A bio-aligned economy is possible

The following examples showcase how Nature-based Solutions can enhance, protect, or even replace existing infrastructure:

  • Living shorelines

    Using oyster shells and other “living shoreline” designs instead of a concrete seawall to provide a remedy for nutrient pollution, maintain essential fish habitat structure, and buffer shorelines from waves and storms.

  • Mangroves

    Restoring or planting mangroves in coastal zones to reduce flooding, store carbon, and improve local fisheries and tourism, retain sediment and improve habitat for aquatic species, including commercial fisheries.

  • Wetlands

    Restoring wetlands in a watershed to remove nitrogen and phosphorous from surface water, reduce suspended sediments, and improve drinking water quality—reducing the demand for expensive water quality treatment facilities.

  • Source water protection

    Protecting and creating drinking water sources through forest conservation, reforestation, and cover crops. Source water protection through water funds helped Ecuador manage water flows and reduce the need for new, expensive water purification plants. Nairobi, Kenya improved water yields in the Tana River and reduced sediment through a similar funding mechanism directed towards upstream land and farm conservation.

Wetlands - our natural allies

Wetlands are efficient at storing carbon. They hold between…

20-30%

…of the earth’s soil carbon while only occupying 5-8% of the planet’s surface.

Wetlands also protect us from heavy weather events:

The presence of coastal wetlands helped avoid over USD 625 million in damages from 2012’s Hurricane Sandy in the Northeastern United States.

625,000,000

Avoided damages in USD

Nature-based solutions have the potential to provide more than a third of the necessary emission reductions needed by 2030 to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement.

NbS

Source: The Nature Conservancy

Interested in learning more?

Nature-based solutions Initiative

By: University of Oxford

The Nature-based Solutions Initiative is an interdisciplinary program of research, education and policy advice with the mission is to enhance understanding of the potential of Nature-based Solutions to address multiple global challenges.

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Engineering with Nature

By: United States Army Corps of Engineers

The initiative aims to enable more sustainable delivery of economic, social, and environmental benefits associated with water resources infrastructure.

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Naturally Resilient Communities - Website

By: The Nature Conservancy et al.

This knowledge portal provides an overview of potential Nature-Based Solutions to tackle hazards such as flooding and erosion.

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Integrating Green and Gray – Creating Next Generation Infrastructure

By: World Bank & WRI

This report proposes insights, solutions, and examples for putting nature to work to address the world’s growing infrastructure crisis, driven by climate change and growing populations.

READ FULL REPORT

Relevant sustainability tools

Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services and Tradeoffs (InVEST)

The Integrated Valuation of Ecosystems Services and Tradeoffs (InVEST) is a suite of open-source software models to map and value ecosystem services, including different models designed for terrestrial, freshwater, marine and coastal ecosystems.


 

Green Infrastructure Flexible Model (GIFMod)

GIFMod is a modelling tool to evaluate the performance of green infrastructure treatments in urban stormwater, water quality, and agricultural practices.


 

Storm Water Management Model (SWMM)

SWMM is an open-source software application that can be used for single event or long-term simulations of water runoff quality and quantity and to compare the effectiveness and costs of green or gray hybrid stormwater control solutions.