Chapter 1 - Setting the scene: Nature-based solutions and water security

Abstract

For the past 10 years, water-related risks have led the World Economic Forum’s global risk assessment in terms of both likelihood and severity of impact (World Economic Forum, 2019). Between 2009 and 2019, water supply crises and water hazards related to extreme weather have routinely been in the top five risks in terms of likelihood and severity of impact. Past approaches to water security through predominantly gray infrastructure solutions are no longer adequate given the impacts of climate change and the negative environmental impacts gray water infrastructure can have. Nature-based solutions (NBS) are inherently flexible and represent an additional set of options for politicians, communities, and planners that we have largely neglected to date, while our gray designs reflect an overconfidence in our ability to know the future. While NBS are cross-cutting solutions that address a range of societal challenges, we focus here on water as an enabler of solutions across multiple challenges. This volume supports decision-makers and practitioners in this growing field by: (1) synthesizing the accumulating, collective global experience with NBS to provide a practical reference on the current state of knowledge, policy, and practice; and (2) presenting a consensus reflection to guide the kind of strategic actions that are needed for implementation of NBS at scale.