Oct 24 2024
Off

Sea'ties Brief for Decision-Makers

Nature-based Solutions for Resilient Coastal Cities

Click on the cover to discover the Brief

On April 3, 2024, the Sea’ties initiative hosted its first international thematic workshop dedicated to nature-based solutions (NbS) for adapting coastal cities and territories to rising sea levels. First of a thematic series on “Adapting to sea level rise: Reshaping the future of our coastal cities,”, the workshop brought together about twenty experts and key stakeholders in adaptation and NbS worldwide to share current practices and discuss common challenges. Drawing on insights from preliminary interviews and discussed during the workshop, Sea’ties publishes the Brief for decision-makers “Nature-based Solutions for resilient coastal cities.”

Aimed at policymakers and stakeholders involved in the adaptation of their coastal cities, this brief presents five policy recommendations. It suggests key levers to overcome common barriers in developing nature-based solutions for coastal city adaptation and highlights examples and resources to inspire and guide decision-makers in this process.

Nature-based Solutions: strategic options for adapting coastal cities to rising sea levels

When given the time and space, coastal ecosystems can act as buffers to contain erosion and to reduce the impacts of extreme climate events and rising sea levels. In line with this, NbS constitute promising options for coastal adaptation. They involve actions aimed at protecting, managing, and restoring ecosystems to address societal challenges while benefiting human well-being and biodiversity. These solutions encompass a wide range of interventions, from conservation and ecosystem restoration to hybrid approaches combining nature with infrastructure.

For coastal cities, NbS can offer numerous co-benefits, addressing multiple adaptation goals and urban sustainability issues. They promote the reconnection of ecosystems and populations across urban and rural spaces. Additionally, they represent “no-regret” options, being more flexible, dynamic, and inclusive than traditional protection solutions. They are better suited to transformational changes required for adaptation, such as relocating coastal habitats and infrastructure.

Enabling the development of Nature-based Solutions for urban and coastal adaptation

Despite their long term potential, NbS projects remain limited, isolated, and short-lived due to numerous challenges. Several key levers can be activated to upscale NbS for coastal adaptation.

In terms of knowledge, downscaled, multidisciplinary research incorporating local and indigenous knowledge is needed to assess the feasibility and long-term sustainability and effectiveness of NbS. Meanwhile, peer-to-peer exchange of experiences is crucial for upscaling NbS.

A pro-NbS institutional and legal environment facilitates the development of integrated projects. Coordinating NbS projects across coherent ecological and socio-economic scales requires collaboration among actors, establishing partnerships and building on existing co-management frameworks. Aligning urban objectives with NbS projects is also essential and can be ensured by the mainstreaming of ecosystem protection into urban policies and public service contracts.

To increase investment and ensure the viability of NbS, holistic and dynamic economic assessment tools are key to better anticipate costs and benefits – both monetary and non-monetary. Supporting the aggregation of projects and simplifying mechanisms for small-scale local projects can better address local needs. Additionally, diversifying funding sources and mechanisms can ensure the long-term sustainability of projects. Blended finance and green bonds can further attract private investors, with insurance sector support to manage risks and cover ecosystem rehabilitation.

Finally, community engagement is vital to advancing social justice and equity in NbS projects. Transparency and inclusivity throughout the project lifecycle promote better acceptance, address potential negative externalities, and ensure equitable distribution  of benefits.

For inspiration and further exploration ...

  • ADAPTOM (website) aims to develop a methodology for evaluating Nature-based Solutions for climate change adaptation in the French Overseas Territories.
  • Basse Saâne 2050 (website) aims to adapt the “Basse Saâne” valley in France, to the 21st century challenges – including climate change – by accommodating or relocating infrastructure and by adopting a collaborative approach with nature.    
  • CASadapt (website) is an action-research project aimed at analysing, imagining, consulting, and adapting Mediterranean coastal socio-ecosystems to climate change.
  • The Highway 37 Redesign Project in the United States (website) aims to integrate highway infrastructure improvements with the management, conservation, and restoration of natural habitats and ecosystems.
  • JA-RIV (website) aims to restore and protect mangroves in the industrial area of Jarry, Guadeloupe.
  • MED-ESCWET (website) develops an economic assessment of the ecosystem services provided by wetlands for climate change adaptation in the Mediterranean.
  • PEBACC+ (website) aims to scale-up ecosystem-based climate change adaptation in Pacific islands.
  • The Sète to Marseillan Beach Strip Protection Project in France (website) combines the relocation of the coastal road with Nature-based Solutions.
  • RÉCIPROCITÉ (video) aims to protect and enhance the mangrove forest in the municipality of Lamentin in Martinique.
  • RESILAO (website) aims to strengthen the resilience of ecosystems and communities in West Africa’s coastal areas.
  • SARCC (website) aims to promote the mainstreaming of Nature-based Solutions into coastal management by testing and demonstrating their effectiveness in several pilot sites across Europe.
  • SCORE EU (website) aims to address coastal challenges by using smart technologies and Nature-based Solutions in 10 pilot sites across Europe and Turkey.
  • The “Sustainable Solano, Flood Resilience” Project in the United States (website) engages communities in various Nature-based Solutions actions.
  • WACA-FFEM (website) promotes the development of Nature-based Solutions to mitigate coastal erosion in West Africa.
  • A parametric insurance for the protection of mangrove forests in Mexico (website) is being developed by AXA Climate, AXA Seguros Mexico and ClimateSeed 
  • MAR-FUND (website) is a parametric insurance project aimed at financing the restoration and protection of coral reefs in Latin America.
  • NetworkNature (website) is a platform offering resources and opportunities for the Nature-based Solutions community in Europe.
  • Sea’ties Map of Solutions, Ocean & Climate Platform, features adaptation projects of coastal cities across the globe, including NbS projets (website)
  • Climate Change Adaptation Resource Center from the French Ministry of Ecological Transition and Territorial Cohesion: Nature-based adaptation solutions, adapting to climate change through nature (web page)
  • Coastal Resilience Funding Database by Coastal Quest, in the United States (web page)
  • LITTOREX Platform, BRGM, is dedicated to sharing experiences of ecological restoration in coastal and marine environments in France (website)
  • RESILAO Project Capitalisation Platform in West Africa (website)
  • The San Francisco Bay Shoreline Adaptation Atlas, developed by the San Francisco Estuary Institute and The Aquatic Science Center, defines Operational Landscape Units for adaptation strategy design (web page)
  • SARCC Interactive Visualisation Tool, gathers feedback from the project’s pilot sites experimenting with NbS in Europe (website)
  • Online Self-assessment Tool for Nature-based Solutions projects developed by the IUCN Nature-based Solutions platform (website)
  • Co-creation Toolkit for Ecosystem-based Adaptation, developed by the SCORE project (web page)
  • TESSA – Toolkit for Ecosystem Service Site-Based Assessment, developed by Wetland-based solutions. (website)
  • Anguelovski, I., Corbera, E. (2023).  Integrating justice in Nature-Based Solutions to avoid nature-enabled dispossession. Ambio 52, 45–53. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13280-022-01771-7
  • Barnett, J., Jarillo, S., Swearer, S.E., Lovelock, C.E., Pomeroy, A., Konlechner, T., Waters, E., Morris, R.L., Lowe, R. (2022). Nature-based solutions for atoll habitability. Phil. Trans. R. Soc. B 377: 20210124. https://doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2021.0124 
  • Cousins, J.J. (2021). Justice in nature-based solutions: Research and pathways. Ecological Economics. Volume 180. 106874. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolecon.2020.106874 
  • Jones, H.P., Nickel, B., Srebotnjak, T., Turner, W., Gonzalez-Roglich, M., Zavaleta, E., et al. (2020). Global hotspots for coastal ecosystem-based adaptation. PLoS ONE 15(5): e0233005. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0233005 
  • Kiddle, G.L., Bakineti, T., Latai-Niusulu, A., Missack, W., Pedersen Zari, M., Kiddle, R., Chanse, V., Blaschke, P. and Loubser, D. (2021). Nature-Based Solutions for Urban Climate Change Adaptation and Wellbeing: Evidence and Opportunities From Kiribati, Samoa, and Vanuatu. Front. Environ. Sci. 9:723166. doi: 10.3389/fenvs.2021.723166
  • Kumar, P., Debele, S.E., Sahani, J., et al. (2020). Towards an operationalisation of nature-based solutions for natural hazards. Science of the Total Environment, vol. 731, 138855. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.138855
  • Pagano, A., Pluchinotta, I., Pengal, P., Cokan, B., Giordano, R. (2019). Engaging stakeholders in the assessment of NBS effectiveness in flood risk reduction: A participatory System Dynamics Model for benefits and co-benefits evaluation. Science of The Total Environment. Volume 690. Pages 543-555. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.07.059. 
  • Pedersen Zari, M., Blaschke, P.M., Jackson, B., Komugabe-Dixson, A., Livesey, C., Loubser, D.I., Martinez-Almoyna Gual, C., Maxwell, D., Rastandeh, A., Renwick, J., Weaver, S., Archie, K.M. (2020). Devising urban ecosystem-based adaptation (EbA) projects with developing nations: A case study of Port Vila, Vanuatu. Ocean & Coastal Management. Volume 184. 105037. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ocecoaman.2019.105037. 
  • Riera-Spiegelhalder, M., Campos-Rodrigues, L., Enseñado, E.M., Dekker-Arlain, J.D., Papadopoulou, O., Arampatzis, S., Vervoort, K. (2023). Socio-Economic Assessment of Ecosystem-Based and Other Adaptation Strategies in Coastal Areas: A Systematic Review. J. Mar. Sci. Eng. 11, 319. https://doi.org/10.3390/jmse11020319  
  • Sari, R., Soytas, U., Kanoglu-Ozkan, D.G. et al. (2023). Improving the climate resilience of European cities via socially acceptable nature-based solutions. npj Urban Sustain 3, 9. https://doi.org/10.1038/s42949-023-00090-4 
  • Swanepoel, E., Sauka, S. (2019). Ecosystem-based Adaptation in South African Coastal Cities: Challenges and Opportunities. South African Institute of International Affairs. http://www.jstor.org/stable/resrep28381 
  • Tiwari, A., Rodrigues, L.C., Lucy, F.E., Gharbia, S., (2022). Building Climate Resilience in Coastal City Living Labs Using Ecosystem-Based Adaptation: A Systematic Review. Sustainability 2022, 14, 10863. https://doi.org/10.3390/su141710863
Posted inNews