Several types of nature-based solutions (NbS) for land and water management have been implemented. They are multi-beneficial, not only to prevent and mitigate climate-related risks, providing more resilient cities, but also to improve human well-being and further pave the way towards a more resource efficient, competitive and greener economy. However, adequate proof-of-concept for economic, social and environmental benefits provided by NbS is needed to promote their inclusion in planning and decision-making processes.
This session aims to promote exchange of knowledge regarding NbS and to discuss their relevance for sustainable development, through evidence-based and scalable case studies. The session seeks to:
• Better understand advantages and disadvantages of NbS, based on field applications;
• Provide new insights and perspectives of NbS at catchment level, particularly their role on water, sediment, nutrient and pollutant fluxes;
• Introduce new methods and tools to investigate the role of NbS in the context of climate change, namely its effectiveness for mitigation and/or adaptation to it;
• Identify opportunities and barriers driven by current regulatory frameworks and management practices, and how the former can be reaped and the latter overcome, for successful implementation of NbS;
• Present an overview of case studies and examples of NbS projects that could involve the private sector and market-based mechanisms;
• Discuss the interactions between NbS and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).