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NBS projects frequently have lower operations and maintenance costs than gray infrastructure alternatives—in fact, lower costs is one of the primary reasons cited by companies that implement nature-based solutions (The Nature Conservancy’s Business Council 2019). However, NBS projects do require maintenance to perform as intended, so it is important to develop an operations and maintenance plan along with the project design and ensure that adequate funding for operations and maintenance is included in the project budget.
Common NBS maintenance activities focus on maintaining the desired site and vegetation conditions to facilitate adequate ecosystem function. Specific activities may include invasive species removal, pest and disease control, debris removal, slope stabilization, and maintenance of project boundaries to avoid foot or vehicle traffic (Inter-American Development Bank 2020). These activities will likely be required more frequently soon after project construction, especially if the project involved planting young plants that need time to establish and grow.
Key aspects of an operations and maintenance plan include a list of which actions need to be performed and at what frequency, considering how seasonal variability may influence requirements; adequate funding and trained personnel to carry out maintenance; and contingency plans for maintenance schedules in case of extreme events that require additional inspection or maintenance.