Towards an operationalisation of nature-based solutions for natural hazards

Kumar, Prashant; Debele, Sisay; Sahani, Jeetendra; Aragão, Leonardo; Barisani, Francesca; Basu, Biswajit; Bucchignani, Edoardo; Charizopoulos, Νikos; Sabatino, Silvana Di; Domeneghetti, Alessio; Edo, Albert Sorolla; Finér, Leena; Gallotti, Glauco; Juch, Sanne; Leo, Laura S.; Loupis, Michael; Mickovski, Slobodan B.; Panga, Depy; Pavlova, Irina; Pilla, Francesco; Prats, Adrian Löchner; Renaud, Fabrice G.; Rutzinger, Martin; Basu, Arunima Sarkar; Shah, Mohammad Aminur Rahman; Soini, Katriina; Stefanopoulou, Maria; Toth, Elena; Ukonmaanaho, Liisa; Vranić, Saša; Zieher, Thomas

doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.138855

Cited by 125 publications

(103 citation statements)

References 129 publications

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“…Yet the imbalance in funding leaves few resources for protection or natural regeneration of diverse ecosystems (Heilmayr et al, 2020) and risks damaging biodiversity. There are concerns that low‐diversity plantations of non‐native species may be replacing important carbon‐rich and biodiverse ecosystems including native forests (Curtis et al, 2018; Heilmayr et al, 2020; Scheidel & Work, 2018), ancient grasslands and savannahs (Bond et al, 2019; Kumar et al, 2020), heather moorland and peat bogs (Brown, 2020; Friggens et al, 2020; Sloan et al, 2018). The ‘Atlas of Forest Restoration Opportunities’ that supports the Bonn Challenge identifies two billion hectares of ‘deforested and degraded’ land as potentially suitable for tree planting (Laestadius et al, 2011, 2015; WRI, 2014) but this includes natural grasslands and savannahs that support endangered populations of large mammals (Veldman et al, 2019).…”

Section: Potential Pitfalls Of Nature‐based Solutionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Getting the message right on nature‐based solutions to climate change

Seddon

Smith

et al. 2021

Global Change Biology

580

294

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Nature‐based solutions (NbS)—solutions to societal challenges that involve working with nature—have recently gained popularity as an integrated approach that can address climate change and biodiversity loss, while supporting sustainable development. Although well‐designed NbS can deliver multiple benefits for people and nature, much of the recent limelight has been on tree planting for carbon sequestration. There are serious concerns that this is distracting from the need to rapidly phase out use of fossil fuels and protect existing intact ecosystems. There are also concerns that the expansion of forestry framed as a climate change mitigation solution is coming at the cost of carbon rich and biodiverse native ecosystems and local resource rights. Here, we discuss the promise and pitfalls of the NbS framing and its current political traction, and we present recommendations on how to get the message right. We urge policymakers, practitioners and researchers to consider the synergies and trade‐offs associated with NbS and to follow four guiding principles to enable NbS to provide sustainable benefits to society: (1) NbS are not a substitute for the rapid phase out of fossil fuels; (2) NbS involve a wide range of ecosystems on land and in the sea, not just forests; (3) NbS are implemented with the full engagement and consent of Indigenous Peoples and local communities in a way that respects their cultural and ecological rights; and (4) NbS should be explicitly designed to provide measurable benefits for biodiversity. Only by following these guidelines will we design robust and resilient NbS that address the urgent challenges of climate change and biodiversity loss, sustaining nature and people together, now and into the future.

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Section: Potential Pitfalls Of Nature‐based Solutionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Getting the message right on nature‐based solutions to climate change

Seddon

Smith

et al. 2021

Global Change Biology

580

294

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“…To achieve the aim of this study, the research followed a pragmatic approach, drawing on published information and personal/professional experience to establish a representative set of soil bioengineering projects to be analyzed against existing research and best practice, policy, and regulations [13]. When developing the methodological approach for this study, care was taken not to enter into a comprehensive review of the literature and research on the subject, so as not to replicate similar valuable work [5,[9][10][11][12].…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…), and the inert and living construction materials [14]. The existing specifications for construction can be used ( [10,15]) together with the "lessons learned" from open-air laboratories [5] in order to minimize the time needed for construction, but also to train the workforce.…”

Section: Sustainable Soil Bioengineering Project Managementmentioning

confidence: 99%

Re-Thinking Soil Bioengineering to Address Climate Change Challenges

Mickovski

2021

Sustainability

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Soil bioengineering includes the sustainable use of vegetation for civil engineering purposes, including addressing climate change challenges. Previous research in this area has been focused on determination of the strength and stability that vegetation provides for the soil it grows in. The industry, on the other hand, has concentrated on mainly empirical approaches in the design and construction of nature-based solutions. The aim of this paper is to attempt a reconciliation of the scientific and technical aspects of soil bioengineering with a view of proposing broad guidelines for management of soil bioengineering projects aimed at combatting climate change and achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs). More than 20 case studies of civil engineering projects addressing climate change challenges, such as erosion, shallow landslides, and flooding, were critically reviewed against the different project stages and the UN SDGs. The gaps identified in the review are addressed from civil engineering and asset management perspectives, with a view of implementing the scientific and technical nexus in the future. Recommendations are formulated to help civil engineers embrace the multidisciplinary nature of soil bioengineering and effectively address climate change challenges in the future.

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“…Innovative city planning initiatives that integrate the common interests of climate and health have received increasing attention. Holistic and interdisciplinary approaches, complemented by nature-inspired solutions (e.g., Kumar et al, 2020b), are required to tackle the global challenge of climate change. Active involvement of multiple stakeholders will support the sustainability and efficacy of any identified strategies.…”

Section: Grand Challenges To Fill Existing Gaps For Healthy Cities Unmentioning

confidence: 99%