Pub Date : 2025-01-26DOI: 10.1016/j.nbsj.2025.100219
Ina Lehmann , Julia Grosinger , Steffen Bauer , Jean Carlo Rodríguez de Francisco , Katarzyna Negacz , Jonas Hein
Nature-based solutions (NbS) are an increasingly widespread tool in environment and development policies. They embody the idea that nature and natural processes can be purposefully used by humans to provide solutions to pressing environmental and social challenges. However, their potential to meet this ambition is contested, particularly in terms of the scale of the challenge, the risk of diverting attention from the need for decarbonisation, and examples of poorly implemented NbS projects. A largely overlooked but crucial factor concerning the effectiveness of NbS is time. In response to this gap, we develop a framework for systematising the ecological and social dimensions of time in NbS as well as the distinction between slow and fast processes. On this basis, we gather insights from a systematic literature review on key challenges related to slow and fast processes in both the ecological and social dimensions of time. For instance, the long maturation time of many species and ecosystems may be incompatible with the often short-term logic of NbS projects or with the dynamic character of ecosystems that may be challenging for continuous benefit provision. We also identify practical recommendations from the literature review for incorporating time into NbS design, for instance through adaptive monitoring, and we conclude with an urgent call for a more long-term perspective for NbS policies and practice.
{"title":"Time in and for nature-based solutions. No quick fix solutions for complex ecological and social processes","authors":"Ina Lehmann , Julia Grosinger , Steffen Bauer , Jean Carlo Rodríguez de Francisco , Katarzyna Negacz , Jonas Hein","doi":"10.1016/j.nbsj.2025.100219","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.nbsj.2025.100219","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Nature-based solutions (NbS) are an increasingly widespread tool in environment and development policies. They embody the idea that nature and natural processes can be purposefully used by humans to provide solutions to pressing environmental and social challenges. However, their potential to meet this ambition is contested, particularly in terms of the scale of the challenge, the risk of diverting attention from the need for decarbonisation, and examples of poorly implemented NbS projects. A largely overlooked but crucial factor concerning the effectiveness of NbS is time. In response to this gap, we develop a framework for systematising the ecological and social dimensions of time in NbS as well as the distinction between slow and fast processes. On this basis, we gather insights from a systematic literature review on key challenges related to slow and fast processes in both the ecological and social dimensions of time. For instance, the long maturation time of many species and ecosystems may be incompatible with the often short-term logic of NbS projects or with the dynamic character of ecosystems that may be challenging for continuous benefit provision. We also identify practical recommendations from the literature review for incorporating time into NbS design, for instance through adaptive monitoring, and we conclude with an urgent call for a more long-term perspective for NbS policies and practice.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100945,"journal":{"name":"Nature-Based Solutions","volume":"7 ","pages":"Article 100219"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143144453","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 : 2025-01-25DOI: 10.1016/j.nbsj.2025.100218
Rachel A. Burns , Ryan P. Mulligan , Megan Elliott , Danika van Proosdij , Enda Murphy
Managed dyke realignment is a method of creating more coastal wetland environments, by breaching constructed dykes (levees) to allow seawater driven by tides to flood the land surface and enable re-establishment of salt marshes over time. However, coastal land regions that are protected by dykes experience major hydrodynamic changes after breaching. To investigate these dynamics, a dyke in Atlantic Canada was purposefully breached and the adjacent land surface allowed to flood with the tides. Field measurements pre- and post-breach provide a rare opportunity to model the hydrodynamics of early dyke realignment in a hypertidal estuary in the Bay of Fundy. These include measurements of water levels and current velocities at spring tide collected across of field site. A numerical model with an unstructured flexible mesh (Delft3D-FM) was applied to examine the impacts of tidal flooding from a river channel, through the dyke breach and across the previously agricultural landscape that was historically a salt marsh. The model was used to simulate the hydrodynamics inside and around the breach before and after seawater flooding during spring tides, to evaluate the initial impacts of this nature-based method of managed dyke realignment. The results indicate that the breach was not wide enough to influence water levels within the Missaguash River. The depth-averaged current speeds can exceed 1 m s−1 within the breach and are typically <0.3 m s−1 across the flooded area with an average depth of 0.66 m over the simulation period with six tidal cycles. The model results also highlight the importance of high-resolution computational grids and variable bottom roughness for simulating the hydrodynamics of small-scale salt marsh restoration projects. Overall, the results may provide insight to researchers and practitioners in applying nature-based solutions to improve coastal resilience.
有管理的堤防调整是一种创造更多沿海湿地环境的方法，通过破坏已建成的堤防（堤），使潮汐驱动的海水淹没陆地表面，并随着时间的推移重新建立盐沼。然而，受堤防保护的沿海陆地区域在决堤后会发生较大的水动力变化。为了研究这些动态，加拿大大西洋地区的一个堤坝被故意破坏，邻近的陆地表面被潮汐淹没。决口前后的野外测量为模拟芬迪湾高潮河口早期堤防调整的水动力学提供了难得的机会。这些包括测量水位和在整个现场收集的大潮流速。一个带有非结构化柔性网格的数值模型（Delft3D-FM）被应用于研究潮汐洪水从河道、穿过堤坝决口和穿过以前的农业景观（历史上是盐沼）的影响。利用该模型模拟了春潮期间海水淹没前后决口内部和决口周围的水动力学，以评估这种基于自然的管理堤防调整方法的初步影响。结果表明，决口的宽度不足以影响米萨瓜什河的水位。在六个潮汐周期的模拟期间，裂口内的深度平均流速可超过1 m s - 1，在平均深度为0.66 m的淹没区，流速通常为0.3 m s - 1。模型结果还强调了高分辨率计算网格和可变底部粗糙度对模拟小规模盐沼恢复工程水动力学的重要性。总的来说，研究结果可以为研究人员和实践者提供应用基于自然的解决方案来提高沿海恢复力的见解。
{"title":"Numerical modelling of the hydrodynamics driven by tidal flooding of the land surface after dyke breaching","authors":"Rachel A. Burns , Ryan P. Mulligan , Megan Elliott , Danika van Proosdij , Enda Murphy","doi":"10.1016/j.nbsj.2025.100218","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.nbsj.2025.100218","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Managed dyke realignment is a method of creating more coastal wetland environments, by breaching constructed dykes (levees) to allow seawater driven by tides to flood the land surface and enable re-establishment of salt marshes over time. However, coastal land regions that are protected by dykes experience major hydrodynamic changes after breaching. To investigate these dynamics, a dyke in Atlantic Canada was purposefully breached and the adjacent land surface allowed to flood with the tides. Field measurements pre- and post-breach provide a rare opportunity to model the hydrodynamics of early dyke realignment in a hypertidal estuary in the Bay of Fundy. These include measurements of water levels and current velocities at spring tide collected across of field site. A numerical model with an unstructured flexible mesh (Delft3D-FM) was applied to examine the impacts of tidal flooding from a river channel, through the dyke breach and across the previously agricultural landscape that was historically a salt marsh. The model was used to simulate the hydrodynamics inside and around the breach before and after seawater flooding during spring tides, to evaluate the initial impacts of this nature-based method of managed dyke realignment. The results indicate that the breach was not wide enough to influence water levels within the Missaguash River. The depth-averaged current speeds can exceed 1 m <em>s</em><sup>−1</sup> within the breach and are typically <0.3 m <em>s</em><sup>−1</sup> across the flooded area with an average depth of 0.66 m over the simulation period with six tidal cycles. The model results also highlight the importance of high-resolution computational grids and variable bottom roughness for simulating the hydrodynamics of small-scale salt marsh restoration projects. Overall, the results may provide insight to researchers and practitioners in applying nature-based solutions to improve coastal resilience.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100945,"journal":{"name":"Nature-Based Solutions","volume":"7 ","pages":"Article 100218"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143144455","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 : 2025-01-23DOI: 10.1016/j.nbsj.2025.100216
Caroline Kibii , Flávia Guerra , Philip Bonera Bananayo, Simone Sandholz
Nature-based Solutions (NbS) are gaining much recognition for their contribution to addressing climate change impacts and overall environmental challenges in urban areas. NbS in urban areas have been associated with varied benefits and ecosystem services such as flood management, cooling effects and recreational values. However, implementation and effectiveness are influenced by various factors, such as space availability. In urban informal urban settlements with limited space, and high exposure to climate risks, NbS implementation is particularly challenging, despite their proven benefits. Noting the heterogeneity of informal settlements, understanding the existing NbS and how they are perceived locally is crucial for their uptake. Based on surveys and interviews in the informal settlements of in Kibera (Nairobi, Kenya) and Villa 20 (Buenos Aires, Argentina), implemented NbS, their particular benefits and perception as well as key factors influencing their implementation, effectiveness and acceptance were identified. Lastly, the extent to which the identified NbS can be considered transformative was assessed. A key conclusion of the paper is that despite differences in geographies and upgrading and planning processes in the two settlements, somewhat similar NbS enablers and barriers could be identified. NbS effectiveness and sustainability in urban informal settlements seem realizable with active multi-stakeholder engagements and consistent integration of NbS initiatives into participatory urban planning programs and policies. Looking into NbS dimensions beyond environmental benefits can be particularly helpful to identify barriers, enablers but also transformative potentials, thereby supporting sustainable livelihoods, capacitation and participation of dwellers.
{"title":"Nature-based solutions for climate change adaptation and resilience in urban informal settlements: Insights from kibera, kenya and Villa 20, Argentina","authors":"Caroline Kibii , Flávia Guerra , Philip Bonera Bananayo, Simone Sandholz","doi":"10.1016/j.nbsj.2025.100216","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.nbsj.2025.100216","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Nature-based Solutions (NbS) are gaining much recognition for their contribution to addressing climate change impacts and overall environmental challenges in urban areas. NbS in urban areas have been associated with varied benefits and ecosystem services such as flood management, cooling effects and recreational values. However, implementation and effectiveness are influenced by various factors, such as space availability. In urban informal urban settlements with limited space, and high exposure to climate risks, NbS implementation is particularly challenging, despite their proven benefits. Noting the heterogeneity of informal settlements, understanding the existing NbS and how they are perceived locally is crucial for their uptake. Based on surveys and interviews in the informal settlements of in Kibera (Nairobi, Kenya) and Villa 20 (Buenos Aires, Argentina), implemented NbS, their particular benefits and perception as well as key factors influencing their implementation, effectiveness and acceptance were identified. Lastly, the extent to which the identified NbS can be considered transformative was assessed. A key conclusion of the paper is that despite differences in geographies and upgrading and planning processes in the two settlements, somewhat similar NbS enablers and barriers could be identified. NbS effectiveness and sustainability in urban informal settlements seem realizable with active multi-stakeholder engagements and consistent integration of NbS initiatives into participatory urban planning programs and policies. Looking into NbS dimensions beyond environmental benefits can be particularly helpful to identify barriers, enablers but also transformative potentials, thereby supporting sustainable livelihoods, capacitation and participation of dwellers.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100945,"journal":{"name":"Nature-Based Solutions","volume":"7 ","pages":"Article 100216"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143144456","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 : 2025-01-22DOI: 10.1016/j.nbsj.2025.100215
Maoko Yoshino , Kazuo Asahiro
Fukuoka City is one of Japan's most advanced cities in incorporating climate change and greening into its policies. This study focuses on seven port green areas adjacent to Hakata Port in Fukuoka City. The purpose of this study is to clarify the relationship between the tree growth vitality and the outline of the plan in port green areas within 100m of the coastline and to provide guidelines for sustainable green space management. During the field survey, tree species in the port green space were identified, and the growth activity of representative tree species was evaluated. A literature review and interviews with stakeholders provided insight into the historical and technical aspects of green space development from the 1970s to the 2000s. The study identified Machilus thunbergii, Morella rubra, and Pasania edulis as representative tree species forming the port green space in Fukuoka City. These trees showed a trend of fewer trees with poor growth vigor in green spaces opened between 1995 and 2007, suggesting that differences in growth vigor reflect greening maintenance policies, soil research results, and other factors. However, growth differences may also be influenced by soil conditions, wind speeds, and human activities. Therefore, further analysis using more detailed physical and chemical surveys, wind conditions, and human use data is needed. By reviewing 35 years of port green space development, this study confirms that iterative maintenance improvements and policy establishment have contributed to better tree growth vitality.
{"title":"A basic study on tree growth and landscape greening in Coastal Urban areas: The case of Hakata port in Fukuoka City, Japan","authors":"Maoko Yoshino , Kazuo Asahiro","doi":"10.1016/j.nbsj.2025.100215","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.nbsj.2025.100215","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Fukuoka City is one of Japan's most advanced cities in incorporating climate change and greening into its policies. This study focuses on seven port green areas adjacent to Hakata Port in Fukuoka City. The purpose of this study is to clarify the relationship between the tree growth vitality and the outline of the plan in port green areas within 100m of the coastline and to provide guidelines for sustainable green space management. During the field survey, tree species in the port green space were identified, and the growth activity of representative tree species was evaluated. A literature review and interviews with stakeholders provided insight into the historical and technical aspects of green space development from the 1970s to the 2000s. The study identified <em>Machilus thunbergii, Morella rubra</em>, and <em>Pasania edulis</em> as representative tree species forming the port green space in Fukuoka City. These trees showed a trend of fewer trees with poor growth vigor in green spaces opened between 1995 and 2007, suggesting that differences in growth vigor reflect greening maintenance policies, soil research results, and other factors. However, growth differences may also be influenced by soil conditions, wind speeds, and human activities. Therefore, further analysis using more detailed physical and chemical surveys, wind conditions, and human use data is needed. By reviewing 35 years of port green space development, this study confirms that iterative maintenance improvements and policy establishment have contributed to better tree growth vitality.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100945,"journal":{"name":"Nature-Based Solutions","volume":"7 ","pages":"Article 100215"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143144454","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 : 2025-01-15DOI: 10.1016/j.nbsj.2025.100214
Roland Löwe , Martina Viti , Karsten Arnbjerg-Nielsen , Jacob Ladenburg
Space is a highly valued asset in cities. This is a key reason why nature-based solutions (NBS) for water management are often perceived to be more expensive than traditional grey solutions. However, the allocation of space also provides benefits relative to grey solutions. In a planning paradigm driven by cost-effectiveness, NBS implementation requires methods for quantifying these benefits in a standardized and easily applicable manner. Based on 114 stated-preference valuation studies of nature in urban areas and openly available geographic data from the developed world, we develop a predictive metamodel for the aggregate benefit value of urban nature, covering the entire range of NBS types with sizes from 0.5 to 900,000 ha. Using a cross-validation procedure, we compare the predictive performance of 8.4 million model permutations that consider different combinations of site properties and topographic and socio-economic characteristics of the surroundings as input. We find that the aggregate benefit value is determined by the size of the nature areas and population densities in their surroundings. There is clear evidence for substitution effects where available nature areas reduce the willingness to pay for new nature. Beyond the dependency on area, there is little evidence for making distinctions between nature types. Economic values do depend on the average income at a site, but these variations are entirely captured by purchase power corrections. Our value estimates are aligned with related literature and range between 150 and 400,000 USD/ha/year. A Python implementation of our metamodel is provided alongside this paper, which generates maps of the predicted values for any place in Europe in a spatial resolution of 100m.
{"title":"Amenity valuation of urban and peri‑urban nature in high resolution on continental scale","authors":"Roland Löwe , Martina Viti , Karsten Arnbjerg-Nielsen , Jacob Ladenburg","doi":"10.1016/j.nbsj.2025.100214","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.nbsj.2025.100214","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Space is a highly valued asset in cities. This is a key reason why nature-based solutions (NBS) for water management are often perceived to be more expensive than traditional grey solutions. However, the allocation of space also provides benefits relative to grey solutions. In a planning paradigm driven by cost-effectiveness, NBS implementation requires methods for quantifying these benefits in a standardized and easily applicable manner. Based on 114 stated-preference valuation studies of nature in urban areas and openly available geographic data from the developed world, we develop a predictive metamodel for the aggregate benefit value of urban nature, covering the entire range of NBS types with sizes from 0.5 to 900,000 ha. Using a cross-validation procedure, we compare the predictive performance of 8.4 million model permutations that consider different combinations of site properties and topographic and socio-economic characteristics of the surroundings as input. We find that the aggregate benefit value is determined by the size of the nature areas and population densities in their surroundings. There is clear evidence for substitution effects where available nature areas reduce the willingness to pay for new nature. Beyond the dependency on area, there is little evidence for making distinctions between nature types. Economic values do depend on the average income at a site, but these variations are entirely captured by purchase power corrections. Our value estimates are aligned with related literature and range between 150 and 400,000 USD/ha/year. A Python implementation of our metamodel is provided alongside this paper, which generates maps of the predicted values for any place in Europe in a spatial resolution of 100m.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100945,"journal":{"name":"Nature-Based Solutions","volume":"7 ","pages":"Article 100214"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143145745","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 : 2025-01-10DOI: 10.1016/j.nbsj.2025.100213
Derek Kawiti , Albert Refiti , Amanda Yates , Elisapeta Heta , Sibyl Bloomfield , Victoria Chanse , Maibritt Pedersen Zari
This perspective article is derived from conversations between leading Indigenous academics and practitioners in the fields of architecture and urban design recorded at a keynote panel at the 2023 NUWAO International Symposium on Nature-based Urban Climate Adaptation for Wellbeing, held at Te Herenga Waka Victoria University of Wellington, Aotearoa New Zealand. The focus of the discussion was Indigenous design for adaptation to climate change in Moananui Oceania with an emphasis on relationships to nature. Given the diversity of Moananui Oceania in terms of languages, cultures, histories, and worldviews, this discussion represented a unique convergence of Indigenous leadership and thought in the field. It highlighted key themes related to Indigenous design for climate change adaptation and offered a novel, distinctive perspective aimed at advancing thinking around nature-based solutions (NbS). It is important to recognise and integrate Indigenous values and approaches to knowledge generation, particularly within academic settings. In the context of Moananui Oceania this can require adapting oral traditions and formats, such as talanoa, and hui or kōrero, into conventional Western-based research formats such as the journal article. This paper is an attempt to capture important Indigenous knowledge and discussion in a western format to enable further dissemination and sharing. This means the format and methodologies described in the paper do not align exactly with traditional scientific journal article formats, however the discussions and findings help to meet the motivation of the authors, which is to transform traditional Indigenous ways of sharing information into a perspective article format and share insights with a wider audience. This methodology aligns well with the special issue call that this paper resides in (Just, Socio-ecological Urban Transformation: Nature-based Solutions and Traditional Ecological Knowledge), underpinning the relevance and potential contribution to the field. Two key themes were explored within the context of the importance of working with nature; relationships between ecologies and tikanga (customary practices), and looking backwards to generate innovation and resilience.
{"title":"Indigenous knowledge, architecture, and nature in the context of Oceania","authors":"Derek Kawiti , Albert Refiti , Amanda Yates , Elisapeta Heta , Sibyl Bloomfield , Victoria Chanse , Maibritt Pedersen Zari","doi":"10.1016/j.nbsj.2025.100213","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.nbsj.2025.100213","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This perspective article is derived from conversations between leading Indigenous academics and practitioners in the fields of architecture and urban design recorded at a keynote panel at the 2023 NUWAO International Symposium on Nature-based Urban Climate Adaptation for Wellbeing, held at Te Herenga Waka Victoria University of Wellington, Aotearoa New Zealand. The focus of the discussion was Indigenous design for adaptation to climate change in <em>Moananui</em> Oceania with an emphasis on relationships to nature. Given the diversity of Moananui Oceania in terms of languages, cultures, histories, and worldviews, this discussion represented a unique convergence of Indigenous leadership and thought in the field. It highlighted key themes related to Indigenous design for climate change adaptation and offered a novel, distinctive perspective aimed at advancing thinking around nature-based solutions (NbS). It is important to recognise and integrate Indigenous values and approaches to knowledge generation, particularly within academic settings. In the context of <em>Moananui</em> Oceania this can require adapting oral traditions and formats, such as <em>talanoa</em>, and <em>hui</em> or <em>kōrero</em>, into conventional Western-based research formats such as the journal article. This paper is an attempt to capture important Indigenous knowledge and discussion in a western format to enable further dissemination and sharing. This means the format and methodologies described in the paper do not align exactly with traditional scientific journal article formats, however the discussions and findings help to meet the motivation of the authors, which is to transform traditional Indigenous ways of sharing information into a perspective article format and share insights with a wider audience. This methodology aligns well with the special issue call that this paper resides in (Just, Socio-ecological Urban Transformation: Nature-based Solutions and Traditional Ecological Knowledge), underpinning the relevance and potential contribution to the field. Two key themes were explored within the context of the importance of working with nature; relationships between ecologies and <em>tikanga</em> (customary practices), and looking backwards to generate innovation and resilience.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100945,"journal":{"name":"Nature-Based Solutions","volume":"7 ","pages":"Article 100213"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143145744","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 : 2025-01-06DOI: 10.1016/j.nbsj.2025.100212
Ella Uppala , Johanna Deak Sjöman , Tobias Emilsson , Marcus Hedblom
Urban nature-based solutions (NbS) can help to address larger societal challenges, such as climate adaptation and mitigation, by delivering multiple ecosystem services simultaneously. As multifunctional vegetation is a prerequisite for many types of NbS, finding methods for cost-effective planting design and vegetation management is vital for optimizing urban NbS performance. Designed Plant Communities (DPC) is a framework for planting design and vegetation management that endeavors to combine high aesthetic and biodiversity values with low management costs through species-rich vegetation. In this literature review, we elaborate on the design and management objectives and performance goals for vegetation in the DPC-framework and assess how scientific evidence provided by global DPC-research contributes to fulfilling four NbS criteria. This scoping review of 51 research papers shows that the DPC framework and its related evidence base align with the NbS criteria. Despite covering a large variety of vegetation types, geographical locations and NbS unit types, current DPC research gives concrete and reliable evidence on only a few research topics. The knowledge gaps on urban vegetation design and management identified in this review indicate that improving vegetated NbS performance will require further research into plant ecology and the specific ecosystem services provided by plants. Enhancing vegetated NbS performance will additionally require translating research into evidence-based planting design and vegetation management guidelines to facilitate the long-term development of reliable high-performing multifunctional urban vegetation.
{"title":"Reviewing designed plant communities’ potential for optimizing the performance of urban nature-based solutions","authors":"Ella Uppala , Johanna Deak Sjöman , Tobias Emilsson , Marcus Hedblom","doi":"10.1016/j.nbsj.2025.100212","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.nbsj.2025.100212","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Urban nature-based solutions (NbS) can help to address larger societal challenges, such as climate adaptation and mitigation, by delivering multiple ecosystem services simultaneously. As multifunctional vegetation is a prerequisite for many types of NbS, finding methods for cost-effective planting design and vegetation management is vital for optimizing urban NbS performance. Designed Plant Communities (DPC) is a framework for planting design and vegetation management that endeavors to combine high aesthetic and biodiversity values with low management costs through species-rich vegetation. In this literature review, we elaborate on the design and management objectives and performance goals for vegetation in the DPC-framework and assess how scientific evidence provided by global DPC-research contributes to fulfilling four NbS criteria. This scoping review of 51 research papers shows that the DPC framework and its related evidence base align with the NbS criteria. Despite covering a large variety of vegetation types, geographical locations and NbS unit types, current DPC research gives concrete and reliable evidence on only a few research topics. The knowledge gaps on urban vegetation design and management identified in this review indicate that improving vegetated NbS performance will require further research into plant ecology and the specific ecosystem services provided by plants. Enhancing vegetated NbS performance will additionally require translating research into evidence-based planting design and vegetation management guidelines to facilitate the long-term development of reliable high-performing multifunctional urban vegetation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100945,"journal":{"name":"Nature-Based Solutions","volume":"7 ","pages":"Article 100212"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143145721","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}
Urban blue infrastructure provides multiple economic, social, and ecological benefits to local residents, and can enhance urban sustainability. However, few studies have examined the potential of traditional forms of blue infrastructure as nature-based solutions for mitigating common challenges of urban sustainability. The perceptions of 616 urban dwellers from four Indian megacities were analyzed through surveys to understand and demonstrate how blue infrastructure can be seen as a nature-based solution to urban sustainability challenges. A quantitative methodology involving descriptive statistics, Spearman correlations, and binary logistic regression was used to analyze survey data. Results showed that blue infrastructure provides multiple ecosystem services to the urban residents, with regulating and cultural services being most prominently valued. Both neglected and well-maintained blue infrastructure demonstrated significant potential as nature-based solutions for improving urban sustainability, but they contribute differently. The socio-cultural characteristics of the respondents significantly influenced their perceptions of the significance of blue infrastructure in addressing urban sustainability challenges.
{"title":"Blue infrastructure as nature-based solutions for urban sustainability: Evaluating local perceptions from four Indian megacities","authors":"Koushik Chowdhury , Sukanya Basu , Malay Pramanik , Tobias Plieninger","doi":"10.1016/j.nbsj.2025.100211","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.nbsj.2025.100211","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Urban blue infrastructure provides multiple economic, social, and ecological benefits to local residents, and can enhance urban sustainability. However, few studies have examined the potential of traditional forms of blue infrastructure as nature-based solutions for mitigating common challenges of urban sustainability. The perceptions of 616 urban dwellers from four Indian megacities were analyzed through surveys to understand and demonstrate how blue infrastructure can be seen as a nature-based solution to urban sustainability challenges. A quantitative methodology involving descriptive statistics, Spearman correlations, and binary logistic regression was used to analyze survey data. Results showed that blue infrastructure provides multiple ecosystem services to the urban residents, with regulating and cultural services being most prominently valued. Both neglected and well-maintained blue infrastructure demonstrated significant potential as nature-based solutions for improving urban sustainability, but they contribute differently. The socio-cultural characteristics of the respondents significantly influenced their perceptions of the significance of blue infrastructure in addressing urban sustainability challenges.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100945,"journal":{"name":"Nature-Based Solutions","volume":"7 ","pages":"Article 100211"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143145746","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 : 2024-12-26DOI: 10.1016/j.nbsj.2024.100210
L. Sciuto , F. Licciardello , E.R. Giuffrida , S. Barresi , V. Scavera , D. Verde , S. Barbagallo , G.L. Cirelli
Traditional interventions, based on grey infrastructure approaches, have demonstrated ineffectiveness in managing stormwater in urban environments under the pressures of climate change and urbanization. Nature-Based Solutions (NBS) and related measures such as Green Urban Infrastructures (GUIs) have emerged as advantageous solutions for climate resilience that contribute to climate adaptation and mitigation by minimizing water quantity and improving water quality. An appropriate combination of NBS with traditional grey infrastructures should be implemented to retain, decelerate, infiltrate, and gradually release rainwater. This study aims to identify flood risk areas, locate NBS (i.e., green roofs, rain gardens, porous pavements, rain barrels, and infiltration basins), and evaluate the effectiveness of various small-scale NBS types and combinations in terms of flood peak reduction and delay, as well as runoff volume reduction. To achieve the objective, a novel approach incorporating the integrated utilization of both hydraulic (HEC-RAS) and hydrological models (EPA SWMM), as well as images from traffic and mobile phone cameras, is implemented and validated. This approach is applied to a Sicilian hydrological urban catchment where health facilities providing essential services are situated. Specifically, five distinct scenarios are formulated by varying the type of NBS and their implementation percentages, considering both public areas and fiscal measures. Model simulations are conducted with return periods (T) of 10, 50, and 200 years. Real-time and freely available Volunteered Geographic Information (VGI) images have demonstrated to be a viable alternative to traditional monitoring equipment for validating hydraulic models in data-scarce areas. Furthermore, the findings accentuate the suitability of the proposed methodological approach, enabling effective NBS placement that yields significant reductions in peak flow, runoff volume, and flood area extent. Additionally, the model applications facilitate (i) the evaluation of the performance of different NBS types used in combination for the three considered T values and (ii) the identification of the runoff depth at which NBS are most effective in urban Mediterranean areas.
{"title":"Hydrological-hydraulic modelling to assess Nature-Based Solutions for flood risk mitigation in an urban area of Catania (Sicily, Italy)","authors":"L. Sciuto , F. Licciardello , E.R. Giuffrida , S. Barresi , V. Scavera , D. Verde , S. Barbagallo , G.L. Cirelli","doi":"10.1016/j.nbsj.2024.100210","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.nbsj.2024.100210","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Traditional interventions, based on grey infrastructure approaches, have demonstrated ineffectiveness in managing stormwater in urban environments under the pressures of climate change and urbanization. Nature-Based Solutions (NBS) and related measures such as Green Urban Infrastructures (GUIs) have emerged as advantageous solutions for climate resilience that contribute to climate adaptation and mitigation by minimizing water quantity and improving water quality. An appropriate combination of NBS with traditional grey infrastructures should be implemented to retain, decelerate, infiltrate, and gradually release rainwater. This study aims to identify flood risk areas, locate NBS (i.e., green roofs, rain gardens, porous pavements, rain barrels, and infiltration basins), and evaluate the effectiveness of various small-scale NBS types and combinations in terms of flood peak reduction and delay, as well as runoff volume reduction. To achieve the objective, a novel approach incorporating the integrated utilization of both hydraulic (HEC-RAS) and hydrological models (EPA SWMM), as well as images from traffic and mobile phone cameras, is implemented and validated. This approach is applied to a Sicilian hydrological urban catchment where health facilities providing essential services are situated. Specifically, five distinct scenarios are formulated by varying the type of NBS and their implementation percentages, considering both public areas and fiscal measures. Model simulations are conducted with return periods (T) of 10, 50, and 200 years. Real-time and freely available Volunteered Geographic Information (VGI) images have demonstrated to be a viable alternative to traditional monitoring equipment for validating hydraulic models in data-scarce areas. Furthermore, the findings accentuate the suitability of the proposed methodological approach, enabling effective NBS placement that yields significant reductions in peak flow, runoff volume, and flood area extent. Additionally, the model applications facilitate (i) the evaluation of the performance of different NBS types used in combination for the three considered T values and (ii) the identification of the runoff depth at which NBS are most effective in urban Mediterranean areas.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100945,"journal":{"name":"Nature-Based Solutions","volume":"7 ","pages":"Article 100210"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-12-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143145747","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 : 2024-12-19DOI: 10.1016/j.nbsj.2024.100206
Artur Branny , Erik Andersson , Timon McPhearson
Extreme weather events are on the rise, increasingly impacting cities and their urban populations. In response, urban greening and nature-based solutions (NbS) have emerged as key approaches for reducing risks from multiple types of extreme climate and weather events while making a positive impact on urban social and environmental inequities. NbS interventions are high on urban agendas worldwide, but in practice, they often are hyper-local and contain novel ecological entities, with unknown capacity to deal with different pressures and disturbances. Thus, there is an urgent need to build knowledge around how, when, and under what circumstances different NbS can be expected to perform their functions as intended. One step towards building, and then constantly updating, such knowledge is to establish practices for monitoring and evaluating NbS.
In this study, we showcase a novel approach based on wireless sensor technology that harnesses hyperlocal data in real time to understand the direct impact of NbS on the local climate across seasonal variation and under extreme weather conditions. We aimed to quantify to what extent NbS are contributing to ecosystem services such as cooling.
To answer this, we installed eighteen microsensor weather stations across the biggest and most recent sustainable urban development in Sweden - Stockholm Royal Seaport. We investigated five distinct types of NbS - forest parks, green courtyards, rain gardens, green roofs, and lawns, during the summer of 2021 to examine whether real-time temperature changes varied between NbS site types. Despite large differences in vegetation and urban landscape, we did not observe a clear trend in air temperature differences between sites, even for experimental reference sites. Our analysis reveals that forest parks are the coolest and the green roofs are the warmest green places overall. The largest differences in daytime temperatures reached up to 2 °C difference between sites in summer, which gradually disappeared during cooler months. Our results suggest that regional weather dynamics dominate over the Stockholm Royal Seaport's micro-climate, leading to a relative similarity in NbS cooling performances. Though the district overall may be too homogeneous to affect air temperature variation and local NbS too small to alter the regional weather patterns, we nonetheless conclude that ecosystem services of NbS should not be taken for granted. Results suggest that NbS interventions, almost regardless of type, need to be considered and implemented at larger district scales to add up to the substantial total green cover needed to impact local and regional temperatures.
{"title":"Micro-climate of nature-based solutions in stockholm royal seaport","authors":"Artur Branny , Erik Andersson , Timon McPhearson","doi":"10.1016/j.nbsj.2024.100206","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.nbsj.2024.100206","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Extreme weather events are on the rise, increasingly impacting cities and their urban populations. In response, urban greening and nature-based solutions (NbS) have emerged as key approaches for reducing risks from multiple types of extreme climate and weather events while making a positive impact on urban social and environmental inequities. NbS interventions are high on urban agendas worldwide, but in practice, they often are hyper-local and contain novel ecological entities, with unknown capacity to deal with different pressures and disturbances. Thus, there is an urgent need to build knowledge around how, when, and under what circumstances different NbS can be expected to perform their functions as intended. One step towards building, and then constantly updating, such knowledge is to establish practices for monitoring and evaluating NbS.</div><div>In this study, we showcase a novel approach based on wireless sensor technology that harnesses hyperlocal data in real time to understand the direct impact of NbS on the local climate across seasonal variation and under extreme weather conditions. We aimed to quantify to what extent NbS are contributing to ecosystem services such as cooling.</div><div>To answer this, we installed eighteen microsensor weather stations across the biggest and most recent sustainable urban development in Sweden - Stockholm Royal Seaport. We investigated five distinct types of NbS - forest parks, green courtyards, rain gardens, green roofs, and lawns, during the summer of 2021 to examine whether real-time temperature changes varied between NbS site types. Despite large differences in vegetation and urban landscape, we did not observe a clear trend in air temperature differences between sites, even for experimental reference sites. Our analysis reveals that forest parks are the coolest and the green roofs are the warmest green places overall. The largest differences in daytime temperatures reached up to 2 °C difference between sites in summer, which gradually disappeared during cooler months. Our results suggest that regional weather dynamics dominate over the Stockholm Royal Seaport's micro-climate, leading to a relative similarity in NbS cooling performances. Though the district overall may be too homogeneous to affect air temperature variation and local NbS too small to alter the regional weather patterns, we nonetheless conclude that ecosystem services of NbS should not be taken for granted. Results suggest that NbS interventions, almost regardless of type, need to be considered and implemented at larger district scales to add up to the substantial total green cover needed to impact local and regional temperatures.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100945,"journal":{"name":"Nature-Based Solutions","volume":"7 ","pages":"Article 100206"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-12-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143145749","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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