gender-sensitive community participation techniques.
• Ensuring voluntary, prior, and informed consent (FPIC) in case of rights loss.
• Establishing a complaint resolution mechanism to address emerging issues.
• Ensuring equitable representation of vulnerable groups in decision-making mechanisms.