Integrating Biophysical and Economic Assessment: Review of Nature-Based Adaptation to Urban Flood Extremes
Over the last decade, the potential of nature-based solutions (NBS) has been recognized to support climate change adaptation, by promoting sustainable urban planning. Nevertheless, a wider uptake of such solutions in urban areas faces different challenges and barriers. A comprehensive mapping of ava...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2022-08-01
|
| Series: | Urban Science |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2413-8851/6/3/53 |
| _version_ | 1827656136468201472 |
|---|---|
| author | Carlotta Quagliolo Peter Roebeling Rita Mendonça Alessandro Pezzoli Elena Comino |
| author_facet | Carlotta Quagliolo Peter Roebeling Rita Mendonça Alessandro Pezzoli Elena Comino |
| author_sort | Carlotta Quagliolo |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Over the last decade, the potential of nature-based solutions (NBS) has been recognized to support climate change adaptation, by promoting sustainable urban planning. Nevertheless, a wider uptake of such solutions in urban areas faces different challenges and barriers. A comprehensive mapping of available NBS impact assessment methods could help to accelerate this process. There is, however, a lack of comprehensive systematization of economic analysis. This research aims to provide an overview of NBS impact evaluations by assessing how the scientific literature integrates such economic analysis into urban planning adaptation. A systematic review approach has been used to discuss the role of NBS in climate change adaptation. This review presents two main stages. Firstly, it identifies the biophysical–economic assessment of NBS adaptation measures to reduce urban flood extremes in coastal cities. Secondly, the NBS approaches were categorized based on the biophysical benefits (in terms of flood-risk reduction) related to each specific solution and the subsequent economic evaluation of such implementations. This research review revealed a low-level gap of integration between climate change issues and NBS analysis (i.e., it is commonly used as background condition). Most publications provide NBS biophysical impacts assessment, without combining these results with economic evaluation of the flood damages to finally achieve the avoided cost due to the implementation of such solutions. This work shows the growing interest on further research to develop spatially integrated environmental–economic assessment of NBS implementation, by highlighting the needs and opportunities of a trans-disciplinary approach to support policy-making in the framework of urban climate change adaptation. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T22:18:20Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-8c9f74cd0b204b348d2e67520abe8743 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2413-8851 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T22:18:20Z |
| publishDate | 2022-08-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Urban Science |
| spelling | doaj.art-8c9f74cd0b204b348d2e67520abe87432023-11-23T19:19:36ZengMDPI AGUrban Science2413-88512022-08-01635310.3390/urbansci6030053Integrating Biophysical and Economic Assessment: Review of Nature-Based Adaptation to Urban Flood ExtremesCarlotta Quagliolo0Peter Roebeling1Rita Mendonça2Alessandro Pezzoli3Elena Comino4DIST—Interuniversity Department of Regional and Urban Studies and Planning, Politecnico di Torino and Università degli Studi di Torino, 10125 Torino, ItalyCentre for Environmental and Marine Studies (CESAM), Department of Environment and Planning (DAO), University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, PortugalCentre for Environmental and Marine Studies (CESAM), Department of Environment and Planning (DAO), University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, PortugalDIST—Interuniversity Department of Regional and Urban Studies and Planning, Politecnico di Torino and Università degli Studi di Torino, 10125 Torino, ItalyDIATI—Department of Environment, Land and Infrastructure Engineering, Politecnico di Torino, 10129 Torino, ItalyOver the last decade, the potential of nature-based solutions (NBS) has been recognized to support climate change adaptation, by promoting sustainable urban planning. Nevertheless, a wider uptake of such solutions in urban areas faces different challenges and barriers. A comprehensive mapping of available NBS impact assessment methods could help to accelerate this process. There is, however, a lack of comprehensive systematization of economic analysis. This research aims to provide an overview of NBS impact evaluations by assessing how the scientific literature integrates such economic analysis into urban planning adaptation. A systematic review approach has been used to discuss the role of NBS in climate change adaptation. This review presents two main stages. Firstly, it identifies the biophysical–economic assessment of NBS adaptation measures to reduce urban flood extremes in coastal cities. Secondly, the NBS approaches were categorized based on the biophysical benefits (in terms of flood-risk reduction) related to each specific solution and the subsequent economic evaluation of such implementations. This research review revealed a low-level gap of integration between climate change issues and NBS analysis (i.e., it is commonly used as background condition). Most publications provide NBS biophysical impacts assessment, without combining these results with economic evaluation of the flood damages to finally achieve the avoided cost due to the implementation of such solutions. This work shows the growing interest on further research to develop spatially integrated environmental–economic assessment of NBS implementation, by highlighting the needs and opportunities of a trans-disciplinary approach to support policy-making in the framework of urban climate change adaptation.https://www.mdpi.com/2413-8851/6/3/53climate change adaptationnature-based solutions (NBS)coastal citiesspatial assessment methods |
| spellingShingle | Carlotta Quagliolo Peter Roebeling Rita Mendonça Alessandro Pezzoli Elena Comino Integrating Biophysical and Economic Assessment: Review of Nature-Based Adaptation to Urban Flood Extremes Urban Science climate change adaptation nature-based solutions (NBS) coastal cities spatial assessment methods |
| title | Integrating Biophysical and Economic Assessment: Review of Nature-Based Adaptation to Urban Flood Extremes |
| title_full | Integrating Biophysical and Economic Assessment: Review of Nature-Based Adaptation to Urban Flood Extremes |
| title_fullStr | Integrating Biophysical and Economic Assessment: Review of Nature-Based Adaptation to Urban Flood Extremes |
| title_full_unstemmed | Integrating Biophysical and Economic Assessment: Review of Nature-Based Adaptation to Urban Flood Extremes |
| title_short | Integrating Biophysical and Economic Assessment: Review of Nature-Based Adaptation to Urban Flood Extremes |
| title_sort | integrating biophysical and economic assessment review of nature based adaptation to urban flood extremes |
| topic | climate change adaptation nature-based solutions (NBS) coastal cities spatial assessment methods |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2413-8851/6/3/53 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT carlottaquagliolo integratingbiophysicalandeconomicassessmentreviewofnaturebasedadaptationtourbanfloodextremes AT peterroebeling integratingbiophysicalandeconomicassessmentreviewofnaturebasedadaptationtourbanfloodextremes AT ritamendonca integratingbiophysicalandeconomicassessmentreviewofnaturebasedadaptationtourbanfloodextremes AT alessandropezzoli integratingbiophysicalandeconomicassessmentreviewofnaturebasedadaptationtourbanfloodextremes AT elenacomino integratingbiophysicalandeconomicassessmentreviewofnaturebasedadaptationtourbanfloodextremes |