Nature-based solutions in mountains: assessing the potential of nature-based solutions for disaster risk reduction in Central Asia and South Caucasus

This study examines climate vulnerability and the potential of nature-based solutions (NBS) across six countries in Central Asia and the South Caucasus: Armenia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. It highlights how mountainous regions share common environmental and socio-economic challenges, including land degradation, watershed instability, and biodiversity loss, and emphasizes the value of regional cooperation and knowledge exchange to scale effective resilience strategies.

These countries face significant exposure to multiple hazards such as earthquakes, floods, landslides, and droughts, causing major economic losses and affecting millions of people annually. Mountain communities are particularly vulnerable due to poverty, limited infrastructure, and geographic isolation. Nature-based solutions emerge as a promising, cost-effective approach to reduce disaster risk, enhance ecosystem stability, and strengthen climate resilience in these high-risk areas.