What are nature-based solutions?

Nature-based solutions can offer multiple benefits for the environment and society, such as the following:

• Enhance carbon storage and reduce greenhouse-gas emissions by conserving or restoring forests, wetlands, peatlands and other ecosystems
• Improve water quality and quantity by filtering pollutants, regulating runoff, recharging groundwater, and providing water for irrigation, drinking and sanitation
• Reduce disaster risk by buffering floods, storms, landslides and droughts through natural infrastructure such as mangroves, coral reefs, green roofs and urban parks
• Support biodiversity conservation by maintaining or increasing habitat diversity, connectivity, and resilience for wildlife and plants
• Enhance human well-being by providing food, fuel, fibre, medicine, recreation, culture and health benefits from nature

GHD is a professional services company that provides engineering, environmental, advisory, digital and construction services for clients across various sectors. We recognise the potential of nature-based solutions to deliver sustainable outcomes for our projects and communities. We offer a range of services related to NBS, such as:

• Assessing the feasibility, effectiveness and co-benefits of NBS for different contexts and objectives
• Designing and implementing NBS tailored to local needs, conditions, and stakeholders
• Monitoring and evaluating the performance and impact of NBS over time
• Communicating and advocating for the value of NBS to decision-makers, investors, and the public

These are some examples of our projects involving NBS:

• Designing a living shoreline project for Cardiff Beach in California to enhance coastal resilience and recreation
• Developing a stormwater facility for Buller’s Stream in New Zealand to improve water quality and biodiversity
• Implementing an expedited remediation and wetland restoration at the Willow Run Creek Site in Michigan, with a focus on sustainable soil reuse
• Restoring 20 miles of hurricane-impacted shoreline in St. Johns County with a rapid design and construction process while preserving local endangered species habitats
• Transforming a harsh, flood-prone area in New Zealand into an eco-friendly community through the Awakeri Wetlands project, which incorporates advanced stormwater management and enables residential development while preserving the local ecosystem

Articles referenced

^{IUCN 2022, ‘Nature-based solutions’, retrieved June 30, 2023, from https://iucn.org/our-work/nature-based-solutions}

^{Nature-Based Solutions Initiative 2022, United Nations Environment Assembly agrees Nature-based Solutions definition, retrieved June 30, 2023, from https://www.naturebasedsolutionsinitiative.org/news/united-nations-environment-assembly-nature-based-solutions-definition/}

^{UNEP-WCMC n.d., ‘Nature-based solutions’, retrieved June 30, 2023, from https://www.unep-wcmc.org/en/nature-based-solutions}

^{World Economic Forum 2021, ‘Why “nature-based solutions” are the key to achieving net-zero’, retrieved June 30, 2023, from https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2021/12/nature-based-solutions-help-address-climate-change/}