Newswise — Nature-based solutions (NBS) offer promising ways to address major global challenges like climate change and food security. However, as it stands, communities outside of Europe are not reaping the benefits of these innovations. Recent findings from the University of Surrey reveal that over 60% of NBS projects are concentrated in Europe, indicating a lack of widespread adoption in other regions.
The study highlights that 33% of NBS projects fall under the category of “green solutions.” These encompass various urban green spaces, such as parks, green roofs, and green walls, which serve multiple purposes such as providing cooling and shade, absorbing rainfall, and enhancing air quality.
Additionally, the research shows that 31% of NBS projects fall into the “hybrid solutions” category. These solutions combine green elements with other technologies, such as green roofs incorporating solar panels or rainwater harvesting systems for efficient rainwater capture and utilization.
According to Professor Prashant Kumar, the Director of the Global Centre for Clean Air Research (GCARE) and the primary author of the study, there is encouraging evidence of numerous communities effectively embracing nature-based solutions to address climate change, hazards, and crucial societal concerns like water and food security. However, a distressing finding is the lack of evidence indicating investments by authorities or organizations in nature-based solutions for vulnerable communities outside of Europe. This absence of support raises concerns about the equitable distribution and accessibility of these solutions to regions in need.
The GCARE team conducted a comprehensive analysis of over 500 NBS case studies worldwide. Surprisingly, more than 88% of these projects received backing from national policies, securing the financial viability of the NBS initiatives.
Among the various applications of NBS, the most prevalent use was in tackling water-based hazards, specifically floods and landslides. This category constituted a significant 45% of all the case studies examined.
Following water-based hazards, the second most frequent category addressed by NBS was meteorological/climatological hazards, including heatwaves and droughts, making up approximately 30% of the analyzed case studies. Environmental hazards, such as soil degradation and air pollution, constituted around 24% of the cases. Surprisingly, fire hazards were the least common type of hazard addressed by NBS, accounting for only approximately 1% of the total case studies examined.
Professor Kumar expressed that they found a significant alignment between the NBS case studies analyzed and the UN Sustainability goals, with approximately 68% of them addressing objectives related to life on land, climate action, and clean water. Considering the potential impact of these innovations, he emphasized the importance of implementing NBS in vulnerable communities.
To achieve this goal, Professor Kumar emphasized the need to prioritize knowledge transfer. By sharing and disseminating knowledge about nature-based solutions, societies worldwide can benefit from their transformative potential, making a positive impact on environmental and societal challenges.The study received support from the EU project OPERANDUM (Grant Agreement No: 776848) and was published in the esteemed journal Science of the Total Environment.
The University of Surrey is a leading global institution for sustainability, where our diverse research endeavors unite society and technology to empower humanity in addressing climate change, enhancing air quality, mitigating the impact of pollution on health, and fostering more sustainable lifestyles. The university is strongly committed to improving its resource efficiency on its campus and aspires to be at the forefront of the sector, aiming to achieve carbon neutrality by 2030.
The university’s dedication to impactful research has earned it the distinction of being ranked 55th in the world in the Times Higher Education (THE) University Impact Rankings of 2022. This assessment evaluates the performance of more than 1,400 universities based on their contributions to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
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