Nature-based solutions (NBS) generally refer to the sustainable management and use of nature for tackling societal challenges such as climate change, water security, food security, human health, and disaster risk management. For instance, the protection of mangroves in coastal areas can limit risks of coastal erosion associated to extreme weather conditions, while providing nurseries for fish production to feed local people and sequestering CO2. Similarly greening roofs or walls can be used to cool down city areas during summer, to capture storm water, to abate pollution, and to increase human well-being while enhancing biodiversity and connecting the city with the wider ecosystem. With NBS, healthy, resilient and diverse ecosystems (either 'natural', managed or newly created) are viewed as providing solutions for the benefit of our societies and overall biodiversity, in the face of global change. The term NBS was put forward by practitioners in the late 2000s (in particular the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and the World Bank) and quickly thereafter by policymakers in Europe (most notably the European Commission). While the term itself is still being framed, case studies from around the world exemplify its potential, as well as the added-value with respect to existing terms and concepts and in complementing traditional conservation approaches. As a consequence, NBS are on their way to being mainstreamed in national and international policies and programmes (e.g. climate change policy, law, infrastructure investment and financing mechanisms).
Video Nature Based Solutions
Background
Societies increasingly face challenges such as climate change, urbanization, jeopardized food security and water resource provision, and disaster risk. One approach to answer these challenges is to singularly rely on technological strategies. An alternative approach is to manage the (socio-)ecological systems in a comprehensive way in order to sustain and potentially increase the delivery of ecosystem services to humans. In this context, nature-based solutions (NBS) have recently been put forward by practitioners and quickly thereafter by policymakers, referring to the sustainable use of nature in solving coupled environmental-social-economic challenges. While ecosystem services are often valued in terms of immediate benefits to human well-being and economy, NbS focus on the benefits to people and the environment itself, to allow for sustainable solutions that are able to respond to environmental change and hazards in the long-term. NbS go beyond the traditional biodiversity conservation and management principles by "re-focusing" the debate on humans and specifically integrating societal factors such as human well-being and poverty reduction, socio-economic development, and governance principles. In this sense, NBS are strongly connected to ideas such as natural systems agriculture, natural solutions, ecosystem-based approaches, adaptation services, natural infrastructure, green infrastructure and ecological engineering. For instance, ecosystem-based approaches are increasingly promoted for climate change adaptation and mitigation by organisations like United Nations Environment Programme and non-governmental organisations such as The Nature Conservancy. These organisations refer to "policies and measures that take into account the role of ecosystem services in reducing the vulnerability of society to climate change, in a multi-sectoral and multi-scale approach". Likewise, natural infrastructure is defined as a "strategically planned and managed network of natural lands, such as forests and wetlands, working landscapes, and other open spaces that conserves or enhances ecosystem values and functions and provides associated benefits to human populations"; and green infrastructure refers to an "interconnected network of green spaces that conserves natural systems and provides assorted benefits to human populations". Similarly, the concept of ecological engineering generally refers to "protecting, restoring (i.e. ecosystem restoration) or modifying ecological systems to increase the quantity, quality and sustainability of particular services they provide, or to build new ecological systems that provide services that would otherwise be provided through more conventional engineering, based on non-renewable resources". Given the range of different (existing) approaches that NBS seem to cover, IUCN proposes NBS as an umbrella concept (Table 1; Figure 1).
fig 1 link
Table 1. Categories and examples of NBS approaches according to IUCN
The term "nature-based solutions" was first used in the late 2000s in the context of finding new solutions to mitigate and adapt to climate change effects, whilst simultaneously protecting biodiversity and improving sustainable livelihoods. The IUCN referred to NBS in a position paper for the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. The term was also adopted by European policymakers, in particular by the European Commission in a report stressing that NBS can offer innovative means to create jobs and growth as part of a green economy.
Maps Nature Based Solutions
Objective and plurality of views
Whereas the general objective of NBS is clear, namely the sustainable management and use of nature for tackling societal challenges, Eggermont et al. (2015) clearly showed that different stakeholders view NBS from other perspectives. For instance, IUCN defines NbS as "actions to protect, sustainably manage and restore natural or modified ecosystems, which address societal challenges effectively and adaptively, while simultaneously providing human well-being and biodiversity benefits". This framing puts the need for well-managed and restored ecosystems at the heart of NbS, with the overall goal "to support the achievement of society's development goals and safeguard human well-being in ways that reflect cultural and societal values and enhance the resilience of ecosystems, their capacity for renewal and the provision of services". In the context of the ongoing political debate on jobs and growth (main drivers of the current EU policy agenda), the European Commission underlines that NBS can transform environmental and societal challenges into innovation opportunities, by turning natural capital into a source for green growth and sustainable development. In their view, NBS to societal challenges are "solutions that are inspired and supported by nature, which are cost-effective, simultaneously provide environmental, social and economic benefits and help build resilience. Such solutions bring more, and more diverse, nature and natural features and processes into cities, landscapes and seascapes, through locally adapted, resource-efficient and systemic interventions." This framing is somewhat broader, and puts economy and social assets at the heart of NBS as importantly as sustaining environmental conditions. It shares similarities with the definition proposed by Maes and Jacobs (2015) defining NBS as "any transition to a use of ES with decreased input of non-renewable natural capital and increased investment in renewable natural processes". In their view, development and evaluation of NBS spans three basic requirements: (1) decrease of fossil fuel input per produced unit; (2) lowering of systemic trade-offs and increasing synergies between ES; and (3) increasing labor input and jobs. Here, nature is seen as a tool to inspire more systemic solutions to societal problems.
Table 2: Differing view points in the two major NbS definitions (IUCN, and EC ), with main differences in bold text
Whatever definition used, promoting sustainability and the increased role of natural, self-sustained processes relying on biodiversity, are inherent to NBS. They constitute actions easily seen as positive for a wide range of stakeholders, as they bring about benefits at environmental, economic and social levels. As a consequence, the concept of NBS is gaining acceptance outside the conservation community (e.g. urban planning) and is now on its way to be mainstreamed into policies and programmes (climate change policy, law, infrastructure investment and financing mechanisms).
Typology
In 2015, the European network BiodivERsA mobilized a range of scientists, research donors and stakeholders and proposed a typology characterizing NbS along two gradients. 1. "how much engineering of biodiversity and ecosystems is involved in NBS", and 2. "how many ecosystem services and stakeholder groups are targeted by a given NBS". The typology highlights that NBS can involve very different actions on ecosystems (from protection to management and even creation of new ecosystems) and is based on the assumption that the higher the number of services and stakeholder groups targeted, the lower the capacity to maximize the delivery of each service and simultaneously fulfil the specific needs of all stakeholder groups. As such, three types of NBS are distinguished (Figure 2):
Type 1 NBS consists of no or minimal intervention in ecosystems, with the objectives of maintaining or improving the delivery of a range of ES both inside and outside of these conserved ecosystems. Examples include the protection of mangroves in coastal areas to limit risks associated to extreme weather conditions and provide benefits and opportunities to local populations; and the establishment of marine protected areas to conserve biodiversity within these areas while exporting biomass into fishing grounds. This type of NBS is connected to, for example, the concept of biosphere reserves which incorporates core protected areas for nature conservation and buffer zones and transition areas where people live and work in a sustainable way.
Type 2 NBS corresponds to the definition and implementation of management approaches that develop sustainable and multifunctional ecosystems and landscapes (extensively or intensively managed), which improves the delivery of selected ES compared to what would be obtained with a more conventional intervention. Examples include innovative planning of agricultural landscapes to increase their multi-functionality; and approaches for enhancing tree species and genetic diversity to increase forest resilience to extreme events. This type of NBS is strongly connected to concepts like natural systems agriculture, agro-ecology, and evolutionary-orientated forestry
Type 3 NBS consists of managing ecosystems in very extensive ways or even creating new ecosystems (e.g., artificial ecosystems with new assemblages of organisms for green roofs and walls to mitigate city warming and clean polluted air). Type 3 is linked to concepts like green and blue infrastructures and objectives like restoration of heavily degraded or polluted areas and greening cities.
Type 1 and 2 would typically fall within the IUCN NBS framework, whereas Type 2 and moreover Type 3 are often exemplified by EC for turning natural capital into a source for green growth and sustainable development.
Hybrid solutions exist along this gradient both in space and time. For instance, at landscape scale, mixing protected and managed areas could be needed to fulfil multi-functionality and sustainability goals. Similarly, a constructed wetland can be developed as a type 3 but, when well established, may subsequently be preserved and surveyed as a type 1.
Examples from around the world
Demonstrating the benefits of nature and healthy ecosystems and showcasing the return on investment they can offer is necessary in order to increase awareness, but also to provide support and guidance on how to implement NBS. A large number of initiatives around the world already highlight the effectiveness of NBS approaches to address a wide range of societal challenges (Table 3)
Table 3: Case studies from around the world
Practical implementation (principles and financing)
There is currently no accepted basis on which a government agency, municipality or private company can systematically assess the efficiency, effectiveness and sustainability of a particular nature-based solution. However, a series of principles are proposed to guide effective and appropriate implementation, and thus to upscale NBS in practice. These include, but are not restricted to:
- NBS embrace and are not meant to replace nature conservation norms (and principles)
- Recognition of the fact that NBS are determined by site-specific natural and cultural contexts that include traditional, local and scientific knowledge;
- Recognition of the fact that NBS can be implemented alone, or in an integrated manner with other solutions to societal challenges (e.g. technological and engineering solutions).
- Recognition of the fact that NBS are not 'the one and only possible way'. Instead, they are an integral part of the overall design of policies, and measure or actions, to address a specific challenges
- Recognition of the complexities and uncertainties that surround NBS. Assessing the risks associated with a given NBS should be compulsory, looking at the potential impacts through space and time, and accounting for future environmental changes. Otherwise, NBS could generate problems instead of solutions (e.g. species introduced for pest control can become invasive if corresponding controls are lacking);
- Need for transparency and broad participation, to produce societal benefits in a fair and equitable way, and to develop a common understanding of multifunctional solutions; Need for integrating lessons from the past, and re-assessing existing practices in the light of NBS;
- Need for documenting and analyzing the possible synergies and trade-offs between ES and stakeholders' expectations. Indeed, NBS should account for multiple interests (in particular environmental, societal and economic ones) and promote sustainability; yet, there will be few win-win situations where all goals are simultaneously met.
Implementing NBS requires political, economic, and scientific challenges to be tackled. First and foremost, private sector investment is needed, not to replace but to supplement traditional sources of capital such as public funding or philanthropy. The challenge is therefore to provide a robust evidence base for the contribution of nature to economic growth and jobs, and to demonstrate the economic viability of these solutions - compared to technological ones - on a timescale compatible with that of global change. Furthermore, it requires measures like adaptation of economic subsidy schemes, and the creation of opportunities for conservation finance, to name a few. Indeed, such measures will be needed to scale up NBS interventions, and strengthen their impact in mitigating the world's most pressing challenges.
Since 2016, the EU is supporting a multi-stakeholder dialogue platform (called ThinkNature) to promote the co-design, testing and deployment of improved and innovative NBS in an integrated way and at multiple scales and levels (from European to national, regional and local). Creation of such science-policy-business-society interfaces could promote the market uptake of NBS. The project is part of the EU's Horizon 2020 - Research and Innovation programme, and will last for 3 years. There are a total of 17 international partners involved, including the Technical University of Crete (Project Leader), the University of Helsinki and BiodivERsA.
In 2017, as part of the Presidency of the Estonian Republic of the Council of the European Union, a flagship conference "Nature-based Solutions: From Innovation to Common-use" is organized by the Ministry of the Environment of Estonia and the University of Tallinn. The NBS 2017 EU conference aims to strengthen synergies among various recent initiatives and programs related to NBS launched by the European Commission and by the EU Member States, focusing on policy and governance of NBS, and on research and innovation. Discussions will cover policy and financing as well as innovative solutions close to or already on the market.
References
External links
- Nature-Based Solutions: Pandora box or reconciling concept? (EKLIPSE & BiodivERsA webinar) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YnpyrGJuxW8&feature=youtu.be&list=PLIStRPZ4fdS2QdJQtEsidTf7MxX5bD24Q
- Sustainable cities: Nature-based solutions in urban design (The Nature Conservancy): https://vimeo.com/155849692
- "Climate : Nature-based solutions for climate change mitigation and adaptation in Paris Region par NATUREPARIF". Dailymotion. 2015-11-24. Retrieved 2018-01-19.
- EU Research & Innovation policies for Urban Regeneration (European Commission): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q9n_QSd3c68
- "Nature-Based Solutions". European Commission. Retrieved 2018-01-19.
- Think Nature: A guide to using nature-based solutions (IUCN): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e8YxZATAiDE
- "Nature-based Solutions". IUCN. 2016-09-27. Retrieved 2018-01-19.
Source of the article : Wikipedia
0 Comments