UN-Habitat, in partnership with the Islamic Development Bank and Earthna, has launched a call seeking to identify proven or promising Nature-based Solutions (NbS) projects in African cities with real investment potential. This is not a direct funding programme in the traditional sense. Instead, it is a pipeline-building initiative designed to document strong urban NbS projects, showcase them on international platforms, and connect the most promising projects directly with development finance institutions, climate funds, and private investors. Given that research indicates that every $1 invested in urban green infrastructure generates an average of $3 in ecosystem services, this call sits at an important intersection of climate resilience and investment opportunity for African cities.
Key Details
The deadline for submissions is August 25, 2026. UN-Habitat is seeking 10 to 15 projects that use nature-based solutions, or NbS, in African cities. Eligible projects may already be underway or still in development.
Selected projects will be featured on a dedicated platform for sharing knowledge about NbS in African cities and will also be included in a toolkit. In addition, selected projects will be showcased at the Convention on Biological Diversity's COP17 in Yerevan, Armenia, in October 2026.
Projects demonstrating strong potential for scaling may receive additional support and be introduced to investors at COP31 in Antalya, Türkiye, in November 2026. This creates an opportunity for promising projects to receive technical and investment exposure that could support their expansion and long-term impact.
Eligible Project Types
UN-Habitat is seeking a broad range of solutions that use nature to address urban environmental, climate, and resilience challenges. Eligible approaches may include urban tree planting, green corridors, and the restoration of wetlands, mangroves, and rivers.
The call also covers green infrastructure such as sustainable drainage systems and retention ponds, as well as coastal protection measures including coral reef restoration and dune stabilization. Other potentially relevant approaches include agroforestry, public spaces designed to generate environmental benefits, green roofs, and living walls.
Projects do not necessarily have to fit precisely into one of these categories. The call is open to innovative approaches that use nature to generate positive environmental, social, climate, or resilience outcomes.
What This Call Actually Offers
The initiative has two primary components.
First, each selected project will be developed into a standardized case study and shared through UN-Habitat's platform for African cities. This will allow cities and other stakeholders to learn from different NbS approaches and potentially inform policy and implementation. The inclusion of a project on this platform therefore provides visibility beyond its immediate location.
Second, selected projects will receive visibility at the Convention on Biological Diversity's COP17. This provides an opportunity for projects to be presented to policymakers, development organizations, investors, and other relevant stakeholders.
Projects with strong investment potential may receive additional support aimed at making them more attractive to investors. This support can help transform a promising concept or existing initiative into a more structured proposition suitable for investment consideration.
Projects selected for this investment-oriented pathway may also become part of a portfolio presented to development finance institutions, climate funds, and other investors at COP31 in November 2026. Consequently, the opportunity extends beyond recognition and visibility by potentially creating a pathway toward future investment and partnerships.
Application Process
Applicants are expected to prepare a complete application package describing their Nature-Based Solution (NbS) project. The project may be an initiative that has already been tested and generated results or a developing concept with significant potential for investment.
The completed application package should be saved as either a PDF or DOCX file and submitted by email to:
unhabitat-nbs-roaf@un.org
The required subject line is:
"Investable Nature-Based Solutions in African Cities"
Applications must be submitted before 25 August 2026.
Applications are accepted in four languages: English, French, Portuguese, and Arabic. This multilingual approach allows organizations and stakeholders across different parts of Africa to participate. Incomplete applications may not be considered.
Major Considerations
The call is open to a wide range of projects, including initiatives that are already operational and concepts that have not yet been implemented. Consequently, cities and other stakeholders that are at an early stage of developing nature-based solutions may still be eligible to apply.
However, investment potential is a central consideration. The initiative is not designed solely to recognize projects that provide environmental or community benefits. Projects are expected to demonstrate characteristics that could make them attractive to investors and capable of supporting future financing.
A strong application should therefore present the project as a credible investment opportunity rather than only as an environmental intervention. This requires applicants to demonstrate the project's potential for growth, financial sustainability, scalability, and the generation of sufficient value to attract investment.
Because only approximately 10 to 15 projects are expected to be selected across the continent, competition is likely to be substantial. Projects that stand out are likely to be those that can demonstrate meaningful results or credible potential for impact, a strong and realistic pathway to scale, and financial sustainability.
The ability to demonstrate investment readiness will therefore be particularly important. Projects with clear implementation models, credible scaling strategies, identifiable investment requirements, and a convincing explanation of how future financing could be sustained are likely to be better positioned.
Should Eligible Organizations Apply?
The opportunity is particularly relevant to African cities, towns, organizations, and project teams implementing or developing nature-based solutions and seeking pathways toward investment.
It may be especially valuable for projects that have progressed beyond the initial concept stage and are ready to explore investment opportunities, partnerships, and expansion.
Projects seeking to attract climate, biodiversity, or urban-resilience investment may find the opportunity particularly relevant. Participation can provide international visibility, inclusion in knowledge products, and, for projects demonstrating sufficient potential, an opportunity to be presented to investors at COP31.
The strongest potential applicants are therefore likely to be those with nature-based solutions that address clear urban challenges while also demonstrating a credible pathway toward scale, financial sustainability, and investment.
Never miss an opportunity. Follow us everywhere:
0 Comments