Green City Post GLOBAL ROUNDTABLE SHARES OPINIONS ON NATURE-BASED SOLUTIONS AUTHOR: DR AU DR EY TIMM , TECHNICAL ADVISOR , AIPH
Nature-based solutions (NBS) is a term that is becoming widely used to describe the use of natural systems to solve problems that have been created by urban and rural development. NBS centre around plants, and there are many examples of successful implementation of NBS and the benefits that this provides to society and the environment. This is good news for the ornamental horticulture industry which supplies plants used in NBS, and this could be the catalyst to stimulate a green economy.
View of green roof on modern buildings in Sydney, Australia
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his question was posed by Siobhan McQuaid (Trinity College, Dublin) and Daniela Rizzi (ICLEI Europe) for a global roundtable discussion: How can naturebased solutions (NBS) provide the basis for a nature-based economy? The Nature of Cities (TNOC) hosts a monthly global roundtable to gather ideas and opinions from a transdisciplinary panel as a way to stimulate open discussion. In this roundtable Siobhan and Daniela posed a number of questions to stimulate debate: • How do you see nature-based solutions contributing to the sustainable economy of the future? • How do we go from nature-based solutions to a nature-based economy — where we work in harmony with nature — planning, growing, harnessing, harvesting and/or restoring natural resources in a sustainable way? • What type of new jobs, new innovations, new enterprises might emerge from a nature-based economy and what are the challenges to uptake of such a concept globally? “While much focus to date has been on the environmental or social benefits of nature-based solutions, less attention has been paid to their economic potential and their role in contributing
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towards more sustainable and just societies”, suggest the authors. These are some of the global opinions about whether the values of nature (in many dimensions) can be recognised and how these values could be firmly integrated into our economies. John Bell and Tiago Freitas of DG Research and Innovation: “The potential is huge. However, unlocking full NBS potential will need a massive increase in investment, both public and private and will hinge on a paradigm shift in how our economies are organised and how they value nature and its services. A transformation is needed in our current business model, bringing local actors to the driving seat for changes. In a nutshell – we are not short of ideas. Science is clear on what needs to be done, but it is time to deliver innovation, demonstration of NBS – across policy, business and civil society.” Isaac Mugumbule and Rhoda Gwayinga of Kampala Capital City: “Governments, policy makers, experts and private sector need to collaborate and develop Nature-based economic indicators. These could explore factors like urban forestry cover, air quality, blue infrastructure, population growth, green technology. Nature-based economic indicators would then be used as a basis for driving key economic policy decisions as opposed to the norm.” Ana Mitić-Radulović, Centre for Experiments in Urban
