What do we mean by NbS?
NbS are defined by IUCN as “actions to protect, sustainably manage and restore natural or modified ecosystems that address societal challenges effectively and adaptively”
NbS means making nature an ally to adapt to climate change impacts. In concrete terms, it means relying on capital that nature offers us, such as forests, mangroves, salt marshes, sea grass beds (etc.).
The implementation of NbS brings many co-benefits, some of which are particularly key in the context of the Kiwa Initiative, such as closing the gender gap and the inclusion of vulnerable people.
NbS can be classified into several categories:
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Ecosystem restoration (e.g. ecological restoration, ecological engineering and forest landscape restoration)
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Infrastructure approaches (e.g. green infrastructure approaches)
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Ecosystem-based management approaches (e.g., integrated coastal zone management and integrated water resources management)
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Ecosystem protection (e.g., area-based conservation approaches, including protected area management)
Some examples of projects using NbS for climate change adaptation:
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Restoring and sustainably managing wetlands and rivers to maintain or boost fish stocks and fisheries-based livelihoods, reduce the risk of flooding, and provide recreational and tourism benefits
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Conserving forests to support food and energy security, local incomes, climate change adaption and mitigation, and biodiversity
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Restoring drylands to strengthen water security, local livelihoods and resilience to climate change impacts
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Developing and implementing green infrastructures - Using natural coastal infrastructure such as barrier islands, mangrove forests and coral reefs to protect shorelines and communities from coastal flooding and reduce the impacts of sea-level rise
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Community-based fisheries/resource management
