According to the World Bank, some 56% of the world’s population – 4.4 billion inhabitants – currently live in cities. As urbanization grows at an unprecedented rate, this number is expected to more than double, with nearly 7 out of 10 people living in cities by 2050. With 80% of global GDP generated in cities, there is also considerable value at risk in the face of growing climate change and nature loss. It is estimated that 90% of urban areas are flood prone and that losses in the real estate sector could top USD 700 billion annually unless cities are made more resilient.

Nature-based solutions are ideal to help foster sustainable urban development, while meeting climate adaptation and mitigation goals. Building nature into cities improves their livability by reducing temperatures, filtering water and cleaning air.

The fifth and last deep dive session of our “Investing with Nature: Exploring Investment Opportunities Across Ecosystems” webinar series – funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and supported by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH – will introduce nature-based solutions in urban areas by highlighting findings from the State of Finance for Nature in Cities report, exploring examples of urban nature-based solutions in cities across the world, and bringing in voices and perspectives from the public sector, financial sector and multilateral development banks.