An environmental evaluation framework for planning and monitoring of nature based solutions for sustainable urban management

Abstract

In response to urban challenges created by global climate change, nature based solutions (NBS) are accepted as viable sustainability solutions that provide environmental, economic, and social benefits. In order to mainstream NBS projects and secure necessary funding, an evidence-based approach, supported by performance indicators, is necessary for planning and deployment stages. The main aim of this article is to establish an assessment framework, which fosters the urban planning and implementation periods of NBS projects and forms a linkage between adaptation actions with urban sustainability policies by making use of monitoring data that enables predictive estimation of future scenarios. This framework entails definition of relevant environmental indicators through a material flow analysis (MFA)-based urban metabolism (UM) approach and a proposal for the dynamic application of these indicators to be used for monitoring purposes. While the environmental assessment framework supports selection of most suitable NBS to tackle urban challenge of concern, the dynamic performance tracking provides critical, strategic and analytical insights to ensure the desired targets are met. Such an assessment methodology can also maximize the contribution of NBS to EU policies including European Green Deal (EGD), EU Biodiversity Strategy and EU Adaptation Strategy.