We face many climate challenges these days. Rising seas that threaten to submerge cities, CO2 and particulate matter polluting the air, extreme heat and drought, heavy rain or flooding of cities. Events like these are becoming more and more frequent these days. But how do we deal with these problems? We need look no further than nature, which holds many of the secrets and solutions.
By Synna Geissler
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In many parts of the world, people have faced environmental challenges by building static engineered interventions, such as seawalls to protect cities from flooding or air filters to keep the air clean. Although these measures prove to be very effective, at least in the short term, they tend to be very expensive and only deal with the symptoms of these adverse effects of climate change, not the causes.
Nature-based solutions on the other hand, focus on keeping a whole cycle going. They are locally adapted, inspired by nature, and at the same time cost-effective. Rather than fighting nature, you are working with it!
Research published in The Nature Conservancy shows that nature-based solutions can even provide up to 37 percent of the emissions reductions needed by 2030 to keep global warming below 2 degrees and ultimately meet the goals of the Paris Agreement.
In short, they are measures to protect, sustainably manage or restore natural ecosystems such as food and water security, climate change, disaster risks and human health. They are inspired by nature and focus on bringing an ecosystem into harmony to address several of our most pressing societal challenges at once.
A problem such as flooding in coastal areas, for example, can in this sense be addressed with measures that take advantage of ecosystem services, such as tree planting. The advantage of planting trees (mangroves), rather than working with traditional man-made, grey infrastructure such as walls or dikes, is that it not only reduces storms and flooding, but also creates new habitat for fish, birds and other plants that promote biodiversity. They also filter water, provide valuable timber and food for coastal communities, and can store large amounts of carbon.
But besides preserving and restoring natural ecosystems, Nature-based solutions can also be used to create new ecosystems, such as creating greener cities. A problem in cities today is that forests and wetlands are being replaced by buildings and non-permeable infrastructure, which prevents rainwater from being absorbed by the ground. This consequently allows flooding to occur. Wastewater that is then washed into lakes or rivers simultaneously pollutes drinking water and harms animals and humans.
By incorporating green roofs, rain gardens or constructed wetlands into urban development, harmful runoff and flooding can be minimised as rainwater is immediately absorbed. Additionally, Nature-based solutions help keep cities cooler in the summer, support birds and other pollinators, and benefit people’s mental and physical health.
However, even with Nature-based solutions there are a few things to consider. For example, when planting trees, it is important not to plant just any trees (especially not alien species), but rather to be oriented towards the indigenous vegetation and to grow only trees that are native to the area. Alien species can actually do more harm than good. They could overtake and drive out local species or cut their water supply, amongst other detrimental factors.
At Greenpop, we use Nature-based solutions like biomimicry, which refers to the process of mimicking the areas where we plant. This means that we look at native species and their growth, and mimic the natural system to provide resilience for that particular location.
