Green Infrastructure and Nature-Based Solutions Training Course

Duration 10 days 20 modules · 65 contact hours
Level Intermediate Certificate on completion
Who attends Urban planners, Infrastructure engineers and others
Fee from USD 2,200 KSh 190,000 for Kenyan organisations
Where 52 cities + online See dates by city
Next start 16 Nov 2026 Course code SD-CCA-013

Before you join: Participants should have basic familiarity with climate adaptation, environmental management, infrastructure planning, urban development, water management or property management.

Dates & prices

Two start dates a month in every city, and live online on weekdays or weekends. Fees are per participant; classroom fees include tuition, materials, lunch and refreshments, and the certificate.

Suggest a date or city

Showing the next six months. Later dates, other cities and private deliveries for your team are available on request.

Course overview

Cities, industrial sites and public assets face more frequent flooding, extreme heat, water stress and biodiversity loss. Conventional grey infrastructure alone can be costly to expand and may transfer risks downstream. Green infrastructure and nature-based solutions provide practical ways to manage stormwater, cool neighbourhoods, restore ecological function and improve public space while supporting adaptation targets. The challenge is selecting interventions that fit local hazards, land constraints, maintenance capacity, budgets, regulatory duties and community priorities.

This course equips participants to identify, assess, design and govern green infrastructure programmes and site-scale nature-based solutions. Participants use climate-risk assessment, catchment analysis, urban heat mapping, ecosystem-service assessment, multi-criteria analysis and lifecycle costing to develop defensible proposals. The syllabus covers sustainable drainage systems, urban forests, wetlands, green roofs, permeable surfaces, river restoration and coastal measures. It also addresses equity, land tenure, stakeholder engagement, procurement, maintenance, monitoring and finance.

Teaching combines concise technical briefings with public-sector, utility, real-estate and infrastructure cases. Participants work with maps, hazard information, asset data, design criteria and cost assumptions to develop a green infrastructure concept from an initial problem statement. By the end of the course, each participant leaves with a complete nature-based solutions project dossier: a climate-risk rationale, site assessment, intervention concept, option appraisal, delivery plan, monitoring framework and presentation for decision-makers.

The course is suited to professionals responsible for urban planning, infrastructure, resilience, environmental management, estates, water, public health or sustainability programmes. It is particularly relevant where organisations need to move from adaptation strategies and policy commitments to fundable, maintainable projects.

What you will be able to do

  • Assess climate hazards, exposure and vulnerability using an IPCC-aligned risk framework
  • Map green infrastructure assets, ecosystem services and priority intervention areas
  • Select nature-based solutions using multi-criteria analysis and site suitability criteria
  • Prepare concept designs for sustainable drainage, urban cooling and habitat restoration
  • Compare intervention options through lifecycle costing, benefit valuation and risk analysis
  • Develop measurable monitoring indicators for hydrology, heat, biodiversity and social outcomes
  • Draft procurement, maintenance and governance requirements for nature-based assets
  • Present a complete nature-based solutions project dossier to decision-makers

Benefits of attending

For you

  • Produce credible green infrastructure proposals supported by climate-risk evidence
  • Specify nature-based measures suitable for flood, heat and biodiversity objectives
  • Discuss design trade-offs confidently with engineers, planners, ecologists and financiers
  • Build a reusable project dossier for a current workplace site or programme
  • Strengthen professional capability in adaptation planning and infrastructure investment

For your organisation

  • Generate adaptation projects with clearer risk reduction, maintenance and funding logic
  • Reduce dependence on single-purpose grey infrastructure responses to climate hazards
  • Improve coordination between planning, drainage, estates, environment and public-health teams
  • Create measurable evidence for resilience, biodiversity and environmental reporting commitments
  • Build a pipeline of fundable nature-based projects suited to local delivery capacity

Course modules

20 modules over 10 days

Participants can explain how green infrastructure reduces defined climate risks within an adaptation programme.

  • Climate hazard, exposure and vulnerability within the IPCC risk framework
  • Green infrastructure functions: retention, cooling, infiltration, habitat and amenity
  • Nature-based solutions defined through the IUCN Global Standard
  • Adaptation pathways compared with isolated project-by-project interventions
  • Maladaptation risks from poorly located or poorly maintained interventions
  • Problem statements linking hazards, assets, people and service disruption

Participants can identify system dependencies that shape green infrastructure intervention choices.

  • Urban water cycle connections between roofs, streets, drains and waterways
  • Critical asset dependencies during flooding, heatwaves and water shortages
  • Catchment boundaries distinguished from administrative and property boundaries
  • Service levels for drainage, transport, public health and public space
  • Upstream-downstream effects of land cover and drainage modifications
  • Systems mapping of hazards, assets, users and institutional responsibilities

Participants can prepare a climate-risk profile for a target area or asset portfolio.

  • Hazard data sources: rainfall intensity, temperature, drought and coastal surge
  • Exposure mapping for people, buildings, infrastructure and ecological assets
  • Vulnerability factors including age, income, health, tenure and accessibility
  • Risk register scoring using likelihood, consequence and confidence ratings
  • Climate scenarios applied to design horizons and asset lifetimes
  • Adaptation objectives derived from material risks and service failures

Participants can align a nature-based solutions proposal with relevant policy and governance requirements.

  • National adaptation plans translated into local investment priorities
  • Planning policy mechanisms for green infrastructure requirements and developer contributions
  • ISO 14090 principles for adaptation planning and implementation
  • Drainage, environmental permitting and flood-risk approval pathways
  • Land ownership, easements and access rights affecting project feasibility
  • Governance roles across municipalities, utilities, developers and community groups

Participants can assemble a baseline evidence pack for green infrastructure planning.

  • Desktop baseline using aerial imagery, site plans and land-cover data
  • GIS layers for topography, soils, imperviousness, vegetation and drainage
  • Field walkover observations recorded through a structured site assessment
  • Tree canopy, shade and surface temperature mapped at neighbourhood scale
  • Existing green assets assessed for condition, connectivity and accessibility
  • Data gaps documented with assumptions, limitations and collection priorities

Participants can estimate runoff pathways and identify appropriate water-sensitive interventions.

  • Rainfall-runoff processes across impervious surfaces, soils and planted areas
  • Time of concentration and peak-flow concepts for urban catchments
  • Infiltration testing and soil constraints for infiltration-based measures
  • Runoff pathways traced from source areas to receiving waters
  • Water balance calculations for retention, reuse, evapotranspiration and discharge
  • Design storms selected using local standards and climate allowances

Participants can select sustainable drainage components for a defined site and drainage objective.

  • SuDS treatment train from source control to downstream conveyance
  • Bioretention cells sized for runoff attenuation and pollutant removal
  • Permeable pavements specified for loading, infiltration and maintenance conditions
  • Swales, detention basins and constructed wetlands compared for site constraints
  • CIRIA SuDS Manual principles applied to concept selection
  • Exceedance routes designed for rainfall beyond drainage system capacity

Participants can design green infrastructure responses to outdoor heat exposure.

  • Urban heat island drivers: materials, geometry, vegetation and anthropogenic heat
  • Heat exposure mapped using land surface temperature and demographic indicators
  • Tree canopy performance assessed through shade, evapotranspiration and survival rates
  • Green roofs and walls evaluated for cooling and building-energy effects
  • Thermal comfort assessed using UTCI, shade access and pedestrian routes
  • Cooling priorities set for schools, health facilities and transit areas

Participants can incorporate biodiversity objectives into a green infrastructure concept.

  • Habitat condition assessed through structure, native species and disturbance indicators
  • Ecological networks connect core habitats, corridors and stepping stones
  • Native planting palettes matched to soils, climate and maintenance regimes
  • Pollinator habitat requirements incorporated into streetscapes and public landscapes
  • Invasive species risks addressed through specification and maintenance controls
  • Biodiversity net gain principles considered alongside local regulatory requirements

Participants can assess distributional impacts and social value in intervention planning.

  • Climate vulnerability indicators identify populations facing disproportionate heat and flood risks
  • Access analysis measures proximity to shade, parks and cooling spaces
  • Environmental justice considerations address displacement and unequal amenity distribution
  • Public-health pathways link vegetation, air quality, activity and mental wellbeing
  • Universal design requirements improve access to green infrastructure assets
  • Community stewardship models assessed for capacity, inclusion and long-term continuity

Participants can rank candidate sites using transparent spatial and decision criteria.

  • Suitability criteria combine hazard, exposure, feasibility, co-benefits and maintenance needs
  • Multi-criteria analysis weights criteria through documented stakeholder assumptions
  • Constraint mapping identifies utilities, contamination, heritage and access limitations
  • Opportunity mapping identifies vacant land, rights-of-way and underused public areas
  • Portfolio prioritisation balances quick wins, strategic corridors and high-risk locations
  • Sensitivity analysis tests whether rankings change under alternative criteria weights

Participants can compare green, grey and hybrid options using defensible appraisal criteria.

  • Longlist development generates feasible green, grey and hybrid interventions
  • Multi-criteria decision analysis compares performance against weighted project objectives
  • Ecosystem-service benefits quantified using biophysical indicators and proxy values
  • Residual risk assessed after proposed controls and adaptation measures
  • Trade-offs documented between land take, performance, cost and community acceptance
  • Preferred options justified through an auditable decision record

Participants can prepare concept-level design requirements for selected nature-based solutions.

  • Design brief defines performance targets, users, constraints and approval requirements
  • Typical sections communicate levels, planting zones, drainage and overflow routes
  • Planting specifications cover species, sizes, soils, mulch and establishment periods
  • Hydraulic specifications define storage volume, drawdown time and discharge controls
  • Materials schedules address permeability, durability, recycled content and safety
  • Design risk reviews identify failure modes and required controls

Participants can prepare an investment case that captures whole-life costs and benefits.

  • Capital cost estimates built from quantities, unit rates and contingencies
  • Lifecycle costing includes establishment, inspection, renewal and decommissioning assumptions
  • Avoided damage estimates connect intervention performance with hazard consequences
  • Benefit-cost analysis tests economic viability under stated assumptions
  • Sensitivity testing examines rainfall, discount rate, maintenance and land-cost uncertainty
  • Business cases distinguish financial returns from public and environmental benefits

Participants can identify viable funding routes and financing structures for project delivery.

  • Municipal capital budgets aligned with asset management and adaptation programmes
  • Developer obligations and planning gains used for public-realm improvements
  • Stormwater fees and drainage charges linked to runoff reduction incentives
  • Climate finance eligibility assessed against adaptation rationale and reporting requirements
  • Blended finance structures allocate revenue, risk and maintenance responsibilities
  • Funding applications supported by costs, outcomes, safeguards and governance evidence

Participants can define procurement and contract requirements for durable nature-based assets.

  • Procurement routes compared for design responsibility, risk allocation and market capacity
  • Performance specifications define hydrological, ecological and amenity outcomes
  • Tender evaluation criteria assess technical quality, maintenance and local capability
  • Contract clauses address plant substitution, soil quality and establishment standards
  • Construction inspection plans identify hold points and acceptance evidence
  • Change-control procedures protect agreed performance outcomes during delivery

Participants can establish practical maintenance regimes and ownership arrangements for interventions.

  • Asset registers record location, type, condition, ownership and inspection history
  • Maintenance schedules distinguish establishment tasks from long-term routine care
  • Inspection regimes identify sediment, clogging, erosion, pests and plant mortality
  • Service-level agreements assign responsibilities, response times and reporting requirements
  • Whole-life maintenance budgets matched to intervention complexity and labour needs
  • Failure response plans address blocked outlets, flooding and public-safety hazards

Participants can develop a monitoring framework that supports performance improvement and reporting.

  • Theory of change links activities, outputs, outcomes and adaptation impact
  • Indicator sets cover runoff, temperature, canopy, biodiversity and user access
  • Baseline and post-intervention monitoring methods establish credible comparisons
  • Sampling plans specify locations, frequencies, responsibilities and quality controls
  • Performance thresholds trigger maintenance, redesign or operational adjustments
  • Evaluation reports communicate uncertainty, attribution limits and lessons learned

Participants can plan stakeholder engagement and communicate project choices to decision-makers.

  • Stakeholder mapping identifies influence, interests, rights and potential concerns
  • Engagement plans distinguish inform, consult, collaborate and co-design approaches
  • Technical evidence translated into decision-ready maps, diagrams and investment messages
  • Risk communication explains uncertainty without understating climate and delivery risks
  • Objection management addresses maintenance, safety, land use and cost concerns
  • Approval presentations structure the problem, options, recommendation and implementation pathway

Participants can build, review and present a complete nature-based solutions project dossier for a defined climate adaptation challenge.

  • Project brief states climate hazards, affected assets, objectives and boundaries
  • Baseline evidence pack presents spatial, hydrological, ecological and social findings
  • Priority site selection justified through multi-criteria analysis and feasibility screening
  • Concept design combines intervention drawings, performance targets and technical specifications
  • Investment case sets out costs, benefits, risks, funding and maintenance requirements
  • Monitoring and governance plan assigns indicators, accountabilities and decision points

Exercises and examples are adapted to each cohort's sectors and roles.

What you take back to work

  1. Climate-risk and vulnerability assessment template
  2. Green infrastructure baseline assessment checklist
  3. Nature-based solutions site suitability model
  4. Multi-criteria options appraisal matrix
  5. Lifecycle cost and benefits case template
  6. Nature-based solutions project dossier

Who should attend

  • Urban planners — need to translate resilience policies into spatial plans and projects
  • Infrastructure engineers — need to integrate green measures with conventional asset systems
  • Climate adaptation managers — need evidence-based intervention portfolios and delivery plans
  • Water and drainage professionals — need catchment-based approaches to flood and water-quality risks
  • Environmental and sustainability managers — need measurable nature and climate outcomes from investments
  • Property and estates managers — need practical measures for heat, drainage and site resilience

Skills and tools covered

Climate risk assessmentGreen infrastructure planningNature-based designHydrological modellingLifecycle cost analysisAdaptation project governance

Tools and standards

IUCN Global Standard for Nature-based Solutions, ISO 14090 Adaptation to Climate Change, CIRIA SuDS Manual C753, IPCC climate risk framework

How the course runs

Training methodology

The course combines short technical briefings with facilitated case analysis, group design work, map-based reviews, option-appraisal simulations and application planning. Cases draw on urban drainage, heat resilience, river corridors, public estates and redevelopment schemes. Participants apply each method to a selected workplace challenge or a supplied case, building their project dossier in stages. Trainers use peer review to test assumptions, compare intervention choices, assess delivery constraints and improve communication for technical and non-technical decision-makers.

Requirements and prerequisites

Participants should have basic familiarity with climate adaptation, environmental management, infrastructure planning, urban development, water management or property management. Experience reading site plans, project documents, basic maps or budgets is useful. Participants should be able to discuss a real asset, neighbourhood, catchment or development project from their work. Prior engineering design experience is helpful but not essential. The course does not require advanced mathematics, GIS software expertise, ecological surveying qualifications, hydrological modelling experience or prior knowledge of nature-based solutions standards.

A typical training day

08:30 – 10:30First session
10:30 – 10:45Refreshment break
10:45 – 12:30Second session
12:30 – 13:30Lunch and networking
13:30 – 15:00Third session
15:00 – 15:15Refreshment break
15:15 – 16:30Workshop and daily review

Live online deliveries follow the same structure in East Africa Time, with shorter screen blocks and longer breaks.

What the fee includes

  • Instruction by a practitioner facilitator
  • Full course workbook and materials
  • Exercise files, templates and case studies
  • Refreshments and lunch on classroom deliveries
  • Certificate of completion
  • Post-course application plan

Frequently asked questions

Participants need basic familiarity with climate adaptation, infrastructure, planning, environment, water or property management. Advanced engineering, GIS, ecology and hydrological modelling skills are not required.

Bring a current project, site, asset portfolio or neighbourhood challenge if possible. Useful materials include maps, photographs, drainage information, climate-risk reports, asset data and available cost information.

The course suits planners, engineers, adaptation managers, environmental specialists, water professionals, property managers and programme leads. It is designed for people who influence project definition, funding, design, delivery or maintenance.

General adaptation courses focus primarily on risk assessment, policy and strategy. This course concentrates on selecting, designing, costing, delivering and maintaining physical green infrastructure and nature-based interventions.

Participants build a project dossier that can be adapted for their own site, programme or investment proposal. The templates support discussions with technical teams, procurement colleagues, funders and senior decision-makers.

Each training day runs from 08:30 to 16:30 and provides about 6.5 contact hours. The first week establishes risk, spatial, hydrological and design foundations; the second week covers appraisal, delivery, maintenance, monitoring and the final project dossier.

Questions about this course?

Ask about dates, fees, group bookings or running it for your team. Our training team replies by email.

Ask on WhatsApp info@skillsetdevelopment.com

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