Nature-based Solutions, Green Infrastructure

Nature-based solutions (NBS) have gained traction in recent years because of their potential to promote sustainable development and reduce disaster risks. In addition to their socioeconomic benefits for people, NBS can be used for up to 37 percent of the climate mitigation actions needed to achieve the emissions goals of the Paris Agreement.

This strategy paper draws from existing research and practical project experience applying nature-based solutions (NBS) for adaptation and building climate resilience in informal areas to better understand the potential for upscaling implementation as well as the challenges.

 

Green spaces in urban areas supply multiple benefits, however, this was thought to come at the cost of density. New evidence argues that while there is often a trade-off between increased density and providing green space, this does not need to be the case. In parts of the US, Singapore and Curitiba, there are examples showing that an urban world that is both green and dense is possible, if society chooses to take advantage of the available green interventions.

 

The IUCN Urban Alliance, a broad coalition of IUCN constituents concerned with the urban dimensions of nature conservation, has unveiled a new knowledge product for measuring the ecological performance of cities: the IUCN Urban Nature Indexes (UNI). Comprising six themes with five indicator topics nested within each theme, the UNI is intended to help policymakers, stakeholders and local communities understand their impacts on nature, set science-based targets for improvement, and monitor progress using science-based measures.

Reducing excess urban heat and protecting populations from extreme temperatures is one of the 21st century’s key resilience and sustainability challenges. As the planet warms, cities are increasingly finding that they need new ways to keep urban temperatures down to protect their residents. Urban cooling options have primarily focused on space cooling through air conditioning. Nature-based solutions and leveraging urban design to cool cities have yet to be fully deployed and understood, especially by policymakers and urban planners.

To deliver a nature-positive future the world needs to be able to measure progress towards global goals, but currently lacks the tools to do so. IUCN is developing a quantitative methodology to measure and track contributions towards protecting and restoring nature. The methodology will help companies, governments and civil society assess opportunities and risks, set targets, measure progress, deliver nature-positive impacts, as well as assess investment portfolios and value-chain impacts.

“Banco San Miguel y Bahía de Asunción” Ecological Reserve is the city’s largest green area. Spreading over 300 hectares, this unique ecosystem is recognized worldwide as a conservation site for shore and migratory birds. However, the reserve is home to numerous families living in vulnerable conditions. Waste management has become a social and environmental challenge in the area, but the community is working with the Asunción Green City project to reduce irregular dumpsites and restore the reserve.