Written by Bart Kapteijns, ICA

The Myth

Nature-Based Solutions (NBS) are a quick fix for climate and biodiversity.

The Reality

NBS are powerful tools but not instant ones. Actions like restoring wetlands, planting mangroves, or converting farmland with degraded soils into agroforestry systems can provide multiple benefits—from carbon sequestration and flood protection to cooling urban areas—but these results take years and require ongoing care. Healthy ecosystems evolve gradually, depending on proper stewardship and adaptive management.

The IPCC¹ warns that adaptation through NBS has limits: even effective interventions cannot fully prevent climate-related losses or biodiversity declines. Likewise, recent scientific reviews highlight that benefits depend on local context, available land, and governance quality. This underscores that NBS are not a “silver bullet” but a lasting investment in resilience and ecological integrity.

References

1. IUCN (2020). Global Standard for Nature-based Solutions.
2. IPCC (2022). Sixth Assessment Report – Working Group II: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability.
3. Seddon, N. et al. (2021). “The value and limits of Nature-based Solutions to climate change and other global challenges.” Nature Sustainability, 4(11), 806–818.