Climate change and anthropogenic activities have exacerbated biodiversity loss and severely affected the overall health of the world’s ecosystems. Technological solutions, which are often lauded as multi-purpose remedies, are limited in their efficacy and often do not offer sustainable outcomes. Nature-based Solutions (NbS) are fast receiving recognition as holistic and integrated alternatives, which can account for the dynamic complexity of socio-ecological systemsi and use nature to minimise damage and increase resilience.
Initially put forward by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) in the late 2000s, in response to the negative consequences of climate change on natural ecosystems, the term NbS was defined as “actions to protect, sustainably manage, and restore natural or modified ecosystems, that address societal challenges effectively and adaptively, simultaneously providing human wellbeing and biodiversity benefits”. In addition to protecting the natural environment, NbS are meant to provide sustainable solutions for communities and help reduce vulnerability to the effects of climate change and other environmental threats.