Table 5.6: Nature as a response to societal challenges

Table 5.6: Nature as a response to societal challenges

Ecosystem services

Definition

Focus on the benefits that the natural environment and ecosystem provide to humans and societies ƒ Regulating the provision of water, food and services ƒ Facilitating nutrient cycling

Examples

Biomimicry

Ecosystem-based adaptation and mitigation Biomimicry involves approaches that emulate nature to develop responses to human challenges, for example, in urban design ƒ Fibbers that mimic spiders’ silk ƒ Imitation of algae for water purification ƒ Building materials that imitate the structures of mycelium

Use of ecosystem services to reduce vulnerabilities to climate change impacts and to reduce carbon emissions ƒ Restoration of coastal habitats such as mangroves ƒ Restoration of wetlands and peatlands

Green and blue infrastructure The vegetational- and water-related elements that structure the built environment and provide additional services ƒ Involve a range of infrastructures including blue (rivers, canals, ponds, wetlands, floodplains, water treatment facilities) and green (trees, lawns, hedgerows, parks, fields, urban forests)

Ecosystem approaches Strategies that focus on the integrated management of land and nature, which consider humans part of the ecosystem ƒ Activities that involve people, value ecosystems, and understand ecological processes

NBSs highlight the importance of biodiversity and ecosystems to address urban challenges such as adapting to climate change, enhancing food security and or facilitating water access. NBSs are aligned with the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and follow a tradition of designing with nature to respond to human challenges (Table 5.6).169

While NBSs offer several benefits, they can also pose some challenges for urban areas. First, NBSs such as greening and artificial wetlands for sewage treatment require significant provision of land and physical space. Land-intensive responses to environmental crises may not be practical or may generate additional challenges, especially when they displace existing land uses. Second, if not guided by a right-based approach, NBSs may displace local economies dependent upon the urban landscape—thereby perpetuating systemic or structural violence. Third, NBSs are not always the most effective means to address certain challenging problems, such as soil and water pollution. Fourth, NBSs may conflict with larger technological or economic development agendas, requiring careful integration into the region’s urban planning goals. Lastly, the long-term implications of NBSs, especially in terms of social and ecological change in the places where they are implemented, remain unknown (Figure 5.7).

5.4.1. Biodiversity and ecosystem services enable urban life Urban blue and green spaces provide multiple ecosystem ser vices that are essential for human wellbeing, for example:170

ƒ Providing basic ecosystem ser vices, such as food and water

ƒ Enabling cultural ecosystem ser vices, such as recreational and spiritual benefits

ƒ Supporting regenerative ecosystem ser vices such as nutrient recycling, soil conser vation and microclimate regulation