Nature-based climate adaptation
Climate change presents immense environmental challenges. We need to reduce the effects of increased flooding and drought, we need to have enough food for the world's population, and we need to maintain biodiversity. By making use of and working with – rather than against – long-term natural processes in the landscape we can devise sustainable and resilient solutions to these problems. Adapting to climate change in this way also creates added economic value, and contributes to improving biodiversity and human well-being. Nature-based climate adaptation is much more than single solutions to single problems.
Nature-based climate adaptation represents a golden opportunity. By increasing our understanding of nature and natural processes, we can work with water and nature to adapt to the changing climate. The result is longer term cost-effective solutions that increase climate resilience and benefit society as a whole.
Partner of governments
Wageningen Environmental Research partners with local, regional and national governments to explore and assess the effects of climate change and create nature-based solutions.
- Effect studies: What are the effects of climate change on functions such as agriculture, nature, water provision and water security?
- Designing solutions for climate change adaptation
- Scenario studies: outlining the effects of different solution scenarios
- Monitoring: following the effects of climate change or adaptation measures in the field
- Evaluation: do the measures meet the adaptation objective?
Adaptive water management
- Making more room for water, by digging side channels in river floodplains
- Green water storage in and around cities
- Improved water conservation measures for agriculture and nature
- Natural foreshore protection measures to increase water safety
Nature and climate robustness
- Linking up areas of nature to increase their climate robustness
- Restoring stream systems as part of habitat restoration
