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Nature-based Solutions Use Case Pathway
Introduction
Nature-based solutions (NbS) involve working with nature to address societal challenges, providing benefits for both human well-being and biodiversity[1]. Actions of NbS include protecting, sustainably managing and restoring natural and semi-natural (or modified) ecosystems in such a way that provides environmental benefits and tackles societal challenges. This topic has gained traction in recent years due to evidence showing that NbS have the capacity to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, (i.e. provide climate change mitigation benefits) as well as reduce the impact of climate-related shocks and stresses such as flooding and drought (i.e. climate change adaptation benefits).
The topic of Nature-based Solutions was selected as the first Use Case Pathway for Infrastructure Pathways because it is a topic that is frequently mentioned across the main content related to different phases of the infrastructure lifecycle but not in a way that allows for coordinated action across practitioners. While Nature-based Solutions are as old as nature itself, they have only recently been viewed as a tool for enhancing the resilience of the built environment and as an alternative to traditional ‘grey’ infrastructure. As such, there is a need to integrate emerging research, policy, technical design guidance and implementation learnings on this topic across the infrastructure lifecycle to allow for a more coordinated approach to implementing Nature-based Solutions.
This Use Case Pathway builds on the foundational guidance provided in the main lifecycle phases of Infrastructure Pathways to highlight key actions that need to be taken at each stage of the infrastructure lifecycle. It also provides links to the most relevant resources and tools as well as case studies to support practitioners in implementing NbS.
The guidance for this Use Case Pathway is organised by four main phases of the infrastructure lifecycle as described here.
What are Nature Based Solutions?
NbS include local and traditional knowledge, such as in the use of traditional environmental systems management practices, as well as novel solutions which present challenges in terms of co-design, operation, maintenance and implementation. These natural solutions can range from low human intervention, where there is minimal interference on ecosystems, to high human intervention, where ecosystems are managed in more intrusive way or even when new ecosystems are created[5].
Understanding the social, economic, environmental benefits that NbS can deliver is key to scaling up the implementation of NbS globally. The effective implementation of NbS can bring environmental, economic and social benefits in additional to climate change adaptation and mitigation. These include[6]:
- Net-biodiversity gains – conservation and restoration of ecosystems
- Improvement of water quality and waterbody conditions
- Microclimate regulation and improvement of air quality
- Increased health and wellbeing
Nature-based Solutions – across different landscapes and hazards
For different landscapes there are different NbS that can be implemented to adapt to climate change hazards. Therefore, it is important to consider what are the key vulnerabilities and harness the potential of NbS to build resilience to communities.
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Key resources
The following resources have been identified as most relevant for practitioners working across all lifecycle phases on the topic of Nature-based Solutions.
These resources cover all phases of the infrastructure lifecycle as well as provide practical actions and global case studies.
Guidance Green-Gray Community of Practice
Practical Guide to Implementing Green-Gray Infrastructure
Resource EcoShape
Ecoshape
Website that includes guidance tools and case studies
Guidance IIED
Ecosystem-based adaptation: a handbook for EbA in mountain, dryland and coastal ecosystems
Resource University of Oxford
The NbS Evidence Platform
Guidance IUCN
Global Standard for Nature-based Solutions. A user-friendly framework for the verification, design and scaling up of NbS
Criterion 5
Best Practice Urban Green UP
Urban Green UP Catalogue of NbS
Stage 1: Needs Identification
The Needs Identification phase consists of establishing policies and plans and prioritizing climate-related projects. Decisions made at this phase are typically made by governments, are long-term. and set the parameters of what is possible in downstream phases. This section provides recommended actions in the Needs Identification phase for policy makers and planners interested in identifying opportunities for NbS and promoting the use of NbS. It also includes a curated list guidance documents and tools as well as linkages to related actions in the main guidance sections of Infrastructure Pathways
Considerations and Actions
Recommended Tools
and Guidance
Link to
Pathway
Mainstream NbS into policies with international or continental priorities
The protection, preservation and restoration of the natural environmental should be a central to international agreements, policies and development priorities. NbS, ecosystem-based adaptation (EbA) and similar concepts should be part of the measures implemented by governments. Governmental decisions from national to local levels, should align with these priorities.
Where NbS impacts contribute to relevant global or national agenda targets, the bodies responsible for these targets should be informed so that the impact can be documented. Examples of policies and recommendations include the UN Sustainable Development Goals, Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), National Adaptation Plans (NAPs), Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAPs). Research by IUCN shows that two-thirds of signatories of Paris Agreement include NbS in some form in adaptation or mitigation objectives in their NDCs, however only 17% of NDCs have quantifiable and robust targets.
Guidance
Integrating ecosystem-based adaptation (EbA) into national planning
Guidance European Environment Agency
Nature Based Solutions in Europe: Policy, knowledge and practice for climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction
Resource
Chapter 7 Nature-Based Solutions and Water Security, 1st Edition, Jan Cassin John Matthews Elena Gunn,
Guidance IUCN
Nature-based Solutions in Nationally Determined Contribution
Guidance World Wildlife Fund
Enhancing NDCs through Nature-based Solutions
Resource CLEVER Cities
Multi-level policy framework for sustainable urban development and nature-based solutions
Understand climate vulnerabilities and interdependencies of the natural environment with existing infrastructure assets
Governments should seek to understand how NbS can address different climate change hazards to inform plans and policies. One way of doing this is to understand climate vulnerabilities to ecosystems and biodiversity in their specific region, using scientific evidence, and how these vulnerabilities are already impacting existing infrastructure and the services they provide. This will allow them to identify the types of NbS that are suitable to their specific context and to prioritize investment on the areas that will have the greatest impact.
Guidance UNDP
Pathway For Increasing Nature-based Solutions In NDCS. A Seven-Step Approach for Enhancing Nationally Determined Contributions through Nature-based Solutions
Guidance Swiss Re Institute
Chapter 3 of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services A business case for re/insurance
Guidance Acclimatise
Increasing Infrastructure Resilience with Nature-based Solutions
Related to Actions 1.1.2 Develop insight into the climate vulnerabilities and interdependencies of existing infrastructure assets and systems that can lead to societal disruption and 1.2.3 Build capacity of government to address climate resilience
Identify appropriate decision-making tools to support the mainstreaming of NbS
Evidence and data from existing tools can be used to identify which NbS are appropriate for each hazard, as well as social and ecological benefits of different types of NbS, for example The NbS Evidence Platform, University of Oxford. The UN SustainABLE module on NbS (forthcoming) is a tool which can help decision-makers integrate NbS for wider benefits on the 169 targets of the UN SDGs. Furthermore, there are different repositories and training courses that are available online and can provide an understanding to practitioners on what are NbS and how they can enhance resilience.
Guidance University of Oxford
Nature-based Solutions Evidence Platform
Tool Think Nature
Greentown Tool
Tool International Climate Initiative (IKI) of the Federal Ministry for the Environment Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU) Germany
Mangrove restoration potential: Mapping tool.
Tool PEDRR
Courses on Nature-based Solutions for Disaster and Climate Resilience
Best Practice European Union
Oppla, EU Repository of NbS
Related to Actions 2.1.1 Institutionalize adaptive management and robust decision-making approaches and 2.3.3 Perform real options analysis under resource scarce conditions
Engage a comprehensive range of actors and stakeholders in setting goals to enhance the adoption of NbS
When establishing policies, governments should consult with a wide range of stakeholders including civil society, indigenous and vulnerable communities, the scientific community, NbS experts, designers, asset owners, financial and legal institutions and other technical practitioners for long-term success. Establishing safeguards for local communities and vulnerable groups in the ecosystem at this stage is a key component of planning and delivering NbS measures. These same safeguards will in turn guide the vulnerability assessments and project implementation and should be informed by an inclusive stakeholder consultation process. A comprehensive stakeholder mapping process ensures all relevant stakeholders are identified and engaged. Similarly, ecosystem safeguards can support other biodiversity, social and resilience co-benefits throughout the lifecycle of the project. Lessons from case studies and international examples should be looked at to avoid repetition and failure and build on best practices that are available.
Guidance IUCN
A Manual for Gender-Responsive Land Degradation Neutrality Transformative Projects and Programmes
Guidance IIED
Step 1 of Ecosystem-based adaptation: a handbook for EbA in mountain, dryland and coastal ecosystems
Guidance IUCN
Global Standard for Nature-based Solutions. A user-friendly framework for the verification, design and scaling up of NbS
Criterion 5
Related to Action 1.1.4 Engage stakeholders in needs identification and goal setting.
Develop multi-hazard criteria and holistic indicators to measure progress and performance
A critical component of the implementation of NbS is measuring its performance and effectiveness. At different stages of the project cycle, the criteria needed to be measured will be different, from quantifying the impacts of climate hazards and environmental, social and resilience, to assessing the cashflow the results from the implementation of an NbS measure, as well as how the measure is performing over its lifetime. Therefore, policies must be in place to mandate monitoring, evaluation and maintenance of NbS solutions from early stages to maximize the impacts and longevity of the NbS. This is further discussed in the Management phase.
Guidance FEBA
Making Ecosystem-based Adaptation Effective
Guidance European Commission
Chapter 4 of The solution is in nature
Guidance IUCN
Global Standard for Nature-based Solutions. A user-friendly framework for the verification, design and scaling up of NbS
Criterion 5
Guidance European Commission
Evaluating the impact of nature-based solutions
Chapters Three and Four.
Guidance CLEVER Cities
D4.3 Monitoring strategy in the FR interventions
Case Study
Nature-based solutions for coastal resilience, Jamaica
Many coastal countries and small island developing states are vulnerable to climate impacts. The Caribbean island of Jamaica is at risk from coastal hazards including storms, hurricanes and associated coastal flooding. The World Bank Forces of Nature study uses geospatial data on flood risk, mangroves and selected coastal infrastructure data to identify potential priority areas for mangrove restoration to build resilience to coastal flooding in Jamaica. This supports the Government of Jamaica’s National Development Plan Vision 2030 and their Resilience Agenda.
Components of the process included:
- Understanding of coastal hazards – this study reviewed historical and present climate risks to understand resilience needs geospatially.
- Assessment of current health, status of and risks to mangroves – this study analysed current and historical national extent in mangroves to identify existing mangrove cover and areas of mangroves which have been lost and which have potential for restoration.
- Flood risk assessment with and without mangroves – this study undertook a national-scale assessment of the coastal protection provided by mangroves in Jamaica. This included analysis of flood exposure and potential impacts (both economic damage and number of people affected), with and without mangroves.
- Identification of additional co-benefits – this study looked at ecosystem services delivered by mangroves to understand additional value that they could deliver. This included calculations of benefits to carbon sequestration, benefits to fisheries and to local community resilience.
- Quantifications of costs and benefits of different green versus grey options: the study reviewed cost data for different green and grey options to support option identification.
Read more here.
This example demonstrates how geospatial data risk data can be combined with datasets on natural and built assets to inform decision-making processes and government policies in the needs and identification phase of NbS projects.
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Case Study
Green Infrastructure policy in Denmark
National policy context
©BIG; Photo by Dragor Luft
In 2014, Danish Green Infrastructure policy was boosted with the launch of a new nature strategy in which “More and better interconnected nature” is one of three priority areas. The plan was unique since it was the first time Denmark proposed such a long-term holistic approach to environmental policy and management in this manner.
The government aligned to EU continental priorities (Action 5 of the EU Biodiversity Strategy) by Mapping and Assessing the state of Ecosystems and their Services’ (MAES). The Nature Agency produced a MAES by collaborating with academia, and identified a clear correlation between land use categories and biodiversity. The government also produced a Green Map of Denmark to provide both a strategic framework for nature policy and function as an actual map for planning purposes (i.e. a decision making tool). To support the municipalities’ development of the Green Map and improve land use planning, a new digital mapping service of biodiversity in Denmark (“biodiversitetskort”) was developed.
Regional policy context
The strategy Nature in Copenhagen (“Bynatur i København 2015-2025”) aims to ensure that the city develops into a “green and climate-friendly” city. It has two primary goals – to create more nature in Copenhagen and to improve the quality of the natural areas in Copenhagen. Green Infrastructure plays an integral part of the adaptation plan, in particular to combat adverse urban heat island effects and extreme temperatures. The requirement for green roofs are also integrated in the Municipality Plan 2015, mandating green roofs for all new buildings in new planned areas where buildings are suitable and made with a flat roof.
Another initiative is the ‘The Copenhagen Cloudburst Management Plan’, which is an example of a large-scale multistakeholder project. The large-scale initiative consists of the development of various projects, funded by different stakeholders. Around the city, surface solutions are implemented to manage stormwater including low lying parks and green parks designed to capture storm water. The city identified and ranked areas according to their overall threat using specific risk indicators, their potential to steer investment and influence property value, and the viability of implementation affecting adjacent developments. Municipalities also divided their regions into stormwater catchments, undertaking large-scale hydrological models to map vulnerable areas.
© Ramboll and Ramboll Studio Dreiseitl
Read more here.
This example demonstrates how EU policy influenced national and regional actions to integration NbS for adaptation. This example shows how stakeholder engagement, decision-making tools such as models and maps were used to design a holistic solution.
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Stage 2: Planning
During the Planning phase, project feasibility, preparation and financing need to be addressed. This requires establishing a clear scope and project boundary, attracting a wide pool of investors oftentimes including the private sector, engaging stakeholders and considering climate-risk into the wider project lifecycle and project outcomes. This section is relevant to investors, owners and planners of NbS. It provides recommended actions in the Planning phase for investors, owners and planners interested in incorporating NbS into project development. It also includes a curated list guidance documents and tools as well as linkages to related actions in the main guidance sections of Infrastructure Pathways.
Considerations and Actions
Recommended Tools
and Guidance
Link to
Pathway
Define a clear project scope and identify the business case for NbS
Making a business case requires defining the physical scope of the project, identifying who owns and maintains the NbS and then measuring how the benefits, costs and impacts of NbS are generated and perceived across the project (e.g., ridge to reef, watershed, urban area, etc.). This means mapping out the social, economic and environmental benefits, assessing costs such as training, development and capacity building, and quantifying impacts e.g. employment, rate of habitat restoration, downstream water quality, groundwater recharge rates etc. These costs will depend on who will be the ultimate owner of the NbS, which should be established at this phase. To evaluate the costs and benefits of NbS for infrastructure adaptation, one tool available is the Sustainable Asset Valuation Tool (SAVi) developed by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD).
Guidance UNDP
Smart, Sustainable and Resilient cities: the Power of Nature-based Solutions
White paper United Nations
Developing the economic case for ecosystem-based adaptation (EbA)
Guidance Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ)
Valuing the Benefits, Costs and Impacts of Ecosystem-based Adaptation Measures
Guidance EcoShape
Business Case Guidance of BwN in the Delta – Terminology and Concepts
Best Practice World Wildlife Fund
Bankable Nature Solutions
Guidance European Commission
Evaluating the impact of nature-based solutions
Chapters Three and Four.
Guidance CLEVER Cities
D5.3 Governance, business and finance models
Guidance Connecting Nature
Financing and Business Models Guidebook
Tool International Institute for Sustainable Development
Sustainable Asset Valuation (SAVi) tool
Guidance Global Resource Centre
Nature-based Infrastructure (NBI)
Related to Actions 3.1.1 Refine project objectives, scope and boundaries to achieve intended resilience value and wider systemic outcomes and 3.2.4 Plan for post-implementation evaluation.
Consider climate risk in the project lifecycle and to project outcomes
Although it is recommended that climate vulnerabilities and interdependences should be understood at the Needs Identification phase, they must be further detailed in the Planning Phase to understand their specific impacts across a project’s lifecycle. The impacts should consider both risks to the intervention (climate threats), as well as risks resulting from the intervention (impacts downstream, social impacts etc.)
Climate-related risks and the perception of those risks to a community, specific to a proposed project location should be understood before designing the project and engaging investors. For example, guiding questions that can be used to understand if the identified NbS measure enhances the resilience of a project and provides broader socioeconomic and environmental co-benefits are: does the NbS have a positive impact on livelihoods? Does the NbS increase adaptive capacity? Does the NbS contribute to biodiversity and ecosystem protection goals?
Guidance IIED
Ecosystem-based adaptation: a handbook for EbA in mountain, dryland and coastal ecosystems
Tool International Institute for Sustainable Development
ALivE – Adaptation, Livelihoods and Ecosystems Planning Tool
Guidance EcoShape
Building with Nature Approach – Building with Nature to restore eroding tropical muddy coasts
Guidance International Labour Organisation
Nature Hires: How Nature-based Solutions can power a green jobs recovery
Related to Actions 3.2.1 Undertake technical, legal and economic feasibility assessments considering climate uncertainty over the project’s lifecycle and the wider system to which it relates and 3.2.2 Develop and assess options to deliver the project goals while factoring in climate resilience objectives.
Attract a wide range of investors including the private sector
Businesses are starting to consider biodiversity and ecology in their practices in response to the loss of nature affecting their bottom lines. Therefore, engaging with the private sector to mobilise funds for NbS can accelerate its implementation. It is recommended that a wide range of investors are targeted to maximise investment opportunity, given that NbS can benefit a wide range of actors in society. Considering the long lifespan of NbS, financing should be considered throughout the lifetime of the project.
Guidance Federal Emergency Management Agency
Building Community Resilience with Nature-Based Solutions
Guidance UNDP
Catalysing Climate Finance: A Guidebook on Policy and Financing Options to Support Green, Low-Emission and Climate-Resilient Development —Version 1.0.
Guidance EcoShape
Paving the way for scaling up investment in nature-based solutions along coasts and rivers – How to finance and accelerate implementation of nature-based solutions
Guidance World Bank
Mobilising Private Finance for Nature
Resource Mónica A. Altamirano
Leveraging Private Sector Investments in Adaptation
Relates to Action 4.2.2 Scale up and diversify investment actors.
Consider innovative and blended finance models
Innovative incentive-based programs can create unique ways to fund and build nature-based projects. These include PPPs, rebates, grants, credit trading programmes, tax discounts and carbon credits. Blended models of financing schemes inherently build in resilience to projects, by allowing the project to continue to receive funding if one investor backs out.
Guidance Earthsecurity
Financing the Earth’s Assets: The Case for Mangroves
Guidance Federal Emergency Management Agency
Building Community Resilience with Nature-Based Solutions
Guidance Global Centre on Adaptation
Innovative Financing Models for Private Sector Investment in Nature Based Solutions for Adaptation
Guidance Elena Gunn
Nature-Based Solutions and Water Security, 1st Edition
Resource Think Nature
Nature-based Solutions Handbook
Chapter Six.
Relates to Action 4.2.2 Scale up and diversify investment actors.
Case Study
Private sector and NGO partnership for mangrove restoration in Senegal
In 2009, NGO Océanium and the food company Danone worked together to replant 79 million mangroves trees (10,000 hectares) in the Casamance and Sine Saloum region of Senegal. Since the 1970s, a quarter of the toral area of mangroves had been disappearing due to drought and deforestation of mangroves for timber. The Livelihoods Fund provided initial investment of USD 4 million for project preparation, replanting and scientific validation. The fund will also finance project monitoring and evaluation until 2029.
More than 200,000 people from 450 villages contributed to tree planting, and the project is expected to sequester around 600,000 tons of CO2. Danone and other companies investing through The Livelihoods Fund can use this project to reduce their global carbon footprint while having a local impact.
Verra, the carbon certification body, has certified that the project has already sequestered more than 160,000 tonnes of CO2 out of the 600,000 tonnes expected over its 20-year Lifespan.
This project was validated by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Board. The PPD (Project Detailed Document) made by Carbon Decisions in December 2010 was audited by Ernst & Young as the DOE in May 2011. The approval of the Senegalese authorities (LoA) was obtained in March 2011.
Read more here.
This example demonstrates how the private sector were involved in the financing of NbS which provided societal and environmental project co-benefits.
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Stage 3: Delivery
The delivery stage of physical NbS interventions comprises design, procurement and construction. The design stage is critical in determining which NbS is most appropriate and how to construct it. This requires technical design and construction standards that address NbS as well as capacity building of designers and contractors on NbS. This section provides recommended actions in the Delivery phase for designers and contractors working to deliver projects that incorporate NbS. It also includes a curated list guidance documents and tools as well as linkages to related actions in the main guidance sections of Infrastructure Pathways.
Considerations and Actions
Recommended Tools
and Guidance
Link to
Pathway
Use an evidence- and risk-based approach to the design of NbS which considers climate risks and future uncertainty
With respect to coastal and drainage infrastructure, designing for future uncertainty means accounting for future sea level rise and future rainfall intensities respectively. In some cases, this is a shift, as some nations use historic weather data to design for the future. Potential hazards should be identified during the design process, and its associated risk quantified. Using an evidence – based approach in design will positively impact the O&M phase, where the performance of the NbS can be assessed against design criteria, and therefore lessons can be learned on how to improve NbS
Guidance Asian Development Bank
Nature Based Solutions for Building Resilience in Towns and Cities
Guidance Acclimatise
Increasing Infrastructure Resilience with Nature-based Solutions
Guidance European Commission
Evaluating the impact of nature-based solutions
Chapters Three and Four.
Relates to Actions 5.1.4 Conduct detailed risk assessments and modelling for sensitive and/or critical assets, 5.3.1 Design redundancy into infrastructure systems and 6.3.1 Select procurement processes that support climate resilience.
Seek technical standards for design and construction that support NbS for climate adaptation and mitigation.
Architects, landscape architects, engineers, decision-makers, communities and other relevant stakeholders need tools to design and implement NbS. This includes construction guidelines and codes applicable to all parts of the world. Where a gap is identified, the engineering and construction industry should come together to lobby for technical standards to fill the gap. Technical approaches should be standardised across projects to ensure a uniform approach. Similarly, academia has extensive knowledge on research and developing pilot projects which can contribute to incorporation of best practices while developing such standards.
Guidance CIRIA
The SuDS Manual (C753) Design Guide
Guidance CIRIA
Guidance on the construction of SuDS (C768)
Guidance BSI
BS EN ISO 14091:2021 Adaptation to climate change. Guidelines on vulnerability, impacts and risk assessment
(Paywalled)
Guidance City Adapt
Guía Técnica Para La Restauración Riparia
Technical Guide en español
Guidance Nature4Cities
Implementation Handbook
Best Practice Urban Green UP
Urban Green UP Catalogue of NbS
Relates to Actions 5.1.1 Seek construction codes and design requirement that consider climate change and 7.1.1 Leverage the influence of the construction industry to promote use of materials, technologies and systems that enhance climate resilience.
Utilise rating and/or accreditation schemes
At this stage, accreditation schemes can be considered (such as LEED, BREEAM, SuRE ®, Envision, etc.) that promote the incorporation of natural solutions to enhance the resilience of infrastructure. For NbS, scoring tools such as SITES®, the Green Points System (Malmo, Sweden), The Biodiversity Metric (England) or the Seattle Green Factor can be used to maximise the impact of the NbS.
Tool The Sustainable Initiative
SITES Rating System
Tool European Union European Regional Development Fund (ERDF)
The green space factor and the green points system
Tool Convention on Biological Diversity’s
The Singapore Index on Cities’ Biodiversity
Guidance City of Seattle
Seattle Green Factor
Tool Global Infrastructure Basel
The Standard for Sustainable and Resilient Infrastructure
Tool City of Toronto
Toronto Green Standard V3
Tool Infrastructure Sustainability Council
Infrastructure Sustainability (Australia & New Zealand)
Guidance Natural England
The Biodiversity Metric 3.0
Tool EnviroCert International
International Green Infrastructure Certification Program (IGICP)
Relates to Action 6.5.2 Engage with stakeholders to understand the market and build the capacity of consultants and contractors.
Implement capacity building of practitioners, procurement agencies, contractors and local communities
Capacity building is essential, as expertise on NbS is required to minimise unintended consequences and maximise long-term benefits. With respect to the supply chain at the procurement stage, it is important to hire contractors and workers who have some familiarity with NbS and climate-resilient construction. If NbS are not well understood by procurement agencies, bottlenecks can occur in the lifecycle, so they need guidance on performance indicators of NbS that they can include in tender documents as well as tools for evaluating outcomes. Where there are gaps in knowledge, local capacity building and training which should be heavily encouraged, especially in developing nations.
Guidance World Federation of Engineering Organizations
Guidebook for Capacity Building in the Engineering Environment
Guidance Blue Solutions
Blue Nature-based Solutions in Nationally Determined Contributions – A Booklet for Successful Implementation
Resource ASCE
Sustainability Resources
Guidance TU Delft
Engineering: Building with Nature
Guidance European Commission
Public procurement of nature-based solutions
Guidance Connecting Nature
Connecting Nature Enterprise Platform
Case Study
Floodplain Restoration, Mekong Delta, Vietnam
Context
Eroded floodplains were restored using T – Shaped permeable bamboo fences filled with soft brushwood bundles to enhance protection Soc Trang, Bac Lieu, and Ca Mau Provinces, located in the Lower Mekong Delta. Flooding is affecting the livelihoods of thousands, often poor farmers and fishers. Existing mangroves, which protect the coast, are degraded and waves are eroding the floodplains which will lead to dyke overtopping and eventually destruction of the existing dyke. Solutions such as strengthening the dyke with sandbags or gabions are only temporary measures which don’t address the root cause.
Design and construction
During the design phase of the NbS, hydro and sediment dynamics were numerically modelled, using available field data. This included wave height, shore bathymetry, tidal regime and sediment composition, which influenced the design and best placement of breakwaters.
Bamboo was used as a primary material during the construction phase which underwent field testing. Experience was leveraged from bamboo use in Thailand, and local people were engaged in the planned activity to continue the knowledge transfer. Local people were also engaged in the construction of the T- shaped breakwaters to ensure acceptance and ownership.
Maintenance
A monitoring system was put in place to measure sediment accretion and monitor the condition of the breakwaters. This required planning and installation of benchmark poles for recording vertical accretion, GPS equipment for long term surveillance and capacity building for routine visual inspections.
© Cong, Ly, GE Wind
Read more here.
This example demonstrates the use of evidence- and risk-based approaches to the design of NbS, and how the involvement of local communities and capacity building influenced the outcome.
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Stage 4: Management
After construction, the NbS asset relies on multi-hazard and climate risk modelling to develop effective maintenance strategies that are informed by proactive monitoring (e.g., early warning systems, remote sensing etc.). This section provides recommended actions for owners and operators on how to manage NbS during operation. It also includes a curated list guidance documents and tools as well as linkages to related actions in the main guidance sections of Infrastructure Pathways.
Considerations and Actions
Recommended Tools
and Guidance
Link to
Pathway
After establishing clear responsibilities for those operating, maintaining or adopting NbS, increase the adaptive capacity of the organisation
The ownership and adoption of NbS can be complex. They can range from utility companies, to private owners, to indigenous communities. For a successful adoption of NbS there must be clear responsibilities and a plan to improve organisations’ ability to implement climate-resilient practices. Asset owners should also be clear on their scope of responsibility and O&M requirements prior to design and construction.
For example, in the UK, new guidance for foul and surface water sewers became effective in 2020, which specified which Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS) would need to be adopted by sewage companies. This change was to encourage the maintenance of SuDS which were previously often neglected after construction. However, there was some push back from some sewage companies as they were expected to legally class SuDS (such as swales and wetlands) as sewers which left questions over sewer connection protocols and landscape maintenance. The adaptive capacity and a transition period for capacity building should have been allowed for.
Best Practice United States Environmental Protection Agency
Operation and Maintenance Considerations for Green Infrastructure
Guidance Acclimatise
Increasing Infrastructure Resilience with Nature-based Solutions
Guidance ISO
ISO 37101:2016 Sustainable development in communities: Management system for sustainable development
Requirements with guidance for use (Chapter 6)
Relates to Actions:
Adapt monitoring and evaluation (M&E) strategy based on periodic data collection of NbS
Monitoring and evaluation (M&E) of NbS is critical to its success, as well as identifying any unintended negative social and/or environmental consequences. Although M&E strategies should be considered and established early on, the way collected data is used to inform decision making is vital at the Management phase. This way, the M&E strategy can be adapted based on incoming data. For example, real-time data collection sensors may have been installed to monitor debris and sediment build up in a watercourse. This data should inform when operators should intervene and clear the debris, and this strategy should be adapted as more data is received.
NbS are unique in that their success is almost entirely dependent on the landscape and natural conditions in its environment, e.g. soil porosity for sustainable drainage, river flow rates and levels for natural river banks, tidal range for mangroves etc. It is therefore highly important that NbS are evaluated after implementation so that lessons can be learned, and planning, design and construction can be improved for future generations.
Moreover, there is a need to quantify the costs and benefits of NbS to enhance its business case. This includes understanding how a NbS affected the cashflow of asset operators, what are the avoided losses it generated by enhancing the resilience of infrastructure, what are the services it generated for communities, as well as measuring other adaptation and resilience co-benefits.
Guidance IUCN
Global Standard for Nature-based Solutions. A user-friendly framework for the verification, design and scaling up of NbS
Criterion 5
Guidance UK Green Building Council
Principles for delivering urban Nature-based Solutions.
Principle 53.
Resource Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ)
Guidebook for Monitoring and Evaluating Ecosystem-based Adaptation Interventions.
Guidance Urban Nature Labs
Performance and Impact Monitoring of Nature-Based Solutions
Tool International Institute for Sustainable Development
ALivE – Adaptation, Livelihoods and Ecosystems Planning Tool
Best Practice World Wildlife Fund
Bankable Nature Solutions
Guidance Acclimatise
Increasing Infrastructure Resilience with Nature-based Solutions
Guidance European Commission
Evaluating the impact of nature-based solutions
Chapters Three and Four.
Guidance Connecting Nature
Impact Assessment Guidebook
Relates to Actions
8.1.1 Utilise data and multi-hazard modelling to assess climate hazards
Plan for climate-related failure and consider the reuse of materials
The principles of NbS simulate natural systems and therefore decommissioning is not always needed or intended. This is the case for coastal mangroves and reforested areas.
However, some NbS do have some engineered elements to them, e.g. constructed wetlands and green roofs which can include engineered gravel, pipes, permeable membranes and mechanical aerators. These elements should be selected during earlier phases such that they can be reused or recycled to maximise the principles of a circular economy, and to minimise the disposal of material. Even after the infrastructure asset’s design life, it is essential that there are adequate resources, through engagement by the community, to ensure the continuity of benefits and co-benefits provided by the NbS. This should be accounted for in an end-of-life strategy (if appropriate) which would reduce the risk of forced premature abandonment of the NbS due to climate shocks.
Guidance Global Infrastructure Hub
The Role of Infrastructure in the Circular Economy
Best Practice UNEP
Infrastructure for Climate Action
Case Study
Using digital solutions to monitor NbS in Thailand
The monitoring and evaluation component of the project encompasses a variety of data collection methods, including the use of drones and remote sensing to gather quantitative data on vegetation health, soil moisture mapping, river morphology and land use change. The project will also undertake household surveys and gather data from government agencies on water levels and biodiversity, as well as field data, to monitor NbS performance.
Given that engagement of local communities is a critical factor in the long-term success of NbS projects, this study supports institutional, technical and local capacity building, and includes a multi-stakeholder approach, whereby monitoring, evaluation and management will be undertaken in collaboration with communities and river basin committees within the river basins. The study will also engage students from Thai universities and local water sector agencies in the implementation of monitoring and evaluation activities to enable development of practical experience and skills.
Read more here and here (p.55).
This case study shows how NbS projects can implement different tools and techniques for monitoring and evaluating impacts and performance, including how projects can engage local communities and support local skills development.
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Case Study
Hamilton Airfield Wetland restoration, Novato, California, USA
The Hamilton Army Airfield was closed in 1994 under the Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) Act, and in 1999 Congress authorized the Hamilton Wetland Restoration Project. In 1999, the California State Coastal Conservancy entered into a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with the Army BRAC program (as the Airfield property owner) providing for the transfer of the Airfield parcel as a no-cost public benefit transfer for wildlife conservation.
Draining the land in the past had caused it to subside and so dredged mud had to be brought in to raise the land to its natural height. The project completed the first phase of restoration when the airfield’s bayside levee was breached in April of 2014. Tens of thousands of native plants were planted and time will continue to shape the land as they become established, eventually creating a dense tidal marsh that will provide habitat for rails and other marsh birds while protecting against flooding and sea level rise.
Currently, the project is in the 13 year monitoring and adaptive management phase with the following accomplishments according to the US Army Corps of Engineers;
- Continued monitoring and adaptive management of the site to ensure project performance criteria is met, as required in the project permits and the Monitoring and Adaptive Management Plan (MAMP).
- The tidal marsh shows nearly full tidal range, as sediment elevation rise, channels are beginning to form and is on track to meet project performance criteria set in the MAMP.
- Results of the bird and fish use at the site continues to be encouraging, with native populations dominating the landscape.
- Public support and volunteers at the Hamilton Wetlands is a huge factor in meeting project performance criteria. Working to increase volunteer base to assist in recovery of lost native vegetation and increased invasive species control.
A monitoring and adaptive management plan was prepared in 2013 which proposed an Adaptive Management Working Group (AMWG) and outlines their responsibilities, monitoring criteria and decision making process in the event that interventions are needed. To close out the monitoring period (monitoring is assumed to continue for fifteen years following construction), the project would be determined a success if the performance criteria have been met to the satisfaction of the AMWG in consultation with the Executive Committee and others as appropriate.
Read more here.
This case study is an example of adaptive monitoring, and how establishing performance criteria can influence the Management Phase. It was also clear from the outset who is responsible for the land and the duration of responsibility.
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Summary
This Use Case provides recommended actions for practitioners involved in Nature-based Solutions across the infrastructure lifecycle.
The recommendations provided are in line with the foundational guidance covered in the main lifecycle phases of Infrastructure Pathways. They aim to equip those involved in the development of climate-resilient infrastructure with guidance and tools to use NbS to embed and enhance resilience in practice.
Acknowledgements
References
1. What are nature-based solutions? University of Oxford https://www.naturebasedsolutionsinitiative.org/what-are-nature-based-solutions/
2. Cohen-Shacham, E., Walters, G., Janzen, C. and Maginnis, S. (eds.) (2016). Nature-based Solutions to address global societal challenges. Gland, Switzerland: IUCN. xiii+97pp. https://doi.org/10.2305/IUCN%2ECH.2016%2E13.en
3. Tzoulas, K., Galan, J., Venn, S., Dennis, M., Pedroli, B., Mishra, H., .%2E. & James, P. (2020). A conceptual model of the social–ecological system of NbS in urban environments. Ambio, 1-11. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs13280-020-01380-2
4. IUCN, 2020. Global Standard for Nature-based Solutions: first edition. Gland Switzerland: IUCN
5. GCA, 2021. Climate-Resilient Infrastructure Officer Handbook – Knowledge Module on Public-Private Partnerships for Climate-Resilient Infrastructure. Global Center on Adaptation, 2021, Available at https://gca.org/reports/climate-resilient-infrastructure-officer-handbook
6. European Commission. 2020. “NbS - State of the Art in EU-funded Projects”. https://ec.europa.eu/info/files/nature-based-solutions-state-art-eu-funded-projects_en
7. Global Commission on Adaptation, 2019. “Adapt Now: A Global Call for Leadership on Climate Resilience.” Rotterdam and Washington, DC: Global Commission on Adaptation
8. WMap output of modelling showing wave height, direction and no. waves ©Albers, T.,Schmitt, K. 2015
9. Source: https://www.thai-german-cooperation.info/en_US/thai-german-climate-programme-water/