Mapping the effectiveness of nature‐based solutions for climate change adaptation

Nature‐based solutions (NbS) to climate change currently have considerable political traction. However, national intentions to deploy NbS have yet to be fully translated into evidence‐based targets and action on the ground. To enable NbS policy and practice to be better informed by science, we produ...

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Main Authors: Chausson, A, Turner, B, Smith, A, Seddon, D, Turner, C, Girardin, C, Woroneicki, S, Kapos, V, Roe, D, Key, I, Seddon, N
Format: Journal article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2020
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author Chausson, A
Turner, B
Smith, A
Seddon, D
Turner, C
Girardin, C
Woroneicki, S
Kapos, V
Roe, D
Key, I
Seddon, N
author_facet Chausson, A
Turner, B
Smith, A
Seddon, D
Turner, C
Girardin, C
Woroneicki, S
Kapos, V
Roe, D
Key, I
Seddon, N
author_sort Chausson, A
collection OXFORD
description Nature‐based solutions (NbS) to climate change currently have considerable political traction. However, national intentions to deploy NbS have yet to be fully translated into evidence‐based targets and action on the ground. To enable NbS policy and practice to be better informed by science, we produced the first global systematic map of evidence on the effectiveness of nature‐based interventions for addressing the impacts of climate change and hydrometeorological hazards on people. Most of the interventions in natural or semi‐natural ecosystems were reported to have ameliorated adverse climate impacts. Conversely, interventions involving created ecosystems (e.g., afforestation) were associated with trade‐offs; such studies primarily reported reduced soil erosion or increased vegetation cover but lower water availability, although this evidence was geographically restricted. Overall, studies reported more synergies than trade‐offs between reduced climate impacts and broader ecological, social, and climate change mitigation outcomes. In addition, nature‐based interventions were most often shown to be as effective or more so than alternative interventions for addressing climate impacts. However, there were substantial gaps in the evidence base. Notably, there were few studies of the cost‐effectiveness of interventions compared to alternatives and few integrated assessments considering broader social and ecological outcomes. There was also a bias in evidence toward the Global North, despite communities in the Global South being generally more vulnerable to climate impacts. To build resilience to climate change worldwide, it is imperative that we protect and harness the benefits that nature can provide, which can only be done effectively if informed by a strengthened evidence base.
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spelling oxford-uuid:021b4501-2e2d-45da-89a6-0eb373ee5c4c2022-03-26T08:38:40ZMapping the effectiveness of nature‐based solutions for climate change adaptationJournal articlehttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_dcae04bcuuid:021b4501-2e2d-45da-89a6-0eb373ee5c4cEnglishSymplectic ElementsWiley2020Chausson, ATurner, BSmith, ASeddon, DTurner, CGirardin, CWoroneicki, SKapos, VRoe, DKey, ISeddon, NNature‐based solutions (NbS) to climate change currently have considerable political traction. However, national intentions to deploy NbS have yet to be fully translated into evidence‐based targets and action on the ground. To enable NbS policy and practice to be better informed by science, we produced the first global systematic map of evidence on the effectiveness of nature‐based interventions for addressing the impacts of climate change and hydrometeorological hazards on people. Most of the interventions in natural or semi‐natural ecosystems were reported to have ameliorated adverse climate impacts. Conversely, interventions involving created ecosystems (e.g., afforestation) were associated with trade‐offs; such studies primarily reported reduced soil erosion or increased vegetation cover but lower water availability, although this evidence was geographically restricted. Overall, studies reported more synergies than trade‐offs between reduced climate impacts and broader ecological, social, and climate change mitigation outcomes. In addition, nature‐based interventions were most often shown to be as effective or more so than alternative interventions for addressing climate impacts. However, there were substantial gaps in the evidence base. Notably, there were few studies of the cost‐effectiveness of interventions compared to alternatives and few integrated assessments considering broader social and ecological outcomes. There was also a bias in evidence toward the Global North, despite communities in the Global South being generally more vulnerable to climate impacts. To build resilience to climate change worldwide, it is imperative that we protect and harness the benefits that nature can provide, which can only be done effectively if informed by a strengthened evidence base.
spellingShingle Chausson, A
Turner, B
Smith, A
Seddon, D
Turner, C
Girardin, C
Woroneicki, S
Kapos, V
Roe, D
Key, I
Seddon, N
Mapping the effectiveness of nature‐based solutions for climate change adaptation
title Mapping the effectiveness of nature‐based solutions for climate change adaptation
title_full Mapping the effectiveness of nature‐based solutions for climate change adaptation
title_fullStr Mapping the effectiveness of nature‐based solutions for climate change adaptation
title_full_unstemmed Mapping the effectiveness of nature‐based solutions for climate change adaptation
title_short Mapping the effectiveness of nature‐based solutions for climate change adaptation
title_sort mapping the effectiveness of nature based solutions for climate change adaptation
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