ITS2.14/HS12.2

Nature-based solutions (NBS) can be used in improving and protecting ecosystem services (ES), in order to address urban challenges. However, current urban planning approaches have not efficiently integrated NBS into planning to better manage urban land use. This paper examines the interactions between human and natural systems resulting in urban ES and land use and cover change (LUCC) and presents a social-ecological model for LUCC and ES that can help introduce NBS in urban planning. In the model, spatial variations in ES are treated as both drivers and consequences of human decision-making in commercial and residential location choices that drive LUCC. Stockholm County, Sweden, is used as a case study, with a social-ecological LUCC model on 30x30m grid. The results show that ES accessibility drives urban residential and commercial development, with the presence of non-linearity. Areas around existing urban centers show high ES accessibility and high development probabilities, while smaller population centers in large areas enjoy high ES accessibility and low urban development probabilities. Based on the model results, we propose place-specific NBS strategies to deal with the heterogeneous spatial relationship between ES and urban development probabilities.

How to cite: Pan, H., Page, J., Kalantari, Z., and Barthel, S.: Promoting strategic Nature-based Solutions (NBS) by understanding ecosystem services as a driving factor for urban growth, EGU General Assembly 2021, online, 19–30 Apr 2021, EGU21-1563, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu21-1563, 2021.

Urban green spaces (UGS) are considered by the United Nations a fundamental component to achieve some of the United Nations sustainable development goals (SDGs), namely good health and wellbeing (Goal 3) and sustainable cities and communities (Goal 11). Urban parks, a type of UGS, provide a large and diverse number of regulating, provisioning, and cultural Ecosystem Services (ES), particularly relevant to face emerging challenges driven by increasing population and climate change. Furthermore, the cultural ecosystem services (CES) provided by urban parks can have a positive impact on human health and wellbeing. This study aims to identify the most relevant environmental and socio-demographic factors influencing the use of different urban parks in the city of Coimbra, Portugal. Five parks with different biophysical characteristics (e.g. park size, location within the city, tree coverage, available sport and social facilities) were selected for the study. Data were collected through personal interviews which took place in August 2020, performed on working days and weekend days. The activity performed by respondents was recorded, as well as its relevance for the user (in a 5-point Likert scale) and the associated perceived value of its benefits, regarding physical and emotional wellbeing and social interactions. Several motivation options were assessed, as well as the user perception of a set of possible disservices. Socio-demographic data were collected, including age, gender, education level, average monthly income, visitation frequency, mean of transportation to the park, and distance traveled to reach the park. Activities performed by respondents were aggregated into three groups of cultural ecosystem services: Physical interactions, Aesthetical and experiential interactions, and Social interactions. The results showed that physical interactions (e.g. walking, running, biking) dominate CES use identified in all the parks. A factor analysis was performed to investigate the association between the different variables. Perceived physical and emotional wellbeing benefits were always associated with the relevance of the activity attributed by the users, which is common to all the parks. Differences between parks emerge regarding both socio-demographic and motivation variables. Tranquility of space and landscape beauty form detached groups of variables in three of the five parks, with two of them with similar size and including the presence of a water element. Age group, average monthly income, and frequency of visits tend to be associated in three of the parks. Such is also the case of transport type and distance to park, which form clear groups in two of the parks. As for perceived disservices, no relevant limitations were considered by the users, with plagues (e.g. mosquitoes) and dangerous animals being the only ones registering average concerns (the latter associated with dogs without a leash). Findings can help UGS managers to better understand users’ needs and expectations, with potentially positive implications for UGS design and management.

How to cite: Valença Pinto, L., Ferreira, C. S., and Pereira, P.: Environmental and socio-economic factors influencing the use of urban parks in Coimbra (Portugal), EGU General Assembly 2021, online, 19–30 Apr 2021, EGU21-1042, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu21-1042, 2021.

Rural areas of the Mediterranean watersheds face great environmental challenges, where climate change impacts the water cycle, the soil, and biodiversity, which are often priority issues for adaptation. These, have been aggravated by historical land management practices trends. In this context, we propose Nature Based Solutions (NBS) in the form of Sustainable Land Management (SLM) actions at the watershed scale to achieve climate change adaptation and mitigation while promoting other ecosystem services.

SLM actions are local adaptation practices that promote sustainable rural development. Thus, we seek the combination of several actions to achieve regional (watershed scale) more integrated approaches. With this study, we aim at proving that NBS, and thus SLM, is a successful tool for alleviating climate change impacts (i.e. water scarcity, enhanced erosion, biodiversity decline) while promoting the role of land in mitigation and enhancing biodiversity in the rural Mediterranean areas.

For this, we propose a novel conceptualization of SLM actions that moves from their local application and evaluation to the regional more systemic approaches through their combination. Results show synergies in the atmosphere, biosphere, and hydrosphere, allow for the upscaling of SLM through systemic approaches and point at direct contributions to several Sustainable Development Goals.

How to cite: Ruiz, I., Pompeu, J., and Sanz, M. J.: Nature-Based Solutions to face climate change adaptation and mitigation in Mediterranean watersheds, EGU General Assembly 2021, online, 19–30 Apr 2021, EGU21-2035, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu21-2035, 2021.

Research indicates that spatial differentiation of crop yields and soil properties are largely influenced by agricultural practices and the nature of the soil itself. The aim of this study was to examine the spatial relationship between cereal (wheat and oats ) yields and soil properties related to the application of soil-improving cropping systems (SICS). Four-year experiment (2017-2020) was carried out on low productive sandy soil with application of following SICS: S1 – control; S2 – liming; S3 – green manure/cover crops including lupine, phacelia, serradella; S4 – manure and S5 – manure, liming and cover crops together. Effect of the SICS was evaluated using classical statistics, Bland-Altman analysis and geostatistical methods. Mathematical functions, fitted to the experimental cross- and semivariograms were used for mapping the yields (grain and straw) by ordinary cokriging. The grain yields in years with normal rainfall increased by 2% for S2, 10% for S3, 46% for S4, 47% for S5 compared to control (S1) 2789 kg/ha and in dry years were lower (respectively for S2-S5 by 16.3, 10.6, 2.8, 9.9% compared to control 1567 kg/ha. The range of spatial dependence for the yields in direct semi-variograms varied was 50–100 m and > 100 m in cross-semivariograms using textural fractions as secondary variables. The spatial relationships were stronger between yield and soil texture and properties were much stronger with texture and cation exchange capacity than with pH and organic carbon content. Using cokriging for interpolation (mapping) allowed the delineation of zones of lower and higher cereal yields including areas of the SICS application. Higher cereal yield and lower spatial variability in the areas of SICS compared to control soil were observed in the years with normal rainfall. Analysis of the Bland-Altman including limits of agreement enabled to quantify the effect of particular SICS on cereal yield vs. control reference. Different effect of particular SICS on the cereal yield was observed in the years with scarce and good rainfall amount and distribution during growing season. The greatest variation of the cereal yield was observed in manure amended soil (S4) and it was lower and similar in the areas of remaining SICS (S2-S5). The results will help to to select most effective SICS for localized improving crop productivity and adaptation to global warming.

Acknowledgements.The study was funded by HORIZON 2020, European Commission, Programme H2020-SFS-2015-2: SoilCare for profitable and sustainable crop production in Europe, project No. 677407 (SoilCare, 2016-2021).

How to cite: Lipiec, J. and Usowicz, B.: Spatial distribution of cereal yields related to the application of soil-improving cropping systems (SICS), EGU General Assembly 2021, online, 19–30 Apr 2021, EGU21-2109, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu21-2109, 2021.

Coastal flooding has been historically mitigated through engineered artificial (grey) infrastructures such as breakwaters, dikes, and sea walls. However, these structures have a pervasive long-term impact on coastal ecosystems (e.g. sediment transport disruption), and require constant maintenance, and have little resilience to climate change (e.g. hurricanes, sea-level rise) related events.  Grey infrastructures failed to mitigate the effects of coastal floods, and the damages were significantly less in areas where healthy coastal ecosystems were present. This highlighted the role and contribution of coastal habitats to mitigate coastal floods and adapt to new conditions. The inefficiency of grey infrastructure to mitigate the impact of extreme events and following ecosystem-based management led to the development of the Nature-Based Solutions (NBS) concept. In the context of coastal flooding mitigation, to reduce the effects of storm surges, wave action, and erosion, NSB can be designed using (1) natural solutions (e.g., the creation of marine protected areas), (2) soft engineering and ecological restoration practices (e.g., mangrove plantation), and (3) hybrid solutions, which integrates natural and grey infrastructures (e.g. artificial reefs). NBS integrate multiple international environmental agendas, for their capacity to provide multiple co-benefits (e.g. recreation, fisheries). NBS are also key for supporting other agendas and global objectives: the Sustainable Development Goals (e.g. SDG14), Green/Blue economy, coastal resilient and climate-adapted coastal communities, biodiversity targets of the Convention for Biological Diversity and Circular Economy.

“Lithuanian National Ecosystem Services Assessment and Mapping (LINESAM)” No. 09.3.3-LMT-K-712-01-0104 is funded by the European Social Fund according to the activity “Improvement of researchers’ qualification by implementing world-class R&D projects” of Measure No. 09.3.3-LMT-K-712.

How to cite: Inácio, M., Karnauskaitė, D., Mikša, K., Kalinauskas, M., Gomes, E., and Pereira, P.: The socio-ecologic aspects of nature-based solutions for coastal flooding mitigation, EGU General Assembly 2021, online, 19–30 Apr 2021, EGU21-3124, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu21-3124, 2021.

Landslides claim many lives and cause high financial losses in mountainous regions around the world every year. Especially in high mountain regions, the landslide risk is likely to increase further in the coming years due to the thawing of permafrost soils and the associated activation of slope dynamics. However, a higher landslide risk is also expected regionally in tropical and subtropical mountainous regions, namely where an increase in extreme weather events is projected and at the same time, there is a higher socio-ecological vulnerability and exposure due to population growth, land use pressure and other factors.

To mitigate the risk to people and their assets, various hard and soft infrastructure measures are available. Especially in the European Alps, the concept of protection forests (German: Schutzwälder) in combination with hard infrastructure has been used for years as an ecosystem-based or hybrid measure. Based on a systematic global literature review (275 papers), we investigated which Nature-based Solutions (NbS) to mitigate the risk of shallow landslides are in place worldwide, in which countries and regions they were implemented, and which approaches under the NbS umbrella concept were applied (e.g. Green Infrastructure, Ecological Engineering, Eco-DRR, etc.). 

As a result of this comprehensive analysis, we present a portfolio of measures to mitigate the risk of shallow landslides that are being applied in various (eco)regions and cultural contexts around the world and discuss the success of these measures as well as potential risks, uncertainties, and failures. We also emphasize the need for further research particularly on the effectiveness of ecosystem-based landslide risk reduction in different mountain ecosystems, as well as the cost-effectiveness of NbS compared to hard infrastructure. We conclude that despite a successful implementation in the Alps and few other mountain regions, the protection forest concept has hardly been applied so far, especially in the Global South. In addition, we emphasize the particular challenge of establishing protection forests due to the rapid climatic and ecological changes and related geomorphological process dynamics in mountain regions in the course of global climate change.

How to cite: Nehren, U. and Arce Mojica, T.: Nature-based solutions to mitigate the risk of shallow landslides: a global analysis, EGU General Assembly 2021, online, 19–30 Apr 2021, EGU21-5586, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu21-5586, 2021.

Human activities have changed ecosystems and today ≈ 60% of the world’s ecosystems are already degraded. These changes have caused growing environmental costs, including biodiversity loss and land degradation, which in turn has resulted in many economic, social and cultural losses. Protected areas (PAs) are the key tool in biodiversity conservation, moreover they may help to maintain water supplies and food security, strengthen climate resilience and improve human health and well-being. International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) defined PA as „a clearly defined geographical space, recognized, dedicated, and managed, through legal or other effective means, to achieve the long-term conservation of nature with associated ecosystem services (ES) and cultural values”. Such areas represent Earth systems in which influence of human interactions with preserved ecosystems are readily evident. The coverage of PA is a widely used indicator of sustainable development, because the loss of biodiversity is recognized as one of the most serious global environmental threats. The “Big Five” threats to global biodiversity are fragmentation, habitat loss, overexploitation of natural resources, pollution, and the spread of invasive alien species. New interventions for governing nature are captured by the umbrella of nature-based solutions (NBS) in the European Union (EU) policy context. NBS can offer accessible, sustainable, and feasible benefits via a range of areas affecting public health and social well-being. According to IUCN NBS are defined as “actions to protect, sustainably manage, and restore natural or modified ecosystems, that address societal challenges effectively and adaptively, simultaneously providing human well-being and biodiversity benefits”. NBS address these societal challenges over the delivery of ES. The main objective of this study is to use the effect of NBS to enhance the sustainability of management of the PAs that would have environmental, social and economic benefits. The methodology includes determination of heavy metals in soils and needles of Picea alba, and quantification and qualification of PAs benefits based on Protected Areas Benefits Assessment Tool + (PA-BAT+) in six sites: Zlatibor, Golija, Tara, Đerdap, Stara planina, and Fruška gora. Zlatibor, Golija, and Stara planina are protected as a Nature Park – protected areas of international, national, i.e., exceptional importance Category I (first) in accordance with the Law on Nature Protection ("Off. Gazette of RS", No. 36/2009, 88/2010 , 91/2010 and 14/2016). By the decision of the UNESCO commission within the MAB program in 2001, Golija was declared as Biosphere Reserve ”Golija - Studenica”. Tara, Đerdap, and Fruška gora are protected as National Parks – protected area of international, national, i.e., exceptional importance Category I (first) in accordance with the Law on National Parks ("Off. Gazette of RS", No. 39/1993, 44/1993-correction, 53/1993, 67/1993, 48/1994, 101/2005 and 36/2009). According to categorization of the IUCN Zlatibor, Golija, and Stara planina are classified in Category V, while Tara, Đerdap, and Fruška gora are classified in Category II. Based on heavy metals content in soils and needles, different interventions in managed ecosystems are proposed.

How to cite: Štrbac, S., Kašanin-Grubin, M., Veselinović, G., Gajica, G., Stojadinović, S., Šajnović, A., and Dimović, D.: Implementation and upscaling of nature-based solution in protected areas and pathways to providing human well-being and biodiversity benefits, EGU General Assembly 2021, online, 19–30 Apr 2021, EGU21-6487, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu21-6487, 2021.

Nature-Based Solutions (NBS) appear as some relevant alternatives to mitigate the consequences of climate change. For this reason, they are promoted for the implementation of the national plan for adaptation to climate change (PNACC) in France, in line with the Paris Agreement, the strategy of the European Union for adaptation to climate change and the French national strategy for biodiversity.

Nevertheless, this ambitious goal of democratizing NBS poses some institutional and technical challenges because many obstacles remain to their implementation. Overcoming these shortcomings is the objective of the LIFE integrated project called ARTISAN (Achieving Resiliency by Triggering Implementation of nature-based Solutions for climate Adaptation at a National scale). Coordinated by the French Biodiversity Office (OFB), its consortium regroups several local authorities, technical, research and education institutes.

For this purpose, ARTISAN is creating a framework promoting the implementation of NBS by improving scientific and technical knowledge about them, then by developing and disseminating relevant tools for project leaders (for the design, sizing, implementation and evaluation of ecosystem performance).

To demonstrate that NBS can respond to a diversity of climatic, ecological and institutional contexts, 10 pilot sites will be monitored in metropolitan and overseas France. The concerned issues are for example the reduction of urban heat island by the de-waterproofing of the public space, the limitation of the impact of cyclonic episodes on the urbanized coastline overseas by promoting the restoration of the mangrove, and the decrease of agricultural water stress during the low flow period by the hydromorphological restoration of wetlands. These pilot sites will serve to develop, improve and validate operational tools, methods and trainings devoted to practitioners.

How to cite: Versini, P.-A., Schertzer, D., and Loury, M.: Promote Nature-Based Solutions to adapt the environment to climate change – The LIFE ARTISAN project, EGU General Assembly 2021, online, 19–30 Apr 2021, EGU21-7103, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu21-7103, 2021.

The challenges imposed by climate change and urbanization require a paradigm yet holistic shift that considers the trade-off between ecosystemic conservation, social needs and economic growth. By concomitantly providing socioeconomic and environmental benefits, Nature Based Solutions (NBS) according to the European Commission (EC) present viable, resource-efficient and adaptable tools for ensuring the above-mentioned transition. Accordingly, NBS are high on European and French priority agendas, and are believed to be the way forward. The abundant scientific literature on NBS solidifies their potential through the various advantages they present. Evidently, NBS are win-win resolutions to environmental challenges (climate change, natural risks, food and water security), they support greener economies, conserve biodiversity, promote sustainability, support adaptive capacities, and reduce natural/socioeconomic sensitivities. In spite of their potential, NBS are faced by many obstacles. Conceptual obstacles include contested definitions of NBS, reduced reporting on uncertainties, and overlaps with sister notions that make the NBS concept somewhat vague. Systemic challenges include governance barriers, public willingness to adopt NBS and stakeholder participation (acceptance, perspectives and engagement). Implementation challenges encompass limited funds or budgets, difficulties of upscaling what works and maintaining-monitoring progress. Accounting for the above-mentioned elements, this study will use France as a micro scale and the European continent as a macro scale, to provide a local and regional inventory of NBS’ potential and limits. First, an in-depth bibliographic analysis and text mining techniques are carried out for providing detailed science-based evidence on the performance of NBS. For the national scale, peer-reviewed literature from the Scopus database and official UN bodies or international organizations reports are used. For the European scale, deliverables of several Horizon 2020 projects serve the purpose. Subsequently, an analysis of stakeholder profiles, categories, and participation for mapping NBS actors in both contexts will follow. By combining theoretical investigations and stakeholder analysis, a holistic representation of the NBS framework is ensured. The logic behind this approach is to draw up scientific and technical evidence on NBS to mainstream their integration into development projects. Accordingly, the objective of this research work falls under one of the several actions of the Life ARTISAN project, action A1: reporting on obstacles and levers for Nature Based Adaptation Solutions. Under this scope, the project ARTISAN standing for “Achieving Resiliency by Triggering Implementation of nature-based Solutions for climate Adaptation at a National scale” aims to achieve the plans set in France’s second national climate change adaptation plan by leveraging NBS. Beyond the national scale, by capitalizing on past experiences and grouping dispersed findings, this study will provide deeper insights on NBS, and will allow a prioritization of research and knowledge building needs.

How to cite: Al Sayah, M., Versini, P.-A., and Schertzer, D.: Nature Based Solutions:  Reporting and analyzing insights from Europe, EGU General Assembly 2021, online, 19–30 Apr 2021, EGU21-8902, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu21-8902, 2021.

To meet CO₂ reduction targets, the UK aims to plant c1.5 billion trees by 2050. Gaps within thousands of miles of hedgerows across the country are potentially suitable planting sites, but the extent of gaps and suitability for replanting are currently unknown. Maximising the potential growth of hedgerows however appears to receive relatively little attention compared with wide area tree planting. Hedgerow gaps present the opportunity for tree planting, contributing towards the annual tree-planting goals and net-zero CO2 plan as part of Defra’s 25-year objectives (HM Government, 2018), without requiring extensive land change.

Our ambitions of fostering a greener society and meeting net zero goals is heavily reliant on ensuring that children and youth are engaged with environmental concerns and have the right skills and knowledge for future careers. This project has been engaging with youth organisations to enhance their environmental and digital knowledge, whilst combining their input with state-of-the-art artificial-intelligence approaches. The open dataset created with public contributions will inform planting decisions whilst educating young people and citizens. The aligned education programme will provide resources detailing how new planting will drawdown CO₂, reduce flood risk and increase biodiversity availability, ultimately fostering the participants as agents of change in addressing the climate crisis. 

Citizens will be trained in hedgerow surveying techniques, with focus on both remote sensing/geographic information systems applications (GIS) and field surveying - enabling contributions from home (during COVID) as well as encouraging outdoor activity and learning. Through a series of surveys and tasks, citizens are able to utilise a smartphone device (or similar) to contribute new data into an open survey on hedgerow characteristics, simple field experimental measurements and images/videos, all whilst utilising the GPS built into the device. The objectives of the project are two-fold: first, data collected by citizens will be used to refine an existing deep learning model trained to identify hedgerow gaps from high-resolution earth observation imagery. Second, to encourage citizens to learn about and take ownership of their local environment, contributing to the fostering of a nation of climate champions.

How to cite: Parsons, K. and Wolstenholme, J.: Mapping hedgerow gaps and fostering positive environmental behaviours through a combination of citizen scientists and artificial intelligence, EGU General Assembly 2021, online, 19–30 Apr 2021, EGU21-9453, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu21-9453, 2021.

The water, energy, and food security nexus (WEF Nexus) is the interlinkage between water security, energy security, and food security. An increasing world population is projected to increase energy and food requirements, which will increase the need for freshwater drastically in the coming decades. Projected climate change impacts will aggravate water availability, especially in urban areas. Nature-based solutions (NBS) have proven to generate multiple benefits that defuse the expected merging tensions within the WEF Nexus. This paper outlines the theories, provides examples, and discusses the potential of NBS to address the future WEF Nexus. For this purpose we reviewed recent papers on the theories of WE, WF, EF, and WEF Nexus, we described and summarized 19 representative real-life case studies, and we identified the knowledge gap within the theory and the case studies. We provide quantitative potentials and qualitative benefits for NBS described in the literature over the past decades. Our review demonstrated the impressive potential of NBS to address the projected challenges within the WEF Nexus. The study concludes by recommending NBS for specific WEF Nexus challenges and highlighting the need for decision-makers to consider the implementation of NBS in urban planings.

How to cite: Carvalho, P. N., Finger, D., Masi, F., Cipolletta, G., Oral, H. V., Tóth, A., Regelsberger, M., and Exposito, A.: A review of the potential of nature-based solutions (NBS) to address the challenges of the water-energy-food nexus (WEF Nexus) in the coming decades, EGU General Assembly 2021, online, 19–30 Apr 2021, EGU21-9480, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu21-9480, 2021.

The global water sector is changing and it is in need of more evidence-based responses of emerging global, regional, national and local challenges. Communities are seeking interventions which achieve multiple benefits and outcomes such as: improved quality of water bodies, reduced greenhouse emissions, reliably delivered water for human use but also some that are rather urgent like: flood-risk management. In order to take into account the environmental, technological, economic, institutional and cultural characteristics of river basins, we need to move from current management regimes towards more adaptive regimes with the use of Nature-based solutions (NbS) instead of traditional 'grey' engineering approaches. Quite a vast amount of tools have been developed throughout the years for achieving this transition. This paper identifies the challenges and opportunities that water professionals face when using these tools in the process of planning NbS. An online tailor-made approach, based on a modified nominal group technique (NGT) and Multi-criteria analysus (MCA) was developed and applied. The NGT-based assessment of these tools consists of two rounds during which participants were asked to reflect first individually, and then collectively about the prerequisites and implications of these tools in the process of planning NbS. The participants are water professionals from the European project Co-Adapt. Here we presented one approach where new scientific methods and practical tools are developed for participatory assessment and implementation of adaptive water management.

How to cite: Bogatinoska, B., Lansu, A., Floor, J., Huitema, D., and Dekker, S.: Tooling in engaging stakeholders in adaptive water management with Nature-based solutions: reflections from an online NGT approach through the perspectives of the water professionals, EGU General Assembly 2021, online, 19–30 Apr 2021, EGU21-11040, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu21-11040, 2021.

Nature-based solutions (NBS) for flood mitigation lately are becoming more and more popular. However, comparing to traditional grey infrastructure, NBS require more land, often – privately owned. This is why the question of implementation of NBS on private land needs to be addressed more thoroughly. There are different ways how to implement the NBS on private land. Those ways can be divided into "sticks", "carrots" and "sermons". The last two refer to "soft" measures, like financial incentives, payments for ecosystem services, knowledge sharing, and partnership for NBS. Whereas, "sticks" refer to coercive measures, which imply "a command-and-control strategy" and any behaviours contradicting "sticks" can be considered unlawful. In other words, "sticks" are the measures that restrict land-use or even deprive the owners of their land. Expropriation, land-use restrictions, and pre-emption rights are the best-known examples of "sticks". The land-owners have little room for manoeuvre if the state decides to apply "sticks". However, the powers of the state are also limited. One of such limitations derive from international law, to be precise – from provisions related to human rights protection. Article 1 of the Protocol No. 1 to the European Convention on Human Rights grants protection for the property rights and prohibits the authorities to deprive owners of their possession unless the public interest justifies it. The state can also control the use of property only if this is required by general interest. The European Court of Human Rights in its case-law for several times addressed the issue of property restrictions and expropriation due to implementation of environmental laws and land-use planning laws. The Court elaborated on such issues as the notion of "public interest", proportionality and lawfulness of measures adopted by the state. Those considerations can also be relevant for the implementation of NBS on private land. 

How to cite: Bogdzevic, K. and Kalinauskas, M.: Nature-based solutions for flood mitigation on private land – human rights perspective, EGU General Assembly 2021, online, 19–30 Apr 2021, EGU21-11073, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu21-11073, 2021.

Nature-based Solutions (NbS), inspired or supported by nature, aim to address societal challenges in a fast-changing environment via an integrated and sustainable approach. Effective implementation of such intervention certainly requires compliance with specific societal configurations in different geographies. Here two cases of NbS to hydrological disaster risks are used to demonstrate the relevance of social barriers and opportunities for the full function of NbS.

Firstly, we introduce a novel large-scale NbS designed for reducing water scarcity in the Bolivian city of Santa Cruz de la Sierra. In this case, strategic reforestation was planned to bring rainfall to a downwind city taking advantage of atmospheric moisture pathways. In the process of co-designing reforestation sites, experiences from failed reforestation projects have improved the site selection originally based solely on the scientific evidence of the moisture pathways. Social barriers to implementation include underground economic activities and pressures for local food production. The latter factor also implies a trade-off between the fulfilments of different sustainable development goals.

Secondly, a case of landscape-scale NbS that aims to mitigate flood risk from typhoons in Taiwan will be discussed. It consists of a flood diversion framework that directs excess runoff to local farmlands following Typhoon storms. The concept of payment for ecosystem services has been employed to increase the willingness of farmers and landowners to participate in this framework. Institution of compensation for agricultural loss established from previous meteorological disasters has paved the way for implementation. A combination of subsidies and agricultural loss compensation has offered an opportunity for the new intervention to take place in the rice-cropping landscape, while the effect of this ongoing framework will be further documented.

These two cases show that the inertia from existing policy/institutional schemes and the lessons from past unsuccessful experiences provide an opportunity to identify and overcome social barriers to the implementation of innovative NbS.

How to cite: Weng, W., Costa, L., Lüdeke, M., Zemp, D., Jou, S.-C., Jaramillo, F., and Liu, M.-Y.: Human in nature: two cases on social factors nested in the implementation of Nature-based Solutions, EGU General Assembly 2021, online, 19–30 Apr 2021, EGU21-11086, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu21-11086, 2021.

The main negative global phenomena are climate change, biodiversity loss and biological invasions. Attaining the 2050 climate neutrality target is of great importance in agriculture and forestry. Land use is a significant factor in carbon sequestration from the atmosphere (carbon sink) and can be employed to potentially store carbon for decades. Land use can also contribute to climate change adaptation against aridification, preserve biodiversity, and reduce CO₂ and NO_x emissions. In addition, growing global environmental problems impact the entire world, which compels society to live with changed circumstances. Nevertheless, negative processes do not affect all territories equally. Some areas are more vulnerable and sensitive to changes, while others are more flexible and demonstrate higher resilience against negative changes. Nature compensates negative global environmental phenomena and people can contribute to this process. This compensation is hard in semi-arid and arid regions of the world, however, in humid regions it needs less effort.

Őrség - one of the southwestern landscape of the Carpathian basin - is a typical example of a humid-mesic climate. Due to its unique ecological, economic, and social characteristics, Őrség shows higher resistance against global changes. The humid-mesic climate and the acid soil with low fertility promote the forest succession on abandoned arable lands and pastures. Due to the warming and the anthropogenic CO₂ and NO_x forest areas show accelerating growth. High forest coverage (62%), extensive land management, high humidity, high proportion of nature close areas, unique landscape structure, and soft tourism all manifest themselves in higher stability against negative changes. Under these specific site conditions, reviving capacity of forests is relatively high: uncultivated lands quickly become forests without human intervention. Therefore, the best line of action would be to support this natural afforestation process with tree species that are less climate-sensitive and more drought-tolerant. The increasing proportion of forests parallel with the decreasing proportion of uncultivated land reduces the possibility of the invasion of alien plant species. The afforestation process of rural areas is highly supported by the present Hungarian policy. 

Our research aims to enhance the observation that rural landscapes provide great examples for sustainability. These areas have not only remained viable, they also safeguard our future.

How to cite: Balázs, P., Berki, I., and Horváth, A.: Local example for the compensation of negative global environmental phenomena, EGU General Assembly 2021, online, 19–30 Apr 2021, EGU21-12749, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu21-12749, 2021.

Current land-use policy needs for innovative soil processing technologies. We carried out a long-term field experiment on the Kastanozem in following options: moldboard plowing to a depth of 22 cm; chiselling to a depth of 35 cm; three-tier PTN–40 plowing to a depth of 40–45 cm; PMS–70 intra-soil milling of the 20–45 cm layer. Moldboard, chisel and three-tier plowing does not improve soil aggregate system. 20–45 cm soil layer milling by PMS–70 provides the formation of the 1–3 mm aggregates. 30–40 years after PMS–70 processing, the soil profile structure remained fine aggregate. Soil organic matter and dissolved organic matter content, as well as the soil productivity, were higher after PMS–70. New intra-soil milling machine PMS–260 was developed. The moldboard plowing did not change the natural soil profile vertical morphological differentiation. The soil loosening effect was short-term after soil chiselling. After the three-tier PTN-40 plowing, a large part of humus horizon material strews down the soil profile between the chaotically spread large structural blocks of illuvial and transitional horizons. After PMS–70 processing, the content of 1–3 mm size aggregate particle fraction in the illuvial horizon was triple compared to the three-tier PTN–40 plowing. The soil desalination was intensive after PMS–70. The absorbed Na⁺ content in solonetz was about 18–20% of soil cation exchange capacity (CEC) in the moldboard option. The same was after the chiselling. The CEC Na⁺ content was of 14–16% after the PTN–40. The CEC Na⁺ content was of 10–12% after the PMS–70. The SOM content in the 0­–20 cm soil layer was 2.0%, in the 20-40 cm layer of 1.3%; the DOM content was 0.03% and 0.02% respectively in moldboard plowing option. The SOM and DOM content increased slightly in a period 3–4 years after chiselling. The SOM content was 2.2% in the 0­–20 cm, and 1.4% in the 20–40 cm; the DOM content was 0.04% and 0.03% respectively after the PTN–40. The SOM content increased to 3.3% in the 0–20 cm soil layer, and to 2.1% in the 20–40 cm layer; the DOM content increase was 0.05% and 0.04% respectively after the PMS–70. In the moldboard option, the rhizosphere developed only in the upper soil layer of 0–20 cm. The rhizosphere spreads through the soil crevices after chilling. The conditions of rhizosphere development were better in the local comfort zones of the soil profile after three-tier PTN–40 plowing. The rhizosphere developed well and uniformly both in the upper 0–20 cm and in the 20-45 cm layer after intra-soil milling by PMS–70. Improved plant growing conditions provide higher plant resistivity to pathogens.  The technology life cycle profitability: moldboard 21.5%, chiseling 6.9%, three-tier 15.6%, intra-soil milling 45.6%. The new design of intra-soil milling machine provides five times less traction resistance; 80% increased reliability, halving energy costs. Intra-soil milling provides long-term land-use prospects.

The research was supported by the RFBR, project no. 18-29-25071, and by the President of the Russian Federation, no. MK-2244.2020.5.

How to cite: Mandzhieva, S., Chernenko, V., Kalinitchenko, V., Glinushkin, A., Zavalin, A., Burachevskaya, M., Minkina, T., Sushkova, S., Ilyina, L., Kozlov, D., and Kashcheev, A.: Intra-soil milling for long-term efficient land use prospects, EGU General Assembly 2021, online, 19–30 Apr 2021, EGU21-15279, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu21-15279, 2021.

Wetlands as large-scale nature-based solutions (NBS) provide multiple ecosystem services of local, regional, and global importance. Knowledge concerning location and vulnerability of wetlands, specifically in the Arctic, is vital to understand and assess the current status and future potential changes in the Arctic. Using available high-resolution wetland databases together with datasets on soil wetness and soil types, we created the first high-resolution map with full coverage of Arctic wetlands. Arctic wetlands' vulnerability is assessed for the years 2050, 2075, and 2100 by utilizing datasets of permafrost extent and projected mean annual average temperature from HadGEM2-ES climate model outputs for three change scenarios (RCP2.6, 4.5, and 8.5). With approximately 25% of Arctic landmass covered with wetlands and 99% being in permafrost areas, Arctic wetlands are highly vulnerable to changes in all scenarios, apart from RCP2.6 where wetlands remain largely stable. Climate change threatens Arctic wetlands and can impact wetland functions and services. These changes can adversely affect the multiple services this sort of NBS can provide in terms of great social, economic, and environmental benefits to human beings. Consequently, negative changes in Arctic wetland ecosystems can escalate land-use conflicts resulting from natural capital exploitation when new areas become more accessible for use. Limiting changes to Arctic wetlands can help maintain their ecosystem services and limit societal challenges arising from thawing permafrost wetlands, especially for indigenous populations dependent on their ecosystem services. This study highlights areas subject to changes and provides useful information to better plan for a sustainable and social-ecological resilient Arctic.

Keywords: Arctic wetlands, permafrost thaw, regime shift vulnerability, climate projection

How to cite: Kåresdotter, E. and Kalantari, Z.: Vulnerability and Importance of Arctic Wetlands as large-scale nature-based solutions for Sustainability in a Changing Climate, EGU General Assembly 2021, online, 19–30 Apr 2021, EGU21-3148, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu21-3148, 2021.

Globally, urban areas contribute significantly to the emissions of the greenhouse gases (GHGs) which are leading to anthropogenic climate change. To achieve long-term sustainable development goals, urban regions will need to grow and develop in such a way that they can both provide a good quality of life for all of their inhabitants, and also reduce and offset their GHG emissions to reach and maintain net-zero GHG emissions.

This work aims to further our understanding of the impact of urban form and growth on GHG emissions, to identify ways in which nature-based solutions (NBS) can be integrated into urban planning to help cities reach net zero emissions while continuing to grow sustainably. We will conduct a high-resolution (1x1km) spatial accounting and mapping of GHG emissions from selected urban anthropogenic activities (residential, commercial, transportation) for Stockholm, Sweden which includes those factors relevant to and impacted by urban form (such as density, land use pattern transportation networks, green spaces) to allow for the analysis of different types of city spatial patterns and planning decisions and their implications in GHG emissions. The results will be further expanded to cities across the European Union (EU) for comparison. Conclusions will be drawn about where and how NBS interventions should be used most effectively to reduce urban GHG emissions and facilitate sustainable city growth in the future.

Keywords: Sustainable cities; Land-use; Greenhouse Gas Emissions; Nature-based Solutions

How to cite: Page, J., Pan, H., and Kalantari, Z.: Assessing impacts of urban form on GHG emission with high-resolution spatial grids to implement nature-based solutions for carbon neutral cities, EGU General Assembly 2021, online, 19–30 Apr 2021, EGU21-10793, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu21-10793, 2021.

Approximately 70% of the world’s tropical glaciers are found in Peru, with 40% of these in the Cordillera Blanca (CB). Here, glaciers are an important source of meltwater to downstream people (~0.25 million) and ecosystems, supporting 40% of streamflow in the dry season. However, the CB has experienced high levels of glacier retreat and mass loss in recent decades, which has influenced the quantity and quality of water supply. During this time, some meltwater-fed rivers have become ‘toxic’, characterised by low pH and high metal concentrations. This toxicity has been linked to exposure of sulphide- and metal-rich rock types as glaciers retreat, and has implications for clean water supply (SDG 6), subsistence farming (contributing to SDG1 and 2), and freshwater biodiversity (SDG 15). Here, we present a comprehensive spatial analysis of water quality in the CB to understand the key drivers of worsening water quality and to predict which catchments may be vulnerable in the future. We sampled 18 glacierised catchments in the CB for geochemical and biological parameters during the dry and wet seasons. River pH ranged from 2.5 to 8.3, with two catchments highly acidic (~pH 2.5-3.8). The concentrations of several riverine metal species (including manganese, nickel, copper and a suite of rare-earth elements) were strongly negatively correlated with pH in the catchments. Additionally, most of the 40 metals analysed in rivers with low pH were present in a truly dissolved phase (>90% of 0.45 µm filtered concentrations were <0.02 µm), indicating high potential bioavailability and biotoxicity. Indeed, shifts in community composition of benthic macroinvertebrates indicated a replacement of sensitive benthic macroinvertebrate taxa (Limnephilidae, Hyaleliidae) in pristine rivers by more tolerant taxa (Chironomidae) in acidic rivers. We suggest that metal leaching and altitude may be important factors influencing diversity, richness and abundance of benthic macroinvertebrate communities. Here, we synthesize data on water quality and glacier retreat, offer predictions of future river toxicity and introduce a novel citizen-science, green-infrastructure initiative being developed to combat water quality degradation in the region.

How to cite: Macdonald, M., Wadham, J., La Matta Romero, F., Hawkings, J., Willems, B., and Loayza-Muro, R.: Impacts and solutions associated with glacier-driven river toxicity in the Cordillera Blanca, Peru, EGU General Assembly 2021, online, 19–30 Apr 2021, EGU21-10130, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu21-10130, 2021.

Hydrological and geomorphological processes within the land-river interface (LRI) can be directly linked to several Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). The transfer of water and material along the LRI provides a range ecosystem services that support environmental, economic and social needs. However, the LRI is also very dynamic from a hydrologic and geomorphic perspective. Benefits can turn into hazards and vice versa, depending on natural and human-induced variations in flow and associated geomorphic activity. This study aimed to identify these critical areas by (i) quantifying the natural and human controlled variation in hydrology and geomorphology, and (ii) mapping associated SDG-related opportunities and trade-offs. The upper reaches of the Himalayan Beas River (India) were used as a case study, where the LRI is characterised by three main sections: (i) a free-flowing confined upper valley, (ii) a heavily regulated confined middle valley, and (iii) and a valley with wide floodplains flowing into the Pong Reservoir. Remote sensing imagery from Sentinel-2 (ESA) (2016-2019) were used to quantify the monthly spatial recurrence of river channels and gravel bars. In addition, data was collected on human and natural infrastructure within the catchment (including road network, urban areas, cropland, national parks, etc.). Combination of both datasets indicated that hydrological and river geomorphological processes in the upper part are the most spatially and temporally variable, leading to fertile soils (SDG 1,2), but also the highest risk of flooding in urban areas and cropland (SDG 11, 13) . The middle part is characterised by stable river channels (i.e. no lateral movement) due to the presence of two dams and confines valleys, leading to limited interaction with the surrounding land, except for the provision of water (SDG 6) and a higher risk of landslides (SDG 1,11). Finally, the lower part is again more dynamic in terms of geomorphological processes, with wide gravel bars and side channels. These dynamics allow larger urban areas and cropland to develop (SDG 1, 11), but also exposes cropland to flooding and erosion (SDG 2, 6). By quantifying the spatiotemporal dimension of hydrological and geomorphological processes and how these relate to LRI characteristics, this study provides a dynamic baseline to identify opportunities and trade-offs in optimising the role of the LRI in driving sustainable development.

How to cite: Vercruysse, K. and Grabowski, B.: Quantifying how hydrological and geomorphical dynamics in the land-river interface create opportunities and trade-offs for sustainable development, EGU General Assembly 2021, online, 19–30 Apr 2021, EGU21-4693, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu21-4693, 2021.

The Living Deltas Hub is a UKRI GCRF-funded community investigating the environmental, societal, and natural-cultural heritage of three South and Southeast Asian mega-deltas; the Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna delta spanning India and Bangladesh, and the Mekong Delta and Red River Delta of Vietnam. Globally, deltas occupy only 1% of the total land area, but support the livelihoods of ~500 million citizens. As a consequence of growing human populations and intensified anthropogenic activity these deltas face multiple challenges, such as eustatic sea level rise, land subsidence, saline intrusion, unsustainable extraction of natural resources, habitat loss, pollution, and are currently on a trajectory towards collapse. The waterscape of the deltas place SDG 6 (clean water and sanitation) at the heart of sustainable development. Thus, the Hub aims to quantify and assess human impacts on the water quality of major river channels, canals, and ponds by establishing catchment-wide water quality monitoring supplemented by historical data, biomonitoring networks, community science projects (including water quality and participatory GIS) and local knowledge of water quality. This will result in improved understanding of the impacts of the multi-functionality of water sources in Asian mega-deltas from basic domestic use (bathing and drinking water) up to industrial scale aquaculture, and can lead to the success of SDG 6 (clean water), SDG 3 (good health and wellbeing), SDG 2 (zero hunger – here, through sustainable aquaculture), and SDG 14 (life below water). In addition, the combined methodology of water quality monitoring and understanding lived experiences can be used to identify the concerns of local communities, identify inequalities in the access to safe water (working towards SDG 10 reduced inequalities) and understand the female experience (working towards SDG 5 gender inequality). Using a literature review of pond water quality and use in the delta regions and data from household surveys conducted in three regions of the Mekong Delta (Ben Tre, An Giang and Can Tho), we will use ponds as a case study to demonstrate how this approach can be used to improve understanding of community access to safe water. 

How to cite: Roberts, L. R., Moorhouse, H. L., Truong, O., Nguyen Thanh, P., McGowan, S., Panizzo, V. N., Barker, P., Do, N. T., Rahman, F. M. F., Salgado, J., Ghosh, T., Das, S., Salehin, M., Amin Chowdhury, A. I., Henderson, A. C. G., and Large, A. R. G.: The GCRF Living Deltas Hub: using water quality monitoring and lived experiences to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals, EGU General Assembly 2021, online, 19–30 Apr 2021, EGU21-2891, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu21-2891, 2021.