Department of the Interior Nature-Based Solutions Roadmap

This comprehensive resource, created in collaboration with the US Department of the Interior, is a first-of-its-kind reference for implementing nature-based solutions (NBS). Nature-based solutions are actions to protect, sustainably manage, or restore natural or modified ecosystems to address societal challenges—including climate change—in ways that help people and the environment. Examples cited in the Roadmap range from urban stormwater and runoff management to prescribed burns to living shorelines to restoration of various ecosystems.

Nature-based solutions require planning and design specific to each site and strategy being employed, but some principles and considerations apply in every case. The first section of the Roadmap offers information on these cross-cutting principles and considerations, including community engagement, application of Indigenous Knowledges, equity and environmental justice, funding sources, and common barriers.

The bulk of the nearly 500-page Roadmap is devoted to details 29 individual NBS strategies. Each strategy summary contains these elements:

• A list of likely benefits, including climate threat reduction, socioeconomic and ecological benefits
• Example projects from throughout the United States
• Links to additional tools, training and resources for project planning, implementation and monitoring
• Details about site suitability, how the strategy is implemented on the ground, and operations and maintenance needs

This living document is part of the Nature-Based Solutions project at the Nicholas Institute for Energy, Environment & Sustainability. Explore more NBS content, including fact sheets on each of the strategies in the Roadmap.