Global mapping of urban nature-based solutions for climate change adaptation

Abstract

Many cities around the world are experimenting with Nature-based Solutions (NbS) to address the interconnected climate, biodiversity, and society-related challenges they are facing (referred to as the climate-biodiversity-society, or CBS, nexus), by restoring, protecting, and more sustainably managing urban ecosystems. Although the application of urban NbS is flourishing, there is little synthesised evidence clarifying the contribution of NbS in addressing the intertwined CBS challenges and their capacity to encourage transformational change in urban systems worldwide. We map and analyse NbS approaches specifically for climate change adaptation across 216 urban interventions and 130 cities worldwide. Results suggest that current NbS practices are limited in how they may comprehensively address CBS challenges, particularly by accounting for multidimensional forms of climate vulnerability, social justice, the potential for collaboration between public and private sectors, and diverse co-benefits. Data suggest that knowledge and practice are biased towards the Global North, under-representing key CBS challenges in the Global South, particularly in terms of climate hazards and urban ecosystems involved. Our results also point out that further research and practice are required to leverage the transformative potential of urban NbS. We provide recommendations for each of these areas to advance the practice of NbS for transformative urban adaptation within the CBS nexus.

Levers for transformative nature-based adaptation initiatives in the Alps

“…The transformation indicators discriminate which dimension of transformative change each NbS can address, and which dimensions are less likely to reach transformation. Considering the limited transformative capacity of most of the analysed NbS, our results emphasise the limited use of transformative adaptation to address the climate and biodiversity crisis, as each identified type is missing significant level of at least two transformative characteristics (12,14). We confirmed that it remains challenging to assess transformation criteria for individual initiatives, but we nevertheless confirm the potential of NbS to support transformative adaptation as other studies analysing different datasets of NbS have found (13,15,77).…”

“…Perspectives and recommendations for policymakers: There is not one-fits-all lever NbS have the potential for transformative change towards climate change adaptation, and their amplification is fostered to reduce future impacts on ecosystems and human well-being. However, we confirmed the limited use of transformative adaptation (12,14) and the preference of local stakeholders for incremental adaptations (72,121). This reluctance is due to the complexity of elements considered by NbS, including climate change adaptation, ecosystem functioning, NCP co-benefits as well as longterm economic and social benefits and trade-offs (86,94,122).…”

“…Previous studies proposed a set of characteristics, including innovation, restructuration, shift to an alternative direction, with long-term impacts at large scale and across scales to measure transformative adaptation (Fedele et al, 2019). While some empirical studies have identified promising examples of transformative adaptation (Palomo et al, 2021), others regret having mainly found incremental responses (12,14). Further research is thus needed to evaluate different adaptation strategies and their relation to transformative processes.…”

Urban flood risk management needs nature-based solution from social-ecological system perspective

“…NbS can be framed on people-nature interdependencies to jointly address climate impacts, social inequity, biodiversity losses 29,39,40 . When comparing to previous efforts in urban FRM, NbS reinforce addressing trade-offs between economic value and wider ranges of bene ts, promoting participatory decision-making in an equitable manner, and maintaining ecosystem resilience across scales 39,41 . These principles make it feasible for NbS to be designed, implemented, and governed from SES perspectives.…”

“…Hence, urban FRM need a holistic solution to overcome sudden impacts of disasters, as well as to maintain resilience and stability over the long term. NbS can be framed on people-nature interdependencies to jointly address climate impacts, social inequity, biodiversity losses 29,39,40 . When comparing to previous efforts in urban FRM, NbS reinforce addressing trade-offs between economic value and wider ranges of bene ts, promoting participatory decision-making in an equitable manner, and maintaining ecosystem resilience across scales 39,41 .…”