Operationalising nature-based solutions for the design of water management interventions

Abstract

Water resources are affected by several pressures, including pollution, abstractions, droughts, and floods, as well as physical modifications such as land use changes, drainage, soil erosion, channelisation and barriers amongst others. Protecting water resources requires managing these pressures and designing cost-effective interventions to reduce their impact on the water environment. In recent years, the emergence of an integrated approach driven by the implementation of the Water Framework Directive (WFD) in Europe, and a shift towards sustainable catchment management, have brought to the forefront the need for understanding the catchment as a system and managing it by aligning human-nature interdependencies with the goal of improving it as a whole. In this context, nature-based solutions have the potential to outperform the end of pipe solutions used to protect the environment while delivering multiple benefits. In this study, we review the potential of such an approach and evaluate the role of nature-based solutions as interventions for catchment management in the context of the WFD. Through a case study, we examine the effectiveness of a privately funded wetland in improving effluent quality of a water recycling centre and assess the economic value of generated ecosystem services. Findings demonstrate that the designed nature-based solution contributes significantly to achieving water quality targets, while being able to offer key economic benefits through carbon sequestration and the provision of habitat for species. The study confirms that nature-based solutions and their operation in tandem with traditional grey infrastructure, have the potential to improve water management practices and unlock private sector investment for the protection of the environment.