What are nature-based solutions?
Nature can be our ally in responding to the twin crises of biodiversity loss and climate change.
Nature-based solutions
‘Nature-based solutions’ seek to protect or enhance nature in a way that helps tackle climate change and other challenges, while benefitting biodiversity and improving human wellbeing.
A wide variety of nature-based solutions, such as tree planting, peatland restoration and coastal salt marshes, have the potential to help.
Nature-based solutions typically result in thriving ecosystems that store more carbon, helping meet carbon-reduction targets while providing homes for a greater diversity of plants and animals. They can also help reduce flood risk or provide much-needed shade as temperatures rise.
Understanding the potential of nature-based solutions in different locations depends on a variety of factors, including habitat condition, how fast carbon is sequestered and the management of that land. There are inevitable trade-offs to consider, as well as the policy landscape and financing opportunities.
The British Ecological Society report offers a complete and authoritative assessment of the potential of nature-based solutions in the UK.
Using nature to find solutions to human problems
Find more background on how nature can help to address climate change in this short article illustrated with examples of nature-based solutions.
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