
Nature-based solutions first emerged as a term in the late 2000s introduced by the World Bank, and championed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), among others, to embed biodiversity considerations in climate change adaptation and mitigation. The concept has gained popularity among practitioners and policymakers since.
The concept was by no means the first example of nature-based solutions in practice, as many indigenous populations have acknowledged the role of nature in supporting human well-being for a long-time before any terms entered the scientific discourse. Nature-based solutions range from small scale interventions, such as green walls to large-scale such as creation of artificial urban ecosystems. What is common to all nature-based solutions is that they should create benefits both to the environment and people, and they are often co-created together with the end users and other relevant stakeholders.
Nature-based solutions are defined by the European commission as: “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. Nature-based solutions must therefore benefit biodiversity and support the delivery of a range of ecosystem services.” Nature-based solutions support EU policies such as the European Green Deal, biodiversity strategy and the climate adaptation strategy. The EU is funding nature-based solutions through its Horizon 2020 and Horizon Europe programmes, to bolster research, innovation and spread of nature-based solutions, with projects such as NetworkNature.
Curious about nature-based solutions? Find more resources below:
- Website: Wikipedia: Nature-based solutions - Wikimedia
- Brief: What are nature-based solutions? Risks, concerns and opportunities - Global Youth Biodiversity Network (GYBN)
- Report: The Global Climate Change Alliance Plus Initiative nature-based solutions reportage: IT’S TIME TO RESET OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH NATURE
- Video:
The future we can and must chose: nature-based solutions - Nature-based Solutions Initiative, University of Oxford - Website: What are nature-based solutions - Nature-based Solutions Initiative, University of Oxford
- COP26 Briefings - Valuing Inclusion and Diversity, Embracing Uncertainty: Ways Forward for Nature-based Solutions – The British Academy, Linjun Xie
- COP26 Briefings - Nature-Based Solutions and the Green Economy – The British Academy, Leslie Mabon
- Handbook: Evaluating the impact of nature-based solutions – The European Commission
- Summary for Policymakers: Evaluating the impact of nature-based solutions – The European Commission
- Infographic: Horizon 2020 funded Nature-based solutions projects – The European Commission
- Report: Nature-based solutions State of the art in EU-funded projects – The European Commission
- NetworkNature factsheet: Nature-based solutions: are we restoring our relationship with nature in Europe?
Browse more nature-based solutions resources here.