What is Nature-based Solutions?

Nature-based solutions are methods of addressing societal changes such as climate change and food security by means of natural ecosystems. The type of nature-based solution depends on the kind of challenge, and interventions can be employed to provide combined measures of dealing with a problem, for example, introducing agroforestry in areas that need restoration of wetlands. Natural-based solutions seek to support human well-being by maintaining a mutual relationship between people and nature.

It also seeks to promote sustainable management of ecosystems despite the increasing demands on the ecosystem and promoting conservation and restoration of ecosystems.

The protection of ecosystems can be done using natural approaches such as protecting the drivers of biodiversity or through conventional engineering interventions to mitigate adverse climate change. Natural-based solutions originated from significant milestones of organizations such as the World Bank, IUCN, and UNDP. Each of these organizations had their definition of NbS, which shared an overall goal of addressing societal challenges through effective use of the ecosystem.

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The formation of NbS was founded on several principles. The first principle was that these solutions should not substitute nature conservation, and at the same time, not all conservation efforts would be considered as NbS. The second principle, which is similar to the eighth principle, stated that NbS could be complemented and be implemented alongside other types of interventions.

The third principle, which is identical to the fourth and fifth, said that NbS should support values that integrate cultural and social components. I learned that practical examples of NbS interventions might be in the form of restoration of drylands, development of green infrastructure in urban environments, conservation of forests, and management of rivers and wetlands.

The NbS can also be in the form of solutions that either develop sustainable management protocols or create new ecosystems.