A practical training manual to help communities deliver nature-based solutions for urban resilience in the Congo basin

This manual is designed to train communities and local governments, making these practices accessible, scalable, and adaptable to local contexts. The manual is organized into two complementary parts. The first part is a practical guide for facilitators, with advice on preparation, logistics, and how to run training sessions effectively, including how to structure classroom and field components. The second part provides ready-to-use training materials accompanied by presentation notes and question prompts to support trainers as they guide discussion and hands-on learning.

The training content covers five practices: stone and vegetated weirs, vegetated gabions, vetiver planting on contour lines, progressive terracing, and silvopasture. For each practice, the manual explains what it is, why it is useful, what conditions are needed for implementation, which principles should guide design and installation, and what basic maintenance actions help ensure performance over time. The manual is also complemented by videos filmed during project implementation, which provide additional practical detail and help trainers visualize how key steps look in the field.