Nature-Based Solutions for Hydro-Meteorological Risk Mitigation
Summary
Nature-based solutions (NBS) harness the services provided by healthy ecosystems to reduce the impacts of hydro-meteorological risks, including floods, droughts, storm surges, landslides and heatwaves. By restoring or emulating natural features—such as wetlands, floodplains, riparian buffers, mangrove forests and urban green corridors—these approaches attenuate extreme water flows, enhance groundwater recharge and moderate local climates. Unlike conventional grey infrastructure, NBS offer multifunctional benefits: they sequester carbon, support biodiversity, improve water quality and increase recreational and cultural values. Implementation occurs across scales, from small detention basins and green roofs in cities to catchment-wide wetland networks. Key success factors include integrated planning with engineered components, stakeholder co-creation, robust monitoring and adaptive management. Under climate change, NBS provide flexible, cost-effective and resilient pathways for long-term risk reduction, contributing to sustainable development and improved community well-being.
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Nature-Based Solutions for Hydro-Meteorological Risk Mitigation publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in nature-based solutions for hydro-meteorological risk mitigation across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Nature-based solutions (NBS): Interventions that protect, restore or mimic natural ecosystems to address societal challenges, including hazard mitigation.
Hydro-meteorological risk (HMR): The probability of adverse impacts arising from water- and weather-related hazards such as floods, droughts, storms and landslides.
Blue–green infrastructure: Integrated arrangements of water-based (blue) and vegetation-based (green) features designed to manage water flows and provide ecosystem services.
Grey infrastructure: Engineered structures, typically using concrete or steel, intended to control water and protect against hazards but offering limited co-benefits.
References
- The underexposed nature-based solutions: A critical state-of-art review on drought mitigation. Journal of Environmental Management (2024).
- Review of environmental benefits and development of methodology for EUNIS habitat changes from nature-based solutions: Application to Denmark and the Netherlands. Ecological Indicators (2024).
- Nature-based solutions for hydro-meteorological risk reduction: a state-of-the-art review of the research area. Natural Hazards and Earth System Science (2020).
- Nature-based solutions efficiency evaluation against natural hazards: Modelling methods, advantages and limitations. The Science of The Total Environment (2021).
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