Projects

The nature and climate crisis are deeply intertwined, which has led to an increasing alignment of actions aimed at facing these issues. It is critical to give prominenceto nature-based solutions which can tackle climate change and other societal challenges. To achieve the full potential of these initiatives, it is necessary to carry out integrated spatial planning, delivering these solutions at the right locations to protect, restore or better manage our ecosystems.

SPACES is a coalition that understands the central role of spatial intelligence in achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals and other international socio-environmental agreements, such as the Paris Agreement and the Post-2020 Global Framework on Biodiversity. The group uses the resource to support governments, businesses, the financial sector, NGOs, and investors in the implementation of the agendas created to face the climate and natural crisis.

The project is consulting widely on the needs and interests of countries and business on spatial intelligence for climate nature to inform and build the coalition and support private and public sector operationalisation. As a contributor, IIS will play a strategic role at this early stage. Therefore, your work will focus on:

1. (1) participate and present results in meetings, providing support to the SPACES objectives;
2. (2) support the review of approaches and methods available to countries to prioritize areas for nature-based solutions;
3. (3) participate in the writing of the project synthesis report and
4. (4) develop a local case study.

SPACES is coordinated by the United Nations Environment Program’s World Conservation Monitoring Center (UNEP-WCMC) and SYSTEMIQ, working in partnership with the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA), and the International Institute for Sustainability (IIS), among other organizations. The inception phase of SPACES is funded by the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation. Bosh Foundation provided key seed funding to help initiate SPACES in its early phase. Find out more on the project’s official website: www.spacescoalition.org