Pub Date : 2025-03-20DOI: 10.1016/j.nbsj.2025.100228
Tibor Vegh , Todd K. BenDor , Frederick W. Cubbage
To address the severe consequences of low participation, more studies are needed that empirically evaluate how different factors affect enrollment in payments for ecosystem services (PES) programs. In this paper, we provide empirical insight into how different land-leasing, purchase, and management arrangements might affect potential participants’ willingness to enroll in these programs. We administer a choice experiment in the coastal plain of the State of North Carolina (USA), to explore how a hypothetical, flood mitigation-focused PES program could optimize participation across a variety of natural infrastructure practices and across multiple aspects of program design. We find evidence that higher proportions of total household income from farming have a significant relationship with the likelihood of participation in PES programs that seek to mitigate flooding. Other factors that we examined – including income loss from past flood events, respondents’ previous participation in PES programs, and different combinatorial arrangements of payment structuring and timing – had no discernable relationship to initial decisions about program participation. Furthermore, we find evidence for the importance of previous participation in PES programs as a key factor in decisions regarding the extent or level of program participation. In light of this, we propose a risk-based reframing of PES program participation decisions. From this risk avoidance perspective, we theorize that potential participants who are more dependent on farming revenue for their income may be proportionally more risk averse to any actions that could complicate farming or endanger future farming revenue.
{"title":"Testing factors that enhance private participation in payments for ecosystem service programs targeting flood mitigation","authors":"Tibor Vegh , Todd K. BenDor , Frederick W. Cubbage","doi":"10.1016/j.nbsj.2025.100228","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.nbsj.2025.100228","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>To address the severe consequences of low participation, more studies are needed that empirically evaluate how different factors affect enrollment in payments for ecosystem services (PES) programs. In this paper, we provide empirical insight into how different land-leasing, purchase, and management arrangements might affect potential participants’ willingness to enroll in these programs. We administer a choice experiment in the coastal plain of the State of North Carolina (USA), to explore how a hypothetical, flood mitigation-focused PES program could optimize participation across a variety of natural infrastructure practices and across multiple aspects of program design. We find evidence that higher proportions of total household income from farming have a significant relationship with the likelihood of participation in PES programs that seek to mitigate flooding. Other factors that we examined – including income loss from past flood events, respondents’ previous participation in PES programs, and different combinatorial arrangements of payment structuring and timing – had no discernable relationship to initial decisions about program participation. Furthermore, we find evidence for the importance of previous participation in PES programs as a key factor in decisions regarding the extent or level of program participation. In light of this, we propose a risk-based reframing of PES program participation decisions. From this risk avoidance perspective, we theorize that potential participants who are more dependent on farming revenue for their income may be proportionally more risk averse to any actions that could complicate farming or endanger future farming revenue.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100945,"journal":{"name":"Nature-Based Solutions","volume":"7 ","pages":"Article 100228"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-03-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143923802","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-03-18DOI: 10.1016/j.nbsj.2025.100229
Shaher Zyoud , Ahed H. Zyoud
Nature-based Solutions (NbS), a concept introduced specifically to leverage natural mechanisms to combat global challenges like climate change, disaster risk reduction, food security, and social and economic development, deliver synchronous rewards to society, the economy, and nature. Such solutions function as a transdisciplinary umbrella, drawing on expertise and knowledge from various concepts in environmental planning, economics, and engineering. NbS are experiencing appeal in research, business, and policy owing to their verified or perceived practicality, affordability, and scalability assessed against traditional technological competitors. Motivated by the broad embrace of these solutions, the present analysis intends to provide a detailed assessment of global knowledge, with an emphasis on quantifying and assessing progress made in the field. By stressing research dynamics as a key innovation parameter, this analysis expects to deliver key insights to both researchers and practitioners, driving future research investments and perspectives. The study utilized the Scopus database to perform a comprehensive retrieval and performance analysis of global research on NbS. VOSviewer software was applied to investigate and visualize collaboration patterns, citation links among prominent knowledge-sharing platforms, and primary topics determined by keyword co-occurrence networks. In addition, SciMAT software was applied to recognize both driving and emergent themes while also exploring the coherence of distinct themes across various periods. Globally, a total of 1,136 relevant documents were identified and analyzed. The United Kingdom dominates at the global level in terms of productivity with 235 documents (20.7 %), while the European region yields the largest number of contributing countries in association with its institutions and funding agencies. The developing countries show underrepresentation in global endeavors towards research on NbS. Environmental science prevailed in the subject areas, being followed by social sciences. Disaster risk reduction, engagement of stakeholders in designing and implementing nature-based interventions, and climate change challenges will continue to play a primary role in structuring and shaping NbS research activities in the foreseeable future. In conclusion, the interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary models should be mainstreamed to advance the science and practice of NbS. Moreover, key technological advances should be prioritized, like robotics and autonomous vehicles, drone technologies, artificial intelligence, and molecular techniques for ecological and species monitoring. Advancing NbS in developing regions implies focusing on local concerns, boosting biodiversity, and confirming sustainability. Success in this regard demands inclusive governance, capacity-building initiatives, and global funding resources.
{"title":"Revealing global trends on nature-based solutions: Mapping and visualizing research landscapes","authors":"Shaher Zyoud , Ahed H. Zyoud","doi":"10.1016/j.nbsj.2025.100229","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.nbsj.2025.100229","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Nature-based Solutions (NbS), a concept introduced specifically to leverage natural mechanisms to combat global challenges like climate change, disaster risk reduction, food security, and social and economic development, deliver synchronous rewards to society, the economy, and nature. Such solutions function as a transdisciplinary umbrella, drawing on expertise and knowledge from various concepts in environmental planning, economics, and engineering. NbS are experiencing appeal in research, business, and policy owing to their verified or perceived practicality, affordability, and scalability assessed against traditional technological competitors. Motivated by the broad embrace of these solutions, the present analysis intends to provide a detailed assessment of global knowledge, with an emphasis on quantifying and assessing progress made in the field. By stressing research dynamics as a key innovation parameter, this analysis expects to deliver key insights to both researchers and practitioners, driving future research investments and perspectives. The study utilized the Scopus database to perform a comprehensive retrieval and performance analysis of global research on NbS. VOSviewer software was applied to investigate and visualize collaboration patterns, citation links among prominent knowledge-sharing platforms, and primary topics determined by keyword co-occurrence networks. In addition, SciMAT software was applied to recognize both driving and emergent themes while also exploring the coherence of distinct themes across various periods. Globally, a total of 1,136 relevant documents were identified and analyzed. The United Kingdom dominates at the global level in terms of productivity with 235 documents (20.7 %), while the European region yields the largest number of contributing countries in association with its institutions and funding agencies. The developing countries show underrepresentation in global endeavors towards research on NbS. Environmental science prevailed in the subject areas, being followed by social sciences. Disaster risk reduction, engagement of stakeholders in designing and implementing nature-based interventions, and climate change challenges will continue to play a primary role in structuring and shaping NbS research activities in the foreseeable future. In conclusion, the interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary models should be mainstreamed to advance the science and practice of NbS. Moreover, key technological advances should be prioritized, like robotics and autonomous vehicles, drone technologies, artificial intelligence, and molecular techniques for ecological and species monitoring. Advancing NbS in developing regions implies focusing on local concerns, boosting biodiversity, and confirming sustainability. Success in this regard demands inclusive governance, capacity-building initiatives, and global funding resources.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100945,"journal":{"name":"Nature-Based Solutions","volume":"7 ","pages":"Article 100229"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-03-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143684529","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-03-11DOI: 10.1016/j.nbsj.2025.100226
Judith Mulwa , Eric Kioko , Marie Ladekjaer Gravesen
<div><div>Advocates of Nature-based Solutions (NbS) have argued that the approaches are important for addressing the various social and environmental challenges, including adaptation to climate change and biodiversity conservation. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has developed eight criteria for identification of Nature-based Solutions: (1) address societal challenges (2) entail landscape scale of intervention (3) biodiversity gain (4) economic viability (5) governance capability (6) equitably balance trade-offs (7) adaptive management, and (8) mainstreamed within an appropriate jurisdictional context. Nevertheless, studies have shown that interventions that seek to help people in the frontlines of climate change often fail to provide predictable financing, enable local ownership, and align to the actual conditions of the local communities. To address these challenges, in 2018 more than 20 countries formed a global commission on adaptation, which in 2021 adopted eight guidelines known as Locally Led Adaptation (LLA) principles to guide climate change adaptation efforts by ensuring that local communities are empowered to lead the design, implementation, and decision-making processes for adaptation projects. While NbS offer substantial co-benefits—enhancing biodiversity, supporting livelihoods, and improving water security—their success hinges on effective financing, governance, and local engagement. Sand dams, in particular, have been implemented for decades across arid and semi-arid regions, offering a reliable method of water harvesting and climate adaptation. However, their integration into NbS frameworks and LLA principles remains underexplored. As such, this study sets out to assess how one of the sub-national governments of Kenya (Makueni County) has aligned its implementation of Nature-based Solutions to the principles of LLA. The NbS under consideration is the county's sand dam project, which was instituted to address water scarcity in the face of climate change and inadvertently disaster risk management. To gauge the NbS project's alignment to LLA principles, 43 indicators and measurement metrics were developed based on the eight principles of LLA. Each principle has between 4 and 7 qualitative indicators. Data was collected through focus group discussions with sand dams’ projects’ committee members, key informant interviews with county and national government officials responsible for water and climate change, and analysis of the sand dams’ projects documents. Each indicator was assigned a score of 1 if present and 0 if absent, giving a potential of 43 positive scores or 100 % if the county government scored 1 for all the 43 indicators. From indicators assessed, the County Government had a positive score in about 53 %, slightly above average (50 %). It is the view of the authors’ that if better governance structures are pegged to the remaining LLA principles, then financing can flow more naturally to the water s
{"title":"Aligning the management of nature-based solutions to locally led adaptation principles: A case study of sand dams in Makueni County, Kenya","authors":"Judith Mulwa , Eric Kioko , Marie Ladekjaer Gravesen","doi":"10.1016/j.nbsj.2025.100226","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.nbsj.2025.100226","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Advocates of Nature-based Solutions (NbS) have argued that the approaches are important for addressing the various social and environmental challenges, including adaptation to climate change and biodiversity conservation. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has developed eight criteria for identification of Nature-based Solutions: (1) address societal challenges (2) entail landscape scale of intervention (3) biodiversity gain (4) economic viability (5) governance capability (6) equitably balance trade-offs (7) adaptive management, and (8) mainstreamed within an appropriate jurisdictional context. Nevertheless, studies have shown that interventions that seek to help people in the frontlines of climate change often fail to provide predictable financing, enable local ownership, and align to the actual conditions of the local communities. To address these challenges, in 2018 more than 20 countries formed a global commission on adaptation, which in 2021 adopted eight guidelines known as Locally Led Adaptation (LLA) principles to guide climate change adaptation efforts by ensuring that local communities are empowered to lead the design, implementation, and decision-making processes for adaptation projects. While NbS offer substantial co-benefits—enhancing biodiversity, supporting livelihoods, and improving water security—their success hinges on effective financing, governance, and local engagement. Sand dams, in particular, have been implemented for decades across arid and semi-arid regions, offering a reliable method of water harvesting and climate adaptation. However, their integration into NbS frameworks and LLA principles remains underexplored. As such, this study sets out to assess how one of the sub-national governments of Kenya (Makueni County) has aligned its implementation of Nature-based Solutions to the principles of LLA. The NbS under consideration is the county's sand dam project, which was instituted to address water scarcity in the face of climate change and inadvertently disaster risk management. To gauge the NbS project's alignment to LLA principles, 43 indicators and measurement metrics were developed based on the eight principles of LLA. Each principle has between 4 and 7 qualitative indicators. Data was collected through focus group discussions with sand dams’ projects’ committee members, key informant interviews with county and national government officials responsible for water and climate change, and analysis of the sand dams’ projects documents. Each indicator was assigned a score of 1 if present and 0 if absent, giving a potential of 43 positive scores or 100 % if the county government scored 1 for all the 43 indicators. From indicators assessed, the County Government had a positive score in about 53 %, slightly above average (50 %). It is the view of the authors’ that if better governance structures are pegged to the remaining LLA principles, then financing can flow more naturally to the water s","PeriodicalId":100945,"journal":{"name":"Nature-Based Solutions","volume":"7 ","pages":"Article 100226"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-03-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143735182","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-03-08DOI: 10.1016/j.nbsj.2025.100227
Kiran Tota-Maharaj , Oluwatoyin Opeyemi Ajibade , Shanika Arachchi , Colin Douglas Hills , Upaka Rathnayake
Effective management of stormwater runoff is crucial in refugee camps and temporary shelters. Across the Africa, this is vital especially with the intense rainfalls due to the climate effect. Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS) can be implemented to provide potential sources of water resources across refugee camps and internally displaced people (IDPs). The performance of two SuDS (engineered wetlands and biofilters) was evaluated to assess their effectiveness at reducing levels of pollutants in harvested rainwater and stormwater under simulated environmental conditions of an IDP camp. The SuDS comprised a matrix of sub-surface bedding materials and filter media. Stormwater quality analysis aligned with the WHO and CIRIA standards was carried out over 61 weeks simulating environmental conditions. The SuDS significantly reduced nutrients and organics loading from the influent stormwater. The Constructed Stormwater Treatment System S1-a had an overall high performance in removing impurities (BOD – 60 %, COD – 70 %, Turbidity – 70 %, Colour – 72 %, Phosphates – 63 %, Ammonium – 57 % and Nitrates – 57 %). In addition, the Refugee Camp Engineered Stormwater Treatment System S2-d has overall well-performed impurities removal (TDS – 52 %, COD – 100 %, Turbidity – 100 %, Colour – 41 %, Phosphates – 96 %, Ammonium – 98 % and Nitrates – 88 %). The outflow samples from these SuDS found the concentrations are with high standards. However, it is recommended that the treated stormwater be reused for non-potable sources in these conditions. The implementations of this research findings can be further incorporated into the United Nations sustainable developmental goals of good health and wellbeing (SDG 3) clean water and sanitation (SDG 6), and Peace, justice and strong institutions (SDG 16).
{"title":"Sustainable drainage systems (SuDS) for rainwater harvesting and stormwater management in temporary humanitarian settlements","authors":"Kiran Tota-Maharaj , Oluwatoyin Opeyemi Ajibade , Shanika Arachchi , Colin Douglas Hills , Upaka Rathnayake","doi":"10.1016/j.nbsj.2025.100227","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.nbsj.2025.100227","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Effective management of stormwater runoff is crucial in refugee camps and temporary shelters. Across the Africa, this is vital especially with the intense rainfalls due to the climate effect. Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS) can be implemented to provide potential sources of water resources across refugee camps and internally displaced people (IDPs). The performance of two SuDS (engineered wetlands and biofilters) was evaluated to assess their effectiveness at reducing levels of pollutants in harvested rainwater and stormwater under simulated environmental conditions of an IDP camp. The SuDS comprised a matrix of sub-surface bedding materials and filter media. Stormwater quality analysis aligned with the WHO and CIRIA standards was carried out over 61 weeks simulating environmental conditions. The SuDS significantly reduced nutrients and organics loading from the influent stormwater. The Constructed Stormwater Treatment System S1-a had an overall high performance in removing impurities (BOD – 60 %, COD – 70 %, Turbidity – 70 %, Colour – 72 %, Phosphates – 63 %, Ammonium – 57 % and Nitrates – 57 %). In addition, the Refugee Camp Engineered Stormwater Treatment System S2-d has overall well-performed impurities removal (TDS – 52 %, COD – 100 %, Turbidity – 100 %, Colour – 41 %, Phosphates – 96 %, Ammonium – 98 % and Nitrates – 88 %). The outflow samples from these SuDS found the concentrations are with high standards. However, it is recommended that the treated stormwater be reused for non-potable sources in these conditions. The implementations of this research findings can be further incorporated into the United Nations sustainable developmental goals of good health and wellbeing (SDG 3) clean water and sanitation (SDG 6), and Peace, justice and strong institutions (SDG 16).</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100945,"journal":{"name":"Nature-Based Solutions","volume":"7 ","pages":"Article 100227"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-03-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143600163","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-03-03DOI: 10.1016/j.nbsj.2025.100224
Willi Bauer, Alexandra Titz
Urban Nature-based Solutions (NbS) are increasingly promoted globally as a multifunctional and cost-effective way to address social and environmental challenges in cities. Based on these premises, there is a growing municipal interest in promoting NbS in cities of the so-called 'Global South'. However, current research is still clearly biased towards the 'Global North', with particularly few studies focusing on cities in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). As a result of these research gaps, there is a high risk that maladapted NbS – modelled on examples from other regions that do not meet local requirements and needs – will be adopted.
Against this background, this article examines barriers to the adoption of urban Nature-based Solutions and the opportunities for successful implementation of NbS in cities in Malawi. Drawing on qualitative data (workshops, narrative expert interviews, group discussions) collected during five research stays in Lilongwe (2022–2024), the article outlines and analyses in detail the strategies employed to overcome these barriers by those actors in charge for implementing the Lilongwe Ecological Corridor Initiative (LECI), a large-scale NbS in the country's capital city. By empirically exploring the particularities of the implementation of the LECI, the article characterises features of NbS in SSA rarely explored in other contexts, such as the reframing of existing greenspaces, the pragmatic adaptation of NbS-plans and the formulation of by-laws as part of their planning. These insights can serve as a basis for further conceptual developments and critical engagement and to promote a deeper understanding of the potentials and pitfalls of implementation strategies seeking to manoeuvre persistent barriers.
{"title":"Manoeuvring barriers: Assessing adaptive strategies for and persistent barriers to urban Nature-based Solutions in Lilongwe, Malawi","authors":"Willi Bauer, Alexandra Titz","doi":"10.1016/j.nbsj.2025.100224","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.nbsj.2025.100224","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Urban Nature-based Solutions (NbS) are increasingly promoted globally as a multifunctional and cost-effective way to address social and environmental challenges in cities. Based on these premises, there is a growing municipal interest in promoting NbS in cities of the so-called 'Global South'. However, current research is still clearly biased towards the 'Global North', with particularly few studies focusing on cities in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). As a result of these research gaps, there is a high risk that maladapted NbS – modelled on examples from other regions that do not meet local requirements and needs – will be adopted.</div><div>Against this background, this article examines barriers to the adoption of urban Nature-based Solutions and the opportunities for successful implementation of NbS in cities in Malawi. Drawing on qualitative data (workshops, narrative expert interviews, group discussions) collected during five research stays in Lilongwe (2022–2024), the article outlines and analyses in detail the strategies employed to overcome these barriers by those actors in charge for implementing the Lilongwe Ecological Corridor Initiative (LECI), a large-scale NbS in the country's capital city. By empirically exploring the particularities of the implementation of the LECI, the article characterises features of NbS in SSA rarely explored in other contexts, such as the reframing of existing greenspaces, the pragmatic adaptation of NbS-plans and the formulation of by-laws as part of their planning. These insights can serve as a basis for further conceptual developments and critical engagement and to promote a deeper understanding of the potentials and pitfalls of implementation strategies seeking to manoeuvre persistent barriers.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100945,"journal":{"name":"Nature-Based Solutions","volume":"7 ","pages":"Article 100224"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-03-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143550921","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-03-03DOI: 10.1016/j.nbsj.2025.100225
Nelson Nuwahereza , Susan Balaba Tumwebaze
Floods are the most common and destructive natural disaster being experienced worldwide. This necessitates effective flood risk reduction measures and Nature Based Solutions (NBS) have emerged as promising measures that not only reduce the flood risk but also offer additional environmental and societal benefits. This study aimed to establish the household socio-economic characteristics that determine adoption of NBS for flood risk reduction in the rural mountainous River Nyamwamba catchment, Southwestern Uganda. The study answered the following research questions, (a) to what extent have NBS for flood risk reduction been adopted in River Nyamwamba catchment, (b) How does the stage at which a household becomes involved in a NBS project influence its likelihood of adopting NBS for flood risk reduction? (c) What household socio-economic characteristics significantly affect adoption of NBS for flood risk reduction? The study revealed moderate adoption of NBS for floodrisk reduction, with 54% of households in the catchment having adopted at least one or a combination of river buffer zone restoration and/ or on-farm tree planting. Findings revealed that access to flood risk information, past flood experience, and the number of contributors to household livelihood (number of breadwinners) are the household socio-economic characteristics that significantly affect the adoption of NBS for flood risk reduction. The study also revealed that the stage at which a household becomes involved in a NBS project has no significant impact on the likelihood of adoption of NBS for flood risk reduction. The study recommends improving access to flood risk information, leveraging past flood experiences, and addressing intra-household land use conflicts to enhance adoption of NBS for flood risk reduction. Moreover, the study highlights the need for participatory approaches and sustained community engagement to ensure that NBS interventions are locally acceptable
{"title":"Assessment of the adoption of nature-based solutions for flood risk mitigation: Socio-economic determinants in the River Nyamwamba catchment, Uganda","authors":"Nelson Nuwahereza , Susan Balaba Tumwebaze","doi":"10.1016/j.nbsj.2025.100225","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.nbsj.2025.100225","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Floods are the most common and destructive natural disaster being experienced worldwide. This necessitates effective flood risk reduction measures and Nature Based Solutions (NBS) have emerged as promising measures that not only reduce the flood risk but also offer additional environmental and societal benefits. This study aimed to establish the household socio-economic characteristics that determine adoption of NBS for flood risk reduction in the rural mountainous River Nyamwamba catchment, Southwestern Uganda. The study answered the following research questions, (a) to what extent have NBS for flood risk reduction been adopted in River Nyamwamba catchment, (b) How does the stage at which a household becomes involved in a NBS project influence its likelihood of adopting NBS for flood risk reduction? (c) What household socio-economic characteristics significantly affect adoption of NBS for flood risk reduction? The study revealed moderate adoption of NBS for floodrisk reduction, with 54% of households in the catchment having adopted at least one or a combination of river buffer zone restoration and/ or on-farm tree planting. Findings revealed that access to flood risk information, past flood experience, and the number of contributors to household livelihood (number of breadwinners) are the household socio-economic characteristics that significantly affect the adoption of NBS for flood risk reduction. The study also revealed that the stage at which a household becomes involved in a NBS project has no significant impact on the likelihood of adoption of NBS for flood risk reduction. The study recommends improving access to flood risk information, leveraging past flood experiences, and addressing intra-household land use conflicts to enhance adoption of NBS for flood risk reduction. Moreover, the study highlights the need for participatory approaches and sustained community engagement to ensure that NBS interventions are locally acceptable</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100945,"journal":{"name":"Nature-Based Solutions","volume":"7 ","pages":"Article 100225"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-03-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143579057","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-02-27DOI: 10.1016/j.nbsj.2025.100223
Olivia M. Won , Katherine L. Seto
Coastal regions are faced with rising sea levels as well as other coastal hazards caused by climate change. As coastal areas begin adapting shorelines to present and future impacts, planners and land managers are increasingly encouraged to pursue nature-based coastal adaptation (NBCA) approaches as opposed to traditional gray infrastructure solutions. Recent policies also emphasize the importance of centering social equity and environmental justice in climate change adaptation initiatives, calling for increased community engagement and the prioritization of project work in disadvantaged communities. Though NBCA and equity-led approaches are growing more mainstream, to date, no empirical work has investigated how practitioners are currently framing and operationalizing concepts of equity in the burgeoning field of practice. Using an analytic of multiple framings of equity, this study describes how practitioners are currently addressing social equity in NBCA projects in the San Francisco Bay Area, a densely populated and highly urbanized estuary in Northern California. We conducted semi-structured interviews with 30 individuals involved in NBCA projects and planning work across the region, including representatives from government agencies, community-based organizations, and consulting groups. We found that practitioners are overwhelmingly focused on strategies to address distributive and procedural inequities. A minority of practitioners applied contextual, management, and Indigenous sovereignty frames of equity, which depend on larger structural shifts in governance, funding models, shoreline property regimes, and land repatriation and require more NBCA-specific approaches. This study demonstrates the importance of sustaining and increasing attention to multiple dimensions of equity in NBCA planning, particularly those that are currently underrepresented in practitioners’ scopes. We argue for developing specific equity interventions that address the unique challenges of integrating nature into urban coastal adaptation and offer recommendations for practitioners seeking to better operationalize multiple frames of equity in NBCA.
{"title":"Operationalizing equity in nature-based coastal adaptation: Assessing practitioner perspectives from the San Francisco Bay Area, California","authors":"Olivia M. Won , Katherine L. Seto","doi":"10.1016/j.nbsj.2025.100223","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.nbsj.2025.100223","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Coastal regions are faced with rising sea levels as well as other coastal hazards caused by climate change. As coastal areas begin adapting shorelines to present and future impacts, planners and land managers are increasingly encouraged to pursue nature-based coastal adaptation (NBCA) approaches as opposed to traditional gray infrastructure solutions. Recent policies also emphasize the importance of centering social equity and environmental justice in climate change adaptation initiatives, calling for increased community engagement and the prioritization of project work in disadvantaged communities. Though NBCA and equity-led approaches are growing more mainstream, to date, no empirical work has investigated how practitioners are currently framing and operationalizing concepts of equity in the burgeoning field of practice. Using an analytic of multiple framings of equity, this study describes how practitioners are currently addressing social equity in NBCA projects in the San Francisco Bay Area, a densely populated and highly urbanized estuary in Northern California. We conducted semi-structured interviews with 30 individuals involved in NBCA projects and planning work across the region, including representatives from government agencies, community-based organizations, and consulting groups. We found that practitioners are overwhelmingly focused on strategies to address distributive and procedural inequities. A minority of practitioners applied contextual, management, and Indigenous sovereignty frames of equity, which depend on larger structural shifts in governance, funding models, shoreline property regimes, and land repatriation and require more NBCA-specific approaches. This study demonstrates the importance of sustaining and increasing attention to multiple dimensions of equity in NBCA planning, particularly those that are currently underrepresented in practitioners’ scopes. We argue for developing specific equity interventions that address the unique challenges of integrating nature into urban coastal adaptation and offer recommendations for practitioners seeking to better operationalize multiple frames of equity in NBCA.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100945,"journal":{"name":"Nature-Based Solutions","volume":"7 ","pages":"Article 100223"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-02-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143591633","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-02-22DOI: 10.1016/j.nbsj.2025.100222
Scott Fisher , James Goff , Andrew B. Cundy , David Sear , Christina McWhorter
In the 21st century tsunamis have claimed the lives of over 250,000 individuals, and have caused extensive damage to vulnerable coastal ecosystems. This vulnerability continues to increase in many areas as human activity further degrades the coastal forests that once provided a degree of protection against storms and tsunamis, collectively known as high energy marine inundation events. This work presents a case study of the design and implementation of a forested bioshield established to protect a vulnerable wetland on Maui's south east coast. Although subject to coastal inundation, this ecosystem provides high quality habitat for numerous endangered species. Anthropogenic modifications around the wetlands, particularly the loss of the protective forest, have made this ecosystem vulnerable to future inundation events. Establishing an effective bioshield requires in-depth knowledge of both the frequency and intensity of inundation events, as well as effective tree species selection and their proper configuration within the bioshield. Here, we present palynological and archaeobotanical data from the studied wetlands, and combine this with local paleotsunami data, previously published data on forested bioshields, and traditional ecological knowledge to design, optimize and install an 8,000 m2 forested bioshield, and review the wider benefits and limitations of this bioshield approach.
{"title":"Forested bioshields and tsunami impact mitigation in a Polynesian setting","authors":"Scott Fisher , James Goff , Andrew B. Cundy , David Sear , Christina McWhorter","doi":"10.1016/j.nbsj.2025.100222","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.nbsj.2025.100222","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In the 21st century tsunamis have claimed the lives of over 250,000 individuals, and have caused extensive damage to vulnerable coastal ecosystems. This vulnerability continues to increase in many areas as human activity further degrades the coastal forests that once provided a degree of protection against storms and tsunamis, collectively known as high energy marine inundation events. This work presents a case study of the design and implementation of a forested bioshield established to protect a vulnerable wetland on Maui's south east coast. Although subject to coastal inundation, this ecosystem provides high quality habitat for numerous endangered species. Anthropogenic modifications around the wetlands, particularly the loss of the protective forest, have made this ecosystem vulnerable to future inundation events. Establishing an effective bioshield requires in-depth knowledge of both the frequency and intensity of inundation events, as well as effective tree species selection and their proper configuration within the bioshield. Here, we present palynological and archaeobotanical data from the studied wetlands, and combine this with local paleotsunami data, previously published data on forested bioshields, and traditional ecological knowledge to design, optimize and install an 8,000 m<sup>2</sup> forested bioshield, and review the wider benefits and limitations of this bioshield approach.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100945,"journal":{"name":"Nature-Based Solutions","volume":"7 ","pages":"Article 100222"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-02-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143529591","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
The whole process of Nature-based Solutions (NbS) implementation is a complex procedure that requires the achievement of many aspects to finish as a successful hit. One of these aspects is the assessment of the value and functionality of the NbS. In this paper, we present a description of the main aspects related to the assessment that are necessary for a successful NbS implementation process. First, we provide an evaluation of the monitoring processes, the performance on the NbS and the assessment of the NbS impact. The European projects framework provides a wide number of examples of NbS implementation and in the case of this paper, as is the case for the project on which this report is based. By considering KPI (Key Performance Indicators) and the NbS efficiency this document delivers an assessment of the impact of NbS and an overview of the final status of the interventions in each of city as demo site in the project. The assessment has been conducted considering two main sources of information: 1) Evaluations developed during the initial phases of the project and the weights assigned to each variable under study, including the prioritization of the KPIs for each NbS implemented in each demo city and the evaluation of the potential impact that those NbS produced on several city challenges. 2) The monitoring of the NbS implemented and data collected, which has provided the assessment of combined impact of each NbS regarding city challenges. Likewise, the paper describes the methodology applied to make the overall assessment of the NbS through the performance of the KPIs. Additionally, we show the data an analysis of the technical, economic, social and environmental barriers, boundaries appeared in the course of KPI monitoring, and NbS implementation phases in demo sites. As conclusion, our work provides a user-friendly assessment methodology that takes into account economic, technical, social and ecological aspects related to NbS implementation processes and that has been validated in real case studies.
{"title":"Recommendations for a successful assessment of Nature-based Solutions in an urban context. URBAN GreenUP project lessons learnt","authors":"Esther San Jose , Bárbara Díez , Silvia Gómez , Raquel Marijuán , Jorge Calvo , Thami Croeser , Trinh Tran Duc , Raúl Sánchez","doi":"10.1016/j.nbsj.2025.100221","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.nbsj.2025.100221","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The whole process of Nature-based Solutions (NbS) implementation is a complex procedure that requires the achievement of many aspects to finish as a successful hit. One of these aspects is the assessment of the value and functionality of the NbS. In this paper, we present a description of the main aspects related to the assessment that are necessary for a successful NbS implementation process. First, we provide an evaluation of the monitoring processes, the performance on the NbS and the assessment of the NbS impact. The European projects framework provides a wide number of examples of NbS implementation and in the case of this paper, as is the case for the project on which this report is based. By considering KPI (Key Performance Indicators) and the NbS efficiency this document delivers an assessment of the impact of NbS and an overview of the final status of the interventions in each of city as demo site in the project. The assessment has been conducted considering two main sources of information: 1) Evaluations developed during the initial phases of the project and the weights assigned to each variable under study, including the prioritization of the KPIs for each NbS implemented in each demo city and the evaluation of the potential impact that those NbS produced on several city challenges. 2) The monitoring of the NbS implemented and data collected, which has provided the assessment of combined impact of each NbS regarding city challenges. Likewise, the paper describes the methodology applied to make the overall assessment of the NbS through the performance of the KPIs. Additionally, we show the data an analysis of the technical, economic, social and environmental barriers, boundaries appeared in the course of KPI monitoring, and NbS implementation phases in demo sites. As conclusion, our work provides a user-friendly assessment methodology that takes into account economic, technical, social and ecological aspects related to NbS implementation processes and that has been validated in real case studies.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100945,"journal":{"name":"Nature-Based Solutions","volume":"7 ","pages":"Article 100221"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-02-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143510762","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
As climate change keeps progressing, the use of biochar and compost as nature-based materials emerges as sustainable alternative that can have a positive impact on agriculture. Such valuable organic materials produced from previously considered waste products are increasingly viewed as attractive nature-positive solutions to improve soil quality and fertility that could help in climate change mitigation and address sustainable development goals. In this study, compost and compost-derived biochar were produced from the organic fraction of municipal solid waste and tested as soil amendments for the cultivation of lettuce (Lactuca sativa L), irrigated with both tap water and secondary wastewater effluent. Physicochemical characterization of compost, biochar and soil showed that the investigated materials were not so rich, compared to biochars from different feedstocks but when applied to the soil for lettuce cultivation, they may provide a positive effect. The combined effect of the use of bio-based materials and irrigation with treated wastewater was found to lead to higher soil and crops quality. Longer crop growth cycles are necessary to clearly demonstrate the positive effect of biochar on crop yield. Such materials can effectively be used for sustainable agriculture, contributing to the promotion of nature-based solutions as useful tools that promote circular practices.
{"title":"Effect of compost and compost-derived biochar on the growth of lettuce irrigated with water and treated wastewater","authors":"Panagiotis Regkouzas, Nancy Katie, Konstantinos Bontiotis, Alexandros Stefanakis","doi":"10.1016/j.nbsj.2025.100220","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.nbsj.2025.100220","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>As climate change keeps progressing, the use of biochar and compost as nature-based materials emerges as sustainable alternative that can have a positive impact on agriculture. Such valuable organic materials produced from previously considered waste products are increasingly viewed as attractive nature-positive solutions to improve soil quality and fertility that could help in climate change mitigation and address sustainable development goals. In this study, compost and compost-derived biochar were produced from the organic fraction of municipal solid waste and tested as soil amendments for the cultivation of lettuce (Lactuca <em>sativa</em> L), irrigated with both tap water and secondary wastewater effluent. Physicochemical characterization of compost, biochar and soil showed that the investigated materials were not so rich, compared to biochars from different feedstocks but when applied to the soil for lettuce cultivation, they may provide a positive effect. The combined effect of the use of bio-based materials and irrigation with treated wastewater was found to lead to higher soil and crops quality. Longer crop growth cycles are necessary to clearly demonstrate the positive effect of biochar on crop yield. Such materials can effectively be used for sustainable agriculture, contributing to the promotion of nature-based solutions as useful tools that promote circular practices.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100945,"journal":{"name":"Nature-Based Solutions","volume":"7 ","pages":"Article 100220"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143145722","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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