From Data to Decisions: Using Digital Innovation and Economic Evidence to Scale Nature-Based Solutions in Dire Dawa

Cities facing growing climate risks need practical tools to make faster, better-informed decisions on where and how to invest in resilience. In Dire Dawa, Ethiopia, the Scaling Urban Nature-based Solutions for Climate Adaptation in Sub-Saharan Africa (SUNCASA) initiative is demonstrating how digital solutions and economic evidence can help cities accelerate the scaling of nature-based solutions (NbS).

Through a partnership between Haramaya University and the city administration, a digital NbS decision support system has been developed to help visualize, manage, and analyze restoration activities across the city. Beyond tracking implementation, the system strengthens local capacity by placing data management and decision-making in the hands of municipal actors, supported by university expertise.

Complementing this digital innovation, an integrated cost-benefit analysis demonstrates how NbS generate measurable economic, social, and environmental value—including reduced climate risks, avoided costs, job creation, and opportunities to mobilize new sources of investment.