The 2018 UN World Water Development Report, Nature-based Solutions for Water proposes an innovative response to water resource management challenges: nature-based solutions (NBS). NBS uses or mimics natural processes to enhance water availability (e.g. soil moisture retention, groundwater recharge), improve water quality (e.g. natural and constructed wetlands, riparian buffer strips), and reduce risks associated with water-related disasters and climate change (e.g., floodplain restoration, green roofs).
The report focuses on opportunities to harness the natural processes that regulate various elements of the water cycle, particularly regarding water for agriculture, sustainable cities, disaster risk reduction and water quality. These solutions range in scale from the micro/personal (e.g. a dry toilet) to landscape-level applications that include conservation agriculture. There are NBS that are appropriate for urban settings (e.g. green walls, roof gardens and vegetated infiltration or drainage basins) as well as for rural environments that often make up the majority of a river basin’s area.
The report notes mechanisms for accelerating the uptake of NBS for water, including payment for environmental services schemes and green bonds, which can generate interesting returns on investment while lowering the need (and costs) for larger, often more expensive infrastructure required for water resources management and the delivery of water supply and sanitation services. It also looks at implementation challenges and presents strategies for encouraging consensus-building among stakeholder groups and raising awareness about what NBS can offer to improve water security.
Nature-based Solutions for Water is also available in French and English.