Eighteenth International Conference on Environmental, Cultural, Economic & Social Sustainability

Abstract

Nature-based Solution (NBS) is a relatively new concept, which gained more traction in the development sector in last two decades. Ecosystems are not static as they evolve over time, and NBS utilizes these ecosystem functions. In a planet with rapidly changing climate, NBS in the water sector provides long-term and larger-scale solutions that are highly adaptive to changing environmental and risk conditions. This article is a meta-analysis on how NBS in water sector can ensure environmental sustainability in developing countries while facilitating synergies between climate adaptation and mitigation. The paper highlights the climate mitigation potential of freshwater systems, and the implementation of NBS in water sector that can aid the mitigation targets while also provide hydrological solutions and other co-benefits related to disaster risk reduction, climate change adaptation, biodiversity protection/recovery, food security and sustainable development, particularly in the context of developing countries. This article addresses the current development context of developing countries, how they can mainstream NBS in the water sector, and essentially argues that NBS can be an effective tool to minimize the trade-offs between economic development and mitigation commitments.