Nature based Solutions - A Review of key Issues in India
This study reviews some best practices of Nature based Solutions across key development sectors in India
Abstract
Nature-based Solutions (NbS) protect, enhance and replenish the natural resources that are the basis for achieving food, energy and water security, urban resilience, protection of biodiversity and habitats, restoration of land and reduction of disaster risk. It is estimated that Nature-based Solutions provide more than one-third of cost-effective climate mitigation required till 2030 .
The emergence of the term Nature-based Solutions has raised some questions about its relationship to many existing approaches such as Ecosystems-based Adaptation (EBA), Land Restoration etc. For the purposes of this study, all solutions that deliver multiple cross-sectoral benefits, while protecting and enhancing the natural capital that provides these benefits, fall under the singular umbrella of NbS. These include ‘Nature-based’, ‘Nature-derived’ and ‘Natureinspired’ solutions, that use both pure nature based as well as hybrid approaches to generate multiple benefits. An example of hybrid NbS includes urban green infrastructure, creation of parks and ponds and green buildings, that provide benefits of temperature regulation, carbon sequestration, recreation, ground water recharge as well as co-benefits of reduced energy costs, improved air and soil quality, urban heat island mitigation, habitat protection, lower resource footprint, improved public health, reduced exposure to natural hazards and various socio-cultural services etc. NbS provide a holistic framework for meeting national priorities and sustainable development goals of India.
This study reviews some best practices of NbS across key development sectors in India. It aims to support the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) in selecting an appropriate mix of cost-effective and scalable NbS investments that support India’s climate change mitigation and adaptation, biodiversity protection and disaster risk reduction goals
Citation
IORA Ecological Solutions and Vertiver (2021) Nature based Solutions - A Review of key Issues in India. IORA Ecological Solutions