Nature-based solutionS (NBS)
reduce risk with nature.
“Protect the land, and the land will protect you.
Destroy the land, and the land will destroy you.”
Over recent decades, the world has seen substantial progress in disaster risk reduction (DRR). But while people are now less likely to die in disasters (thanks to advances in early warning and preparedness, among others), disaster-related damages and losses have dramatically increased. Climate change as well as other environmental crises (biodiversity loss, pollution, ecosystem degradation) will make matters much worse, unless bold action is taken. UNDRR’s latest Global Assessment Report expects an average of 1.5 medium to large-scale disasters per day in the 2030s, while IFRC puts a very high price tag on ‘The Cost of Doing Nothing’, calling for exposure and vulnerability reduction as key priority.
Nature-based solutions (NbS) can be very effective to reduce risk, raise resilience, and restore ecosystems. Restoring watersheds, riverbanks, wetlands and forests, for instance, can bring both protective and direct benefits. Furthermore, they are often more cost-effective than purely grey alternatives to risk mitigation.
On this page we collated key resources for the integration of NbS in disaster risk reduction, including The Nature Navigator (IFRC 2022) and The Blue Guide to Coastal Resilience (The Nature Conservancy 2021) that Banyaneer helped develop.
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NbS are “actions to protect, sustainably manage and restore natural or modified ecosystems that address societal challenges effectively and adaptively, simultaneously providing human well-being and biodiversity benefits. Common societal challenges are climate change, food security, disaster risks, water security, social and economic development as well as human health.” (IUCN, 2016)
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Healthy ecosystems help protect communities from hazards. The Nature Navigator highlights their role as speed brakes, sponges, and stabilisers.
For instance, coastal ecosystems can reduce local wind speeds and storm surges. On slopes, forests help prevent rockfalls, landslides and avalanches, while also reducing flood risk locally and downstream.
Restoring and sustainably managing ecosystems as part of NbS helps strengthen and maintain their protective effect for communities.
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Yes, there are many. NbS typically have positive effects for livelihoods, health, food and water security, as well as for other dimensions of resilience.
In most contexts, the green measures applied as part of NbS are also more cost-effective than grey alternatives.
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Integrating NbS into DRR takes time, scale, and expertise.
Most efforts are pursued typically over timeframes that exceed those of many DRR projects - creating a masterplan of different project phases is therefore encouraged.
Often, a certain scale is also required to maximise the protective effect and to address issues at the scale of an ecosystem.
Furthermore, it is critical to have expertise on the specific ecosystems on board: this will help with initial assessments and design (e.g., what caused ecosystem degradation, what are the prospects and best options for restoration?).
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Yes. We can help you explore options, carry out assessments, connect you with ecosystem experts, as well as design, monitor, and evaluate projects that feature NbS.
Our team has been behind the development of The Nature Navigator (IFRC 2022) and The Blue Guide (TNC 2021), and has supported projects that helped restore ecosystems, reduce risk, and raise resilience.
Click here to send us a mail and explore support options.
Start here.
The Nature Navigator guides users to reduce disaster risk with nature, including through the use of nature-based solutions (NbS). It features foundations, starter options and more advanced solutions, as well as a chapter on the role of nature in disaster response and recovery. Aligned with the Road Map to Community Resilience, the Nature Navigator comes with solution factsheets as well as a two toolboxes for direct use (application toolbox) and the training of others (facilitation toolbox).
Explore more.
risk and resilience
IFRC (2021). The Road Map to Community Resilience v2
This new version of the Road Map integrates the Enhanced Vulnerability and Capacity Assessment (EVCA) and guides through the process of strengthening community resilience.
CARE (2019). Climate vulnerability and capacity analysis handbook.
This updated second edition includes a range of great tools for community-based risk assessments. Can be used to complement the IFRC Road Map.
key documents for nbs
UNDRR (2021) Nature-based Solutions for Disaster Risk Reduction: Words into Action.
This publication offers an excellent overview of NbS and links to the Sendai Framework. The section on main-streaming and upscaling is useful to link with government policies.
IUCN (2020). Global Standard for Nature-based Solutions.
This guide illustrates the eight criteria of the global standard with case studies and provides detailed indicators.
NBS in specific contexts
TNC (2021). The Blue Guide to coastal resilience.
A step-by-step guide to using NbS for DRR in coastal areas, the Blue Guide also links to more detailed manuals for specific ecosystems.
WWF (2016). Natural and nature-based flood management: A Green Guide.
A comprehensive guide for reducing flood risk in different landscapes/ecosystems as well as for specific flood types.
World Bank (2021). A Catalogue of Nature-Based Solutions for Urban Resilience.
This book looks at principles on integrating NbS into urban resilience planning, and features a catalogue of 14 solutions for the urban context (with detailed descriptions).
Makino et al. (2021). The protective functions of forests in a changing climate.
This publication highlights how forests can protect people and infrastructure. It contains many detailed country reports from across Europe.
Iseman et al. (2021). Nature-based solutions in agriculture – The case and pathway for adoption.
This book offers an overview of NbS for agriculture. It looks at farmer perspectives, policy implications, and includes four case studies.
This detailed overview of sustainable land management practices shows how altered practices can reduce disaster risk. Includes very detailed descriptions of practices.
This standard reference offers excellent guidance on ecological restoration. It also includes great monitoring tools.
Background on disaster risk reduction
UNDRR (2012): Global Assessment Report on Disaster Risk Reduction
The status of disaster risk reduction, with an outlook and recommendations. Part II focuses on biases and ways to better communicate risk.
In this report, the IFRC looks at the impact of climate change under different scenarios, and what it means for the humanitarian world.
Hallegate et al. (2017): Unbreakable. Building the resilience of the poor in the face of disasters
An excellent study that looks at the disproportionate impact of disasters on poor populations, and what can be done about it.
More guidance
Case study collections
Search for case studies that show what NbS may look like in different contexts.
Panorama - Solutions for a Healthy Planet Panorama is the broadest collection of ‘solutions’ that are presented with key building blocks. You can search by ecosystem type, theme, geography, or challenge, and apply countless additional filters. Many case studies come with step-by-step guides, photos, and background stories.
European Union OPPLA NbS case studies Oppla features around 300 case studies, many of whom relate to NbS in urban contexts. Search by keyword, scale, or main type. Note that most case studies are from Europe.
Naturally Resilient Communities - Case studies This portal features 23 NbS case studies from the United States, plus 30 well-documented solutions. Despite the narrow geographical focus of the NRC site, many cases apply also outside North America.
University of Oxford NbS initiative This site includes more than 100 case studies that are well-documented (e.g., outcomes are provided in detail). Search by country, ecosystem, intervention type, or climate change challenge.
WOCAT Sustainable Land Management Database This database includes a rich set of sustainable land management (SLM) technologies and approaches. The descriptions are very detailed; numerous filtering functions allow you to narrow down to those cases that are most relevant to your context.
Adaptation at Altitude Solutions Portal As the name suggests, this portal focuses chiefly on NbS specific to mountainous regions. You can filter by scale, ecosystem, solution type, sector, and impact category.
Nature4Climate Case studies This site has around 100 short case studies, categorised by main intervention approaches (restore, protect, manage), plus several more detailed studies (such as the case of flood-resilient ‘sponge cities’ in China).
World Bank NbS Knowledge Hub This hub has a thus far limited range of case studies but is nevertheless useful for background and research reports as well as strategy papers.