Nature-based solutions for climate change adaptation

Climate change poses complex challenges to the world in the form of extreme weather, such as increased precipitation, droughts, flooding, and heat waves. These risks have significant impacts on ecosystems and communities, which vary depending on their baseline vulnerability. These include risks to human life, human health, property, infrastructure, ecosystem health, and access to water and energy. Climate change adaptation becomes crucial in adjusting to life under these changing conditions. Some examples of adaptation include integrating robust and flexible operations, modifying infrastructure, managing the timing of engineering activities, capacity-building, managing disaster risks, modifying ecosystem or community-based approaches, strengthening stakeholders for decision-making, designing new financing mechanisms, and using data-driven methods to improve resilience. One important area of focus for climate adaptation is Nature-based Solutions (NbS).

Nature-based Solution (NbS) refers to a suite of activities that integrate natural ecosystems and processes into various systems. The drivers for integration can include increasing efficiency, improving environmental impacts, creating multiple benefits, and reducing resource use, to name a few. NbS activities have been used to upgrade water systems, reduce heat island effects, improve stormwater management, green infrastructure building and upgrading efforts, and provide multiple benefits to both ecosystems and communities. While NbS is not a novel concept, more research on the conceptual and technical aspects is needed to form a strong foundation from which applications can be designed. Research on the potential of NbS activities for specific climate change adaptation needs could unveil key insights in applicability, measurement, effectiveness, and scalability.

The types of research needed to address climate change adaptation through NbS are very wide-ranging. The presentation of conceptual frameworks and links between NbS and similar concepts including ecosystem services, ecosystem-based adaptation, green infrastructure, and passive treatment, is important to articulate and clarify for use and integration in the climate adaptation context. Evaluating the targeted implementation of NbS across landscapes, coastal regions, and watersheds, as well as exploring its applicability in sectors like energy, water, forestry, agriculture, industry, and the public sector, are crucial areas of investigation. Specific analysis of NbS designed to address critical risks, such as floods, droughts, hurricanes, and heatwaves could bring insights to different regions around the world. Technical studies encompassing hydrology, pollution control, geospatial analysis, environmental engineering, and economics will offer essential guidance on where and how to implement NbS for climate change adaptation.

We invite researchers to explore and analyze the potential of Nature-based Solutions (NbS) for Climate Change Adaptation. We will consider a wide range of approaches, from conceptual frameworks to analysis of technical solutions. We encourage authors around the world to submit papers along the following themes:

• Conceptual frameworks for NbS
• Examples of NbS in various ecosystem and regional contexts
• Comparative analysis of NbS and traditional solutions
• Advanced methods for modeling and estimating NbS outcomes
• Spatial and/or temporal issues in NbS implementation, monitoring, and modeling
• Potential of Nbs in modifying infrastructure
• NbS applications to different sectors and scales (e.g. urban and rural)
• Scalability and replicability of NbS
• Lessons learned and NbS’s risks for maladaptation
• Economic impacts, financing, and natural capital accounting and NbS
• Potential for self-sustaining funding for NbS