Embedding GEDSI principles is central to valuing and scaling NbS – understanding who participates, who benefits, who may be excluded, and what design, engagement, maintenance and monitoring arrangements deliver equitable climate resilience.

Across Phase 1, we moved from broad recognition of GEDSI as a cross-cutting priority to more practical and intentional application. In the early stages, GEDSI was reflected through stakeholder mapping, inclusive participation goals, country engagement and recognition that women, people with disabilities, low-income groups and other marginalised communities experience urban climate risks differently. As the program matured, GEDSI became more deliberately embedded in problem framing, option assessment, co-design, technical review, guidance development, monitoring and scaling discussions. 

This progression was supported by actions such as appointing a dedicated GEDSI Lead, convening the GEDSI Technical Advisory Group and developing the Inclusive and Equitable Urban Nature-based Solutions: A Practical Guide and the accompanying Quick Guide. The guide is structured around the NbS project cycle: planning, development, maintenance, and monitoring, evaluation and learning. The quick guide includes practical prompts for each stage, as well as worked examples for both small-scale and large-scale NbS interventions to show how GEDSI principles can be applied in different contexts.

These actions helped make GEDSI more visible and practical across the program. They also strengthened the evidence base for how inclusion can improve the relevance, safety, accessibility and long-term sustainability of hybrid NbS.