Aquaculture and Nature-based Solutions - Identifying synergies between sustainable development of coastal communities, aquaculture, and marine and coastal conservation

The present report examines the emerging concept of Nature-based Solutions (NbS) and the IUCN Global Standard  when applied to social-ecological systems that include aquaculture production. Section 1 of the report reviews the critical contextual situation, highlighting major issues related to climate change, biodiversity losses and endangered marine ecosystems. It stresses the need for new approaches, such as the concept of NbS, to improve human ability to implement Sustainable Development and to reach the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Section 2 briefly reviews the eight criteria in the Global Standard, which presents a strong anthropogenic connotation, and highlights that the central scientific concept of NbS is embedded in ecosystem-based approaches and management. Instruments for the evaluation of ecosystem services (ES), and the degree of ecological engineering, are essential parts in the NbS design and assessment. Section 3, which focuses on aquaculture, reviews the eight criteria of the Global Standard for NbS™. These are subsequently reviewed, taking into consideration the prevailing issues in aquaculture.