Project

NBS Building Blocks for Coastal Adaptation

Nature Based Solutions in coastal protection have been gaining significant attention and ample evidence proves NBS as an effective climate adaptation strategy with multiple benefits. However, novel, experimental and site-dependent nature of NBS raise doubts on their efficacy and commensurability with financial and management risks. In overcoming this mistrust to enable mainstreaming of NBS, we propose a novel framework on NBS Building Blocks as a systemic and holistic approach for coastal adaptation to tackle the complex planetary crises, e.g. climate change and biodiversity loss.

Introduction

The adverse impacts of anthropogenic climate change have been increasingly evident and damaging worldwide, and include increased sea-level rise, flooding and droughts related to extreme weather events, heat waves, water and food insecurity etc. These impacts on ecosystems and people are disproportionate both spatially and temporally (IPCC, 2022; Chausson et al., 2020).

Nature-Based Solutions (NBS) to mitigate and to adapt to climate change have been gaining significant attention and may foster innovative synergies among policy, science, society and economy domains in finding solutions to sustainability transitions (Faivre et al., 2017; Seddon, 2022; Sowińska-Świerkosz & García, 2022).

Furthermore, NBS provide multiple benefits including improved ecosystem services, preserving biodiversity, tackling climate change etc. along with flood protection (Loon-Steensma, 2021; Loon-Steensma & Schelfhout, 2020; van Loon-Steensma & Vellinga, 2013). Thus, NBS may form very promising climate adaptation interventions globally, including developing societies which need not only protection against climate change impacts but are also in need of all social and environmental benefits of NBS such as inclusive decision making, adaptive management in a participatory approach, enhanced BD and ESS (Chausson et al., 2020; Morris et al., 2018; Narayan et al., 2016).

However, it is extremely difficult to develop generic standards and norms for the best NBS practices mainly due to the biophysical, geographical, morphological and socio-economical uniqueness as well as uncertainties and complexities in each NBS development site.

Objective

We explore the potential of a novel NBS Building Blocks Framework that will contribute to the transdisciplinary decision-making processes with new knowledge and tools. Thus, the Framework will be used in identifying most effective NBS for upscaling coastal restoration as an effective climate adaptation from a more biodiversity- and ecosystems-based perspective.

Method

  • Co-creation of the conceptual framework for NBS Building Blocks
  • Co-implementation of the framework at case study sites: Bilateral Pilot Workshops (H2020 EU Green Deal REST-COAST)
  • Testing the framework beyond EU: Case Study in Gediz Delta, Turkey

(Expected) results

Inventory of NBS Building Blocks as Coastal Restoration Units at specific delineations along several European pilot sites. These Building Blocks link the biophysical and socio-economic parameters at the implementation site to the expected Ecosystem Services improvements and Biodiversity gains. These inventory of Building Blocks are the basis for upscaling coastal restoration.

Publications

C. Arslan, C. Koeze and J. van Loon-Steensma, in prep., NBS Building Blocks as Transformative Tool for Large-scale Restoration in Coastal Adaptation