I am pleased to inform everyone about the inclusion/publication of our chapter Financing Nature-Based Solutions for Forests in the Philippines: Local Perspective on Debt-for-Nature Swap Experience in the Handbook of Nature-Based Solutions to Mitigation and Adaptation to Climate Change published by Springer Nature. 

The chapter provided the Philippine experience in managing debt-for-nature-swap (DNS) Fund - a financing mechanism that reduces a country's debt in return for local investments for sustainable forest management. Our organization, Forest Foundation Philippines, is managing a DNS Fund established through two bilateral agreements between the governments of the US and Philippines. 

Taken together, DNS as a financing instrument helps ensure that international resources reach community-based organizations, enabling the mainstreaming of Nature-based Solutions (NbS) on the ground. Through flexible financing and cross-sectoral partnerships, civil society organizations (CSOs) can drive local solutions that benefit both forests and communities. When strategically designed, DNS-based funding can effectively support NbS because: (1) eligible activities are clearly defined, while allowing flexibility in project development and design; (2) beyond direct grants to CSOs, DNS encourages partnerships across sectors and with relevant stakeholders; and (3) funds can be managed by NGOs, ensuring direct support for community-led forest conservation projects. 

[Blog preview photo credit: blog author Joan Laura Abes]