Nature-Based Solutions as Critical Urban Infrastructure for Water Resilience
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Date
2023
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Edward Elgar Publishing
Abstract
Nature-based solutions (NBS) are key for managing water resources, as well as providing many other benefits. While traditionally “gray” highly engineered strategies have been used to manage water in urban areas, we articulate the role that NBS can play in managing water related to flooding, drought, and water quality challenges. Specifically, NBS for water can range from hybrid ecological-technological features explicitly engineered to manage stormwater to other designed or intact natural features such as wetlands or parks that may provide water management as a co-benefit. Criteria are reviewed for choosing the best NBS for the intended goal(s), and we showcase several case examples of NBS for water resilience from around the world. Remaining knowledge gaps for NBS for water implementation include space challenges, changes in performance over time, and incorporation of NBS that are not explicitly engineered for water management into existing management and regulatory frameworks.