Author(s): Michael Pollock; Francesca Mitson; Daisy Droogmans; Alex Nicholson; Matt Ross; David Hetherington; Morten Revsbaek
Linked Author(s): David Hetherington, Michael Pollock
Keywords: Climate change Biodiversity loss Flood risk Nature-based Solutions Ecosystem restoration Stakeholder engagement Spatial Planning Tools Sustainable landscapes Integrated Water Management
Abstract: The planet faces an existential threat from climate warming alongside a catastrophic loss of biodiversity. As the climate changes, the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events are increasing, with flood risk costs projected to rise fifteen-fold by 2080 in the UK alone. Concurrently, human activity has transformed landscapes to meet demands for food, energy, transport, and shelter, reducing their natural capacity to retain water, sequester carbon, and support thriving, connected habitats. Nature-based Solutions (NbS) present a pathway to address these challenges, offering the potential to mitigate climate change, adapt to extreme events, and restore ecosystems for both plant and animal species. However, designing and implementing NbS is inherently complex, with limited established methods available to scale adoption effectively. Proportionate and accessible tools are urgently needed to facilitate early NbS exploration, enabling benefits to be identified, costs estimated, stakeholders engaged, and funding secured to meet the urgent demands of combating climate change and biodiversity loss. This paper presents the development of a consistent approach for mapping potential opportunities for NbS and quantifying their benefits for the generation of business cases and investment opportunities. The approach has culminated in the release of a web-based software solution enabling practitioners to design NbS schemes and build support for their implementation. Emerging utilities focus on nutrient neutrality modelling and assessment of water availability in the context of drought-prone regions.
Year: 2025