Relevant to the establishment of solutions dependent on nature is the development of a critical understanding of the relationship between nature and human societal challenges and needs, as well as a clear elaboration of associated ecosystem services. Biodiversity is a key component in harnessing the integrity and functionality of ecosystems and derivative services. Nature-based solutions (NbS) have increasingly gained traction over the recent times, owing to their high levels of practicability in various parts of the world. The increasing reliance on NbS points to the reasonable potential of nature to sustain and support livelihood activities.
IUCN defines NbS as actions to protect, sustainably manage and restore natural or modified ecosystems that address societal challenges such as climate change, food and water security or natural disasters, effectively and adaptively, simultaneously providing human well-being and biodiversity benefits. NbS are positioned strategically to simultaneously address a number of wide ranging societal challenges; including climate change, food security, water security, human health, socio-economic development, disaster risk reduction and ecosystem degradation and biodiversity loss. The utmost target of NbS interventions is to establish a sustainable equilibrium between natural ecosystem conservation and management and socio-economic welfare of adjacent communities around the globe.
According to Patrick O’Farell, an independent researcher at the University of Cape Town, little is known about levels of sustainable reliance on nature and its derivatives in the essence of ecosystem services. His assessment report also shows a significant decline in biodiversity and natural heritage. All these are fast driven by anthropogenic influences; inclusive of high pressing population growth rates, pollution, over-consumption and many more. Eminently, societal challenges are seemingly overwhelming the natural potential of ecosystems to sustainably provide their associated ecosystem services.
Adoption of NbS specifically within cities has as well been identified to address a wide range of societal challenges; climate change mitigation and adaptation, disaster risk reduction, economic and social development, human health, food security, water security, environmental degradation and biodiversity loss. A great deal of emphasis thus should be put on practical NbS so as to boost greening and eco-friendly cities across the African continent.
NbS have taken trend more significantly in the rural than urban set-ups. Does this mean it is less or not practical in urban centers? Most urban centers around the African continent are fast growing and thus evident is simultaneous reduction in vegetation cover and increased gas emissions. According to Dr. Radhika Murti, Director Global Ecosystems Management Programme of IUCN, a complementary approach to urban NbS implementation should take into account use of both natural and grey infrastructure, so as to build and retain the resilience of cities to adapt to the NbS interventions.
Around the African continent, various cases of application of Nature-based Solutions have been cited.
In Rwanda, there is a new master plan foundation approach in NbS under implementation by the Green Cities Initiative since 2016. Targeting over 620 hectares within the country’s capital in Kigali, the Green Cities Initiative is one of the many initiatives of the United Nations to build up green cities on the African continent.
The West African Coastal Management Programme (WACA) is a joint initiative by the World Bank and IUCN, running along 11 coastal countries. The WACA program has developed in partnership with the West African people who live on the coast and depend on it for their livelihoods, nutrition, food security, and prosperity. The program supports countries’ effort to improve the management of their shared coastal resources and reduce the natural and man-made risks affecting coastal communities. WACA boosts knowledge transfer, fosters political dialogue among countries, and mobilizes public and private finance to tackle coastal erosion, flooding, pollution and climate change adaptation.
In the city of Cape Town, the Isisexo Sasekapa Stad Kaapsad project has had tremendous impacts, not exclusive to securing about 65.21% of the bio-net, securing and managing protected areas, protected area management, ecosystem restoration, and catchment management among other ecosystem benefits. Impacts have also included socio-economic benefits such as job creation, skills development, tourism, recreation, environmental education and community involvement among others.
A thematic Atlas was generated to outline and stipulate nature’s benefits to the people and communities within the city of Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania. It is based on the need to establish spatially and justifiable fans within the city. The Atlas, among many approaches, is a tool developed for designing a systematic greening outline for Dar-es-Salaam. The layout of the Atlas highlights and defines seven themes; which are inclusive of; Livelihood, Water, Public health (clean air), Public health (healthy communities), Climate change (city cooling), Climate change (reduce flood risk) and biodiversity.
The uMngeni Infrastructure Partnership (UEIP) is a case of a cross-sectorial water catchment programme encompassing civil society, government, academia and private sector partnerships. Led by the South African National Biodiversity Institute, the project aims at raising supportive grey infrastructure to boost the green existent ecosystem so as to promote water conservation and sustainable use - crucial infrastructure in a country now facing almost annual water shortages. Two major cities Durban and Pietermaritzburg have been encompassed and supplied by this water project. The project consists of naturally existent and functioning ecosystems as the catchment areas.
Urban centers evidently are associated with high gas emissions and vegetation loss. Nature-based Solutions, among the many urban adaptive measures, are supported by a high practicability as they are able to address the UN sustainability agenda either directly or indirectly in complementary ways. Urban management techniques have evolved to include supportive facilities so as to enhance the functionality of the watersheds. Structural strategies are not limited to built or grey infrastructure, and include natural and hybrid which are structural components of NbS. These structures may include; open spaces, bioretention areas, green roofs, permeable pavements among others.
Built systems have proven critical and highly vital in supporting the natural and hybrid structural components. An integration of both built and natural systems will efficiently and more effectively build resilience and aid address the challenges associated with the water crisis.
This blog was written and submitted by Y4N Global Ambassador, Aiita Joshua Apamaku.