Are nature-based solutions the answer to the climate emergency?

Global Director for Climate Adaptation

The climate is changing. The unprecedented speed at which this is occurring and impacting events – like flooding, storms and extreme heat – most definitely is a cause for alarm. Just last year, human-induced climate change made European flooding 1.2 to 9 times more likely1 than it would have been 100 years ago. This acceleration makes it more difficult for societies and the natural world to adapt. But there are solutions. At the recent Marker Wadden conference, I met with experts and leaders from across the globe to discuss creative and resilient nature-based solutions that meet these goals.

Adaptive systems that consider both the needs of the community and the natural environment are the key to climate resilience. This is why solutions that account for ecosystem restoration and climate adaptation  together  are becoming increasingly important in the coming century.

The Marker Wadden, a manmade archipelago of islands in the Dutch Lake Marken, is one such example. Arcadis helped design and develop the archipelago of new islands which now function as a nature reserve, where vegetation can grow, fish can spawn, and birds and other wildlife can flourish.

Nature-based solutions that address climate change are often perceived as complex and expensive. This doesn’t need to be the case. During the three day Marker Wadden conference, we used this unique, landmark project to discuss some of the challenges and benefits – like making use of natural materials that are easily available. Here are five key takeaways.

• Adapting to what nature has to offer

  The Dutch marine ecosystem provides an abundance of good quality and clean sand. However, that’s not a common feature in every part of the world. The Marker Wadden made use of mud and silt, demonstrating that solutions are possible with the different natural materials that are available, increasing the applicability and affordability in other parts of the globe. Equally important is ensuring there are mechanisms in place to monitor and analyze these solutions in a new project. There are still some uncertainties on environmental impacts, on subsidence and on biodiversity development, and these need to be taken into account.

• Considering the wider ecosystem

  While nature-based solutions like Marker Wadden can be effective – as proven by the international recognition it has gained - nature-based solutions are also intrinsically linked with their ecosystems. And no two ecosystems are alike. This makes it difficult to replicate the exact solutions from one project to another. It is very important to keep the local environment, economy, communities and risk policies in mind when designing and implementing projects in an area. What can be taken forward are the key considerations and steps taken to develop project frameworks.

• Climate mitigation and adaptation go hand-in-hand

  During my joint workshops on ‘nature-based solutions’ with Deltares’ Science Director Bregje Wesenbeeck we analyzed how and where climate adaptation combined with mitigation can create value. The areas that are most favorable for natural carbon capturing are coastal ecosystems. These are often also most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change.

  Seagrasses, mangroves, salt marshes and algae comprise up to 50% of global carbon storage with only 2% of surface. Mangroves can protect against the impacts of sea level rise in the tropical zones. At the same time, they can capture substantial amounts of carbon dioxide, creating new jobs and generating revenues for local communities. Planting seagrass offers another low cost, high impact solution. But it has become extinct in Western Europe. We need to look at ways to restore this valuable ecosystem and efficient carbon storage solution.

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Taxonomy

• Climate Change
• Climate Change Resilience
• Climate Change