Implementation progress of Nature-based Solutions in China: A global comparative review

Abstract

Nature-based Solutions (NbS) are becoming a promising tool to tackle various challenges in global and Chinese contexts. However, the overall progress of NbS implementation in China has not been thoroughly investigated, and existing studies questioned whether NbS can be truly effective in China in consideration of an incomplete NbS policy system and prevailing centralized decision-making. By summarizing Chinese policies and practices falling under the NbS concept and comparing them with globally recognized lessons, this paper concludes that China has achieved prominent NbS policy and practice progress on climate mitigation, biodiversity conservation, water security, and sustainable cities. The comparison of NbS implementation between China and the globe reveals that China has gained strengths in terms of the context-based design, planning beyond administrative borders, adaptive monitoring methods, financing NbS with innovative methods, technology facilitation, and community livelihood diversification. As recommendations for domestic policymakers and practitioners, this article also points potential pathways to upscaling NbS in China especially by creating a systematically unified NbS policy system. For future research, more empirical studies are needed to explore how different extents of decision-making transparency and community engagement can affect the actual outcome of NbS practices.