Register Today for the GCBC’s Third Research Grant Competition (RGC3) Information Webinar Series

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Register Today for the GCBC’s Third Research Grant Competition (RGC3) Information Webinar Series

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Register Today for the GCBC’s Third Research Grant Competition (RGC3) Information Webinar Series

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Agriculture Agroforestry Capacity Building Coastal Ecosystems Conservation and Restoration Food Systems Governance and Policy Improving livelihoods Indigenous Peoples Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Natural Resource Management Nature based solutions Partnership Small Island Developing States

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The GCBC has announced a new series of four information Webinars to assist applicants to develop and submit successful and compelling Concept Notes for the Third Research Grant Competition (RGC3)

The series of four Webinars, will run between Tuesday, 21st and Thursday 30th January, 2025. Each webinar will be repeated to ensure that everyone has a convenient time to attend wherever they are in the world. The webinars will be recorded and subsequently available to view on this website.

This series comprises:

Webinar Series, Part One: RGC3 Themes = featuring an introduction to the GCBC, the Grant Competition timetable and the two focus themes for RGC3. The Webinar will provide an understanding of the GCBC nexus: Climate, Biodiversity and Livelihoods, with an emphasis on how the GCBC aims to address poverty alleviation and climate resilience, focusing on approaches that better value, protect, restore and sustainably manage biodiversity.

Dates and Times:

Tuesday, 21st January 2025 · 07:00 – 08:00 hrs GMT – REGISTER

 Wednesday, 22nd January, 2025 – 16:00 – 17:00 hrs GMT – REGISTER

Webinar Series, Part Two: Delivery Principles – This webinar consists of a presentation on the details behind the 10 GCBC delivery principles with case study examples and guidance for implementation within projects. This will include ▪ Inter-, intra and transdisciplinary research ▪ Innovative approaches ▪ Robust scientific methods ▪ Replicability and scalability ▪ Traditional / local knowledge, ▪ Gender equity, ▪ Social inclusion and empowerment, ▪ Equitable Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS), ▪ Collaborative partnerships, ▪ Needs driven, solutions oriented.

Date and Times:

Thursday, 23rd January, 2025 – 07:00 – 08:00 hrs GMT – REGISTER

Thursday, 23rd January, 2025 – 16:00 – 17:00 hrs GMT – REGISTER

Webinar Series, Part Three: How to Prepare a Concept Note Application – The third Webinar in the series will explore the GCBC Concept Note template and considerations for applicants in developing their content; taking on board learning from the previous two webinars on the themes and delivery principles. The Webinar will also consider both the importance of identifying demand for the project and understanding the problem that will be solved to frame the research questions addressed; and the logical approach needed to identify the project Theory of Change.

Date and Times:

Monday, 27th January, 2025 – 07:00 – 08:00 hrs GMT – REGISTER

Monday 27th January, 2025 – 16:00 – 17:00 hrs GMT – REGISTER 

Webinar Series, Part Four: Research for Impact – the fourth and final Webinar in the series comprises an introduction to the GCBC approach to systems thinking and transformative change, covering what it is and how you can be aware of it as you develop your project. This will include the details behind the GCBC science priorities: ▪ Demonstrating what works, ▪ Capacity building, ▪ Best practice, ▪ Informing policy, ▪ Finance, and ▪ Transformative change to find solutions that can be scaled in regions, within countries or across continents.

Date and Times:

Thursday, 30th January, 2025 – 07:00 – 08:00 hrs GMT – REGISTER

Thursday, 30th January, 2025 – 16:00 – 17:00 hrs GMT – REGISTER

The window for RGC3 Concept Note applications opens on Monday, 3rd February, 2025.

 

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Research Grant Competition 2 (RGC2): The GCBC awards £13.4 million in UK ODA grants for research to find nature-based solutions to climate change and poverty reduction   

Published 14 Jan 2025

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RGC2 awards 18 new project grants worth £13.4 million based on the theme: “Driving innovation in how biodiversity can support climate resilience and sustainable livelihoods through practice and governance”. 

Initial concept note applications for the second GCBC research grant competition (RGC2) numbered 507 from lead delivery partners in 60 UK-ODA eligible countries. This response more than trebled the 155 applications submitted for the first round of grants in 2023. From the initial concept notes, 56 applications were selected to submit full proposals.    

Grant awards were made using several criteria, including applications’ contribution to the context of the RGC2 theme. These involved assessing applicants’ understanding of how addressing evidence gaps in the potential of nature-based solutions using less utilised species (plants, animals, insects, fungi, trees etc.) can contribute to:   

  • improving poor livelihoods through more resilience to climate change;  
  • meeting resource or service demands; and  
  • protecting and conserving traditional knowledge and biodiversity.  

Filling these evidence gaps is critical to finding innovative approaches to guide practice and governance.  

Climate change, biodiversity loss and poverty are three of the most pressing challenges facing the world today and are fundamentally inter-linked. Climate change, driven by human activity, is increasingly and negatively affecting people and the natural environment. Biodiversity loss, which also results from human activity, is causing degraded landscapes and soil and increasing food insecurity. This exacerbates climate risk by reducing the resilience of natural and managed ecosystems. Unfortunately, those living in poverty are often the most vulnerable and the least able to respond to the impacts of climate change and biodiversity loss. 

By working in partnership with scientists, research institutions and practitioners around the world, the GCBC seeks to develop innovative research and scalable approaches to the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity. This will have an impact on ecosystem resilience to climate change, halting and reversing biodiversity loss, contributing to poverty alleviation and helping countries to achieve a nature-positive future. The GCBC is funded by the UK’s Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs working in partnership with DAI as the Fund Manager Lead and Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew as the Strategic Science Lead.  

The 18 projects awarded under RGC2 will be implemented in 16 UK ODA-eligible countries in the Global South; seven countries from Latin America (including Central America) and the Caribbean (Brazil; Colombia; Ecuador; Dominican Republic; Guatemala; Panama; Peru); six from Sub-Saharan Africa (Democratic Republic of Congo; Ethiopia; Ghana; Kenya; Tanzania; Republic of Congo); and three from South East Asia and the Pacific (Cambodia; Indonesia; Vietnam).  

Eleven of the RGC2 projects cover broad thematic areas: Agroforestry; Community led approaches; Integrated land / water management; and Forest restoration. Seven of the projects cover more uniquely focused research areas: Seagrass restoration; Carbon markets; Biodiverse seed bank; Mangrove restoration; Peatlands; Land use (landscape level); and Underutilised species for soil restoration.  

“This new round of 18 diverse and innovative projects represents a consolidation of the ‘Global Centre on Biodiversity for Climate’ as Defra’s flagship ODA R&D programme.  These new projects will continue GCBC’s growing reputation for delivery of high-quality evidence about the effective and sustainable use of biodiversity for climate resilience and to improve livelihoods.” said Professor Gideon Henderson, Chief Scientific Adviser, UK Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

“As fund management lead, DAI is delighted to continue our relationship with Defra and especially to welcome the successful applicants who are joining the GCBC’s project portfolio for the next phase of the programme’s development. Through this project round, we will continue to support scientists, academics and research institutions working to build stronger capacity, increase collaboration, deliver high-impact projects and share learning on the biodiversity-climate-livelihoods nexus that will have an impact on ecosystem resilience to climate change, halting and reversing biodiversity loss and contributing to poverty alleviation,” said Luqman Ahmad, Senior Vice President, DAI.  

“As strategic science lead, the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew also welcomes the new projects to the growing portfolio. The new evidence, data and knowledge across pressures/drivers, solutions and enablers for the different themes of the grant competitions will support the adoption of systems approaches in tackling the nexus of climate, biodiversity and livelihoods. By understanding and managing the complex interactions between science, society and the multiple interacting systems through temporal and spatial scales it will be possible to recommend solutions – orientated approaches for transformative change across different sectors and regions,” said Professor Monique Simmonds, Deputy Director, Science (Partnerships), The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.    

The 18 Projects funded by RGC2:

Assessing Carbon Credits as a Sustainable Funding Mechanism for Participatory Forest Management in Tanzania – Lead Grantee: Sokoine University of Agriculture, Tanzania (Country: Tanzania)

Biodiversity for climate and social resilience: Empowerment of coastal communities in sustainable production practices in Ecuador – Lead Grantee: Escuela Superior Politecnica del Litoral – ESPOL, Ecuador (Country: Ecuador)

Biodiversity science in support of community-led conservation of threatened local forests in Tompotika, Central Sulawesi: Protecting biodiversity, ecosystem services and climate resilient local livelihoods – Lead Grantee: Missouri Botanical Garden (MBG), USA (Country: Indonesia)

Biodiversity potential for resilient livelihoods in the Lower Omo, Ethiopia – Lead Grantee: University of Leeds, UK (Country: Ethiopia)

BREL-Borneo: Benefits of Biodiverse Restoration for Ecosystems and Livelihoods in Borneo – Lead Grantee: Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, UK (Country: Indonesia)

Cataloguing and Rating of Opportunities for Side-lined Species in Restoration of Agriculturally Degraded Soils in Sub-Saharan Africa (CROSSROADS-SSA) – Lead Grantee: University of Aberdeen, UK (Country: Ethiopia)

Creation of an Intercultural biodiverse Seed Bank with the indigenous “Resguardo Puerto Naranjo” for enhancing restoration and conservation efforts in degraded areas in the Colombian Amazon – Lead Grantee: Fundación Tropenbos, Colombia (Country: Colombia)

EMBRACE: Engaging Local Communities in Minor Crop Utilisation for Biodiversity Conservation and Livelihood Enrichment – Lead Grantee: Council for Scientific and Industrial Research-Crops Research Institute (CSIR-CRI), Ghana (Countries: Ghana and Kenya)

Enabling large-scale and climate-resilient forest restoration in the Eastern Amazon – Lead Grantee: Lancaster University, UK (Country: Brazil)

Exploring sustainable land use pathways for ecosystems, food security and poverty alleviation: opportunities for Indonesia’s food estate programme – Lead Grantee: University of Sussex, UK (Country: Indonesia)

Forest restoration on Indigenous lands: Restoring biodiversity for multiple ecosystem services, community resilience and financial sustainability through locally informed strategies and incentives – Lead Grantee: Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panama (Country: Panama)

Integrated Land and Water Management of the Greater Amanzule Wetland System – Lead Grantee: University of Education, Winneba, Ghana (Country: Ghana)

NATIVE: Sustainable Riverscape Management for Resilient Riverine Communities – Lead Grantee: University of Lincoln, UK (Countries: Colombia and Dominican Republic)

Nature based solutions for climate resilience of local and Indigenous communities in Guatemala – Lead Grantee: University of Greenwich, UK (Country: Guatemala)

Realising the potential of plant bioresources as new economic opportunities for the Ecuadorian Amazon: developing climate resilient sustainable bioindustry – Lead Grantee: Universidad Tecnica Particular de Loja, Ecuador (Country: Ecuador)  

Recognising and rewarding the contribution of Indigenous knowledge for the sustainable management of biodiversity – Lead Grantee: Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), USA (Country: Cambodia)

TRIALS: Translating Research into Action for Livelihoods and Seagrass: Establishing scientific foundation for seagrass restoration and blue carbon potential, with sustainable livelihood development for coastal communities in Central Vietnam – Lead Grantee: WWF-UK, UK (Country: Vietnam)

Using biodiversity to support climate resilient livelihoods in intact tropical peatlands  – Lead Grantee: Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, UK   (Countries: Peru, the Republic of Congo and the Democratic Republic of Congo)  

 

Photo Credit (Detail): Laitche

 

 

 

 

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Forest restoration on Indigenous lands: Restoring biodiversity for multiple ecosystem services, community resilience and financial sustainability through locally informed strategies and incentives

Published 14 Jan 2025

Project Details

Country: Panama

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Agroforestry Conservation and Restoration Governance and Policy Improving livelihoods Indigenous Peoples Nature based solutions

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Country: Panama

Lead Partner: Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panama

Summary: The project’s focus is on a social-ecological system with participative and linked social and biophysical research and training leading to an innovative, Indigenous forest restoration initiative. Social justice and equity principles will drive payments for ecosystem services to protect biodiversity, mitigate climate change, and improve the lives of people who rejected an extractive industry. Contextualised results from complex local to national governance provide vital information for regional scaling.

Photograph (detail): Fran Hogan

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Enabling large-scale and climate-resilient forest restoration in the Eastern Amazon

Published 14 Jan 2025

Project Details

Country: Brazil

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Agroforestry Capacity Building Conservation and Restoration Governance and Policy Improving livelihoods Natural Resource Management Nature based solutions

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Country: Brazil

Lead Partner: Lancaster University, UK

Summary: The Brazilian Amazonian state of Pará has an ambitious target to restore 7.4 million hectares of tropical forest by 2036, accounting for >50% of the restoration targets of Brazil. Restoring diverse forests at scale requires unlocking the potential of natural regeneration. This project will achieve this by guiding where restoration needs to happen to maximise benefits for climate, people and biota. It will also investigate how to ensure the long-term permanence of natural regeneration, also called secondary forests, in the landscape; currently, most natural regeneration is converted back to agriculture within five years.

This work, co-created with a diverse range of Amazonian stakeholders, addresses three overlooked challenges when it comes to restoration of tropical rainforests. First, by bringing biodiversity to the centre of restoration planning, it defines where restoration will maximise species diversity, landscape connectivity, and support species of conservation concern. Second, it goes beyond the carbon sequestration and makes a novel assessment of the local and regional climate benefits of restoration. Third, it helps to ensure the permanence of restoration by understanding key threats, such as fires. Finally, the project will co-develop a user-friendly prioritisation tool to help guide implementation and make natural regeneration a scalable solution for the climate and biodiversity crises in Amazonia.

Photograph (detail): Vinícius Mendonça

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Integrated Land and Water Management of the Greater Amanzule Wetland System

Published 14 Jan 2025

Project Details

Region: Ashanti Region

Country: Ghana

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Country: Ghana

Project Lead: University of Education, Winneba – Ghana

Summary: The Greater Amanzule Wetland (GAW) is threatened by artisanal mining, climate change, rubber plantations, and subsistence farming despite its ecological support for fauna and flora. Major interventions have focused less on the hydrological systems of the GAW. This project seeks to bridge this knowledge gap through work packages: hydrological systems and ecosystem service analysis; climate-smart farming for households; and development of decision tools and policy briefs to enhance conservation efforts.

The expected outcomes are: i) land use maps and spatial database indicating areas of significant degradation to inform restoration activities; ii) hydrological maps and reports on the level of pollution; iii) ecosystem services report to understand the ecosystem benefit of GAW to households and challenges affecting the services; iv) improved livelihood activities of over 400 households to be trained in beekeeping, agroforestry and native species nursery; v) maps and report indicating restored landscape; vi) decision support tools for government officials and stakeholders to enhance ecological planning and decisions; and vii) dissemination of reports and policy briefs.

The ultimate aim is to help improve livelihoods of households and the ecosystem services of GAW under increasing pressures of man and climate change. Also, to help Ghana conserve its wetland and maintain its National Determined Contributions with respect to carbon.

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TRIALS – Translating Research into Action for Livelihoods and Seagrass: Establishing scientific foundation for seagrass restoration and blue carbon potential, with sustainable livelihood development for coastal communities in Central Vietnam

Published 14 Jan 2025

Project Details

Country: Vietnam

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Capacity Building Coastal Ecosystems Conservation and Restoration Governance and Policy Improving livelihoods Natural Resource Management

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Country: Vietnam

Lead Partner: WWF-UK

Summary: This project will address scientific knowledge gaps on seagrass status, restoration, and associated marine biodiversity and blue carbon potential in Central Vietnam. It will devise improved, sustainable and climate-resilient livelihood options for local coastal communities, highlighting the interconnected ecological, economic, social and community resilience benefits from seagrass ecosystems, and supporting evidence-based action plans and policy for seagrass conservation and blue carbon.

Photograph (detail): Milorad Mikota

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Capacity Building Coastal Ecosystems Conservation and Restoration Governance and Policy Improving livelihoods Natural Resource Management

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Recognising and rewarding the contribution of Indigenous knowledge for the sustainable management of biodiversity

Published 14 Jan 2025

Project Details

Country: Cambodia

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Governance and Policy Improving livelihoods Indigenous Peoples

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Country: Cambodia

Lead Partner: Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), USA

Summary: The project will identify innovative solutions to support Indigenous management of biodiversity by understanding the Bunong people’s knowledge and practices for sustainable use of biodiversity in Cambodia. It will also investigate the co-design of novel incentives, such as procurement auctions, to support Indigenous stewardship of biodiversity in Keo Seima Wildlife Sanctuary (KSWS). Project outputs will directly influence the KSWS REDD+ project and will inform environmental policy in Cambodia and globally.

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Using biodiversity to support climate resilient livelihoods in intact tropical peatlands

Published 14 Jan 2025

Project Details

Country: Republic of the Congo

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Conservation and Restoration Governance and Policy

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Countries: Peru, the Republic of Congo and the Democratic Republic of Congo

Lead Partner: Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, UK

Summary: Tropical peatlands are threatened by climate change and human pressure. Recent increases in severe flooding and drought events threaten peatland species and the livelihoods of people who depend on them.

In Southeast Asia, intensive commercial agriculture has heavily degraded peatlands through large-scale drainage and conversion into plantations. Meanwhile, the Amazon and Congo basin peatlands remain largely intact but are at risk from agriculture expansion and new infrastructure. Protecting the carbon-rich peatlands of the Amazon and Congo basins is vital for preserving biodiversity, supporting livelihoods, and mitigating climate change.

This project will deliver a step change in the understanding of (i) peatland biodiversity, (ii) the resilience of useful peatland species to more frequent droughts or flooding events, and (iii) the opportunities to use biodiversity to support livelihoods. Outputs will inform policy by identifying the species that should be the focus of peatland management.

 

 

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GCBC Grantees engage at 16th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP 16)

Published 14 Nov 2024

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By GCBC Grantees

Several of the GCBC’s grantees took part in COP16 in Cali, Colombia between 21 October and 1 November, 2024. During this global gathering delegates discussed progress on the implementation of the historic Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (2022) while negotiators discussed ways of preserving biodiversity and tackling the impact of climate change. 

The Nature Transition Support Programme (NTSP) – UNEP’s World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC) hosted a side event ‘transforming economies for nature and people’ to shed light on the dependency of countries’ economies on nature, and the importance of re-thinking how they can change their development trajectories to achieve sustainable development. Featuring a panel comprising of representatives from the governments of Colombia, Ecuador, Ghana and Vietnam. The event showcased the results of the programme achieved to date and sparked a lively debate on how identified challenges can be addressed. Read more on this programme at: https://lnkd.in/dmpp2cdt 

Nature Transition Support Team
The Nature Transition Support Team at COP16

CIASE, the GCBC’s partner on the Gran Tescual Indigenous Reservation Climate Plan, hosted a side event with the Gran Tescual Indigenous Reservation, titled “Pan-Amazonian Dialogue: Intersectional Experiences on Biodiversity and Climate.” Genith Quitiaquez (former governor of the Reservation), Carola Mejía (Climate Justice Coordinator at the Latindadd Network), and Rosa Emilia Salamanca (CIASE Director) shared insights on the ways in which intersectionality, care, and transformative resilience can strengthen the bonds between biodiversity and climate action. 

CIASE also participated in the International Meeting on Women and Biodiversity in collaboration with the Colombian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Women’s Vice Ministry. This effort contributed to the Inírida Declaration, a set of recommendations aimed at including women and diverse populations in climate action and biodiversity conservation. 

In collaboration with the Government of Nariño, a department of Colombia, CIASE also presented a photographic exhibition showcasing the botanical richness of the Gran Tescual, inspired by the Illustrated Botanical Guide of the Gran Tescual Reservation. This initiative is part of the “Climate Plan of the Gran Tescual Reservation” project.  

 

CGIAR / CIP – International Potato Center, project team for ‘Harnessing Andean Crop Diversity to Weather Climate Change’ in collaboration with Agrosavia, organized an event on Integrated Conservation, which improves the linkages between in-situ and ex-situ agrobiodiversity conservation. Numerous “seed guardians” from Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia attended. To find out more, the open access Spanish language factsheet, Characterizing agrobiodiversity is key to adapting Andean agricultural systems to drought and pests, is available to download here. 

Alliance of Bioversity International – ’Diversity for Resilience and Livelihood’ The project manager, Dr. Dejene K. Mengistu from the Alliance of Bioversity International and Dr. Basazen Fantahun, from Ethiopian Biodiversity Institute (EBI) (a local implementation partner) presented a poster describing the drivers and lock-ins of green development pathways, a proposed research framework, project objectives, and planned activities with expected outputs to more than 250 attending participants in the blue zone of COP16. The poster presentation was well received, generating constructive comments and suggestions from experienced experts in the areas of forest restoration and management. 

 

 

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GCBC project leaders build connections and share learning at International Environment and Climate symposium

Published 22 Oct 2024

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By Samantha Morris, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

The Global Centre on Biodiversity for Climate (GCBC) project leaders joined practitioners, researchers and representatives of Indigenous peoples’ organisations from other UK Government environment and climate research programmes in Nairobi for the first International Environment and Climate Research Symposium.

Nature and the environment are the bedrock of our planet, which is facing a triple crisis of climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution. Action is urgently needed to address these critical issues to secure sustainable livelihoods and human wellbeing.

In September, the International Environment and Climate Research Symposium brought together 84 practitioners, researchers and representatives of Indigenous peoples’ organisations from three of the United Kingdom’s largest environment and climate research programmes. Collectively these three programmes manage £50 million across Africa, Asia, and Latin America:

Establishing shot of attendees at the Kenya Symposium
Delegates at the International Environment and Climate Research Symposium in Nairobi, Kenya Picture: Kew Gardens

The Symposium was held in Nairobi, Kenya. It was planned and delivered in partnership, drawing on the unique skills and experience held by each of the three programmes. Sessions were split over several days, with each programme taking time to meet individually, ending with a joint programme day on 19 September.

Connection in action

For the GCBC, connecting and collaborating with other research programmes demonstrates the potential of working to coordinate research to find solutions to climate change that benefit both people and nature.

All 14 GCBC projects that received funding from the first competitive research grant competition attended the Symposium with 28 project leaders and partners in Nairobi.

During the individual day, the GCBC projects were given space to get into the detail, mapping the characteristics of each project with a focus on geography, themes, methods, and partners. This identified a wide range of synergies across a diverse group of research projects. These points of connection will support the GCBC programme to identify areas where we can develop tools, evidence, and resources to deliver greater impact.

The day also addressed Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI), barriers and opportunities to research impact, and strategies for communicating and influencing to amplify research outcomes. Across these areas, projects shared their experiences as they move from existing practice to better practice, exchanging tools and ideas along the way.

During the joint day, participants from all three programmes enthusiastically exchanged practical ideas, concrete solutions and lived experiences to turn knowledge into impact.

Watch the video from the Symposium below:

The rich discussion highlighted several opportunities:

  • The value of building trust with communities to genuinely devolve decision making, power, and resources to local actors.
  • Sustaining effective stakeholder engagement from the start of interventions and building long term relationships beyond project cycles.
  • Constantly evaluating trade-offs and synergies that accompany a systems approach

To carry these ideas, forward participants from all three programmes discussed the potential for ongoing learning exchange, as well as opportunities and pathways for knowledge sharing.

From connection to collaboration

Overall, the Symposium was an energising and inspiring event, an opportunity to build connect and share both within the GCBC programme and with other UK Government programmes.

Work is underway to explore what future connection and collaboration between UK Government programmes could look like, building on the ideas shared by participants at the Symposium.

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