Nature-based Solutions Initiative
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Role of NbS for Climate Change Adaptation in UK Policy
Just ahead of tomorrow's Climate Ambition Summit, this report considers the important role of nature-based solutions (NbS) in climate change adaptation policy for the UK and its fourteen overseas territories. The report was written by NbSI, in collaboration with WWF and RSPB; together we will work w [...] read moreNbS Digital Dialogues - panel session summaries
Earlier in 2020 we held a series of talks and panel sessions - NbS Digital Dialogues - bringing together experts from science, policy and practice to discuss the implementation of sustainable NbS. Over 750 people tuned into the conference live, and recordings of all the sessions are available to vie [...] read more
Ecosystem-based tsunami mitigation for tropical biodiversity hotspots
Wanger et al. 2020
Tsunamis have claimed over 260,000 lives this last century, making them the most deadly of natural hazards. In 2018, a tsunami devastated the Indonesian city of Palu and in response the government is planning to build a 7km long, 3.2m high sea wall. This paper suggests a hybrid coastal protection strategy for [...] Read more
Tweet February 27, 2020
Tweet February 27, 2020
Quantifying cultural ecosystem services: Disentangling the effects of management from landscape features
Tew et al. 2019
Cultural ecosystem services are recognised as important, but are notoriously difficult to define, measure and assign value to. This study of Thetford forest in the east UK uncovered the relationship between cultural values and land management practices, whilst controlling for the influence of landscape features, such as rivers and roads. The authors [...] Read more
Tweet February 11, 2020
Tweet February 11, 2020
Ecosystem-based Adaptation: A review of the constraints
Nalau et al. 2018
Ecosystem-based Adaptation (EbA) is the preferred approach for adapting to climate change in the least developed and developing countries, in part because it has the capacity to address adaptation of both ecosystems and livelihoods simultaneously. This review paper looks at existing literature on the constraints on EbA use, categorised into: economic constraints, [...] Read more
Tweet February 11, 2020
Tweet February 11, 2020
Recent divergence in the contributions of tropical and boreal forests to the terrestrial carbon sink
Tagesson et al. 2020
This paper used satellite data on land cover and a dynamic global vegetation model to estimate the impact of human land use and land cover changes (LULCC) on the contribution of different habitat types to the terrestrial carbon sink between 1992 and 2015. The authors found that tropical and boreal forests contributed [...] Read more
Tweet February 11, 2020
Tweet February 11, 2020
Governance principles for community-centered conservation in the post-2020 global biodiversity framework
Armitage et al. 2019 Conservation Science and Practice
It is well established that Nature-based Solutions are often more effective if they are designed and implemented in a way that aligns with the perspectives and needs of local stakeholders. Community-centred conservation follows the same principle and some of the research in this area can be applied to [...] Read more
Tweet February 11, 2020
Tweet February 11, 2020
National mitigation potential from natural climate solutions in the tropics
Griscom et al. 2020 Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B
This paper looks at the potential for natural climate solutions (NCS; a type of nature-based solution) for mitigating climate change in 79 tropical countries. 12 different NCS pathways were defined, split broadly into protection, management and restoration across multiple habitat types (savannahs, farmland, wetland and [...] Read more
Tweet February 11, 2020
Tweet February 11, 2020
Nature-based approaches to managing climate change impacts in cities
Hobbie and Grimm 2020 Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B
This paper reviews current evidence for how Nature-based Solutions can be used to reduce the vulnerability of cities to climate change. The authors give an overview of how certain features of cities amplify climatic hazards, such as the concentration of settlements around rivers and coasts [...] Read more
Tweet February 11, 2020
Tweet February 11, 2020
Greater stability of carbon capture in species-rich natural forests compared to species-poor plantations
Osuri et al. 2019
This study looked at the difference in C storage and rate of C sequestration between longer-lived plantations and natural forests, using 2000-2018 data on Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI) from a natural experiment in the Western Ghats of India. C stocks in monodominant teak and Eucalyptus plantations were 30-50% lower than in evergreen [...] Read more
Tweet February 11, 2020
Tweet February 11, 2020
Impacts of forests and forestation on hydrological services in the Andes: A systematic review
Bonnesoeur et al (2019) Forest Ecology and Management
This paper is a synthesis of 155 studies on the effects of afforestation (tree-planting on naturally non-forested land) in the Andes on hydrology, erosion and landslide reduction. In contrast to public perception in the Andes, the review found that, overall, non-native tree plantations, and to a lesser extent [...] Read more
Tweet January 13, 2020
Tweet January 13, 2020
Nature-based innovation systems
van der Jagt et al (2019) Environmental Innovation and Societal Transitions
To build a sustainable world, transformation across many sectors is required and technology is thought to play a major enabling role. This has prompted the development of the Technological Innovation System framework, which focuses on the relationship between the social and technological systems. In this [...] Read more
Tweet January 13, 2020
Tweet January 13, 2020
Oyster breakwater reefs promote adjacent mudflat stability and salt marsh growth in a monsoon dominated subtropical coast
Chowdhury et al (2019) Scientific Reports
Three self-sustaining breakwater oyster reefs were established on an eroding mudflat on Kutubdia Island, Bangladesh. Over four seasons, it was found that the 0.6m-high reefs attenuated wave energy by 95-100% when water levels were up to around 0.5m, whilst wave energy was partially dissipated with water levels of 0.5-1.0m depending [...] Read more
Tweet January 11, 2020
Tweet January 11, 2020
Core principles for successfully implementing and upscaling Nature-based Solutions
Cohen-Shacham et al (2019) Environmental Science and Policy
As NbS gain traction in environment and climate policy it is vital that the term is used and applied consistently. With the goal of improving the operational framework for NbS, this paper compares IUCN’s preliminary “NbS Principles” to those of five other ecosystembased concepts (the Ecosystem Approach, Forest [...] Read more
Tweet November 18, 2019
Tweet November 18, 2019
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