Future Brief: The solution is in nature

The latest policy update in the Future Brief, published in the Science for Environment Policy news and information service, looks into the current changes and amendments in the forecasting of environmental policy issues. The focus of the publication is placed on the excellence of nature-based solutions (NbS) and their likelihood to fight against climate change.

What becomes apparent in the Future Brief is the connection between biodiversity, climate and health crisis. Climate change accelerates the destruction of the natural world through extreme weather events such as droughts, flooding and wildfires. Biodiversity loss and unsustainable use of nature, driven by intense anthropogenic activities, in turn, reduce resilience to and further drive climate change. But just as the crises are linked, so are the solutions.

Nature-based solutions are considered to bring various benefits, as they increase reliance. By planting trees and deploying green infrastructure, NbS will help to cool urban areas and mitigate the impact of natural disasters.

The brief looks into the implementation of nature-based solutions through various perspectives, amongst which is economic valuation, monitoring and data collection on key indicators and the various challenges that can be addressed through NbS. Additionally, the social and economic opportunities that nature-based solutions provide, are also being discussed. The research demonstrates that nature-based solutions are as diverse in their benefits as they are in the myriad ways they could be implemented. NbS are currently at the forefront of global environmental change solutions, highlighted by their increasingly mainstream position in global conversations.

Read the full Future Brief here.