Evaluation of Nature-Based Solutions for Hydro-Meteorological Risk Reduction

Abstract

There is growing evidence that hydro-meteorological events, and particularly floods, are the most frequent cause of disasters for many places around the world. Nature-Based Solutions (NBS) have been introduced to address these growing risks and they have a potential to be more effective than traditional grey infrastructure. NBS offer a way forward, enabling us to adapt to anticipated changes in climate and society while achieving multiple benefits for ecosystem services and functions. However, scientists and decision-makers require holistic perspectives and frameworks to help understand, evaluate and design NBS in such a way that can reduce social, economic and environmental impacts, increase resilience to hydro-meteorological events and enhance the co-benefits. This book presents a methodological framework for the evaluation of Nature-Based Solutions for hydro-meteorological risk reduction and co-benefits enhancement. The evaluation framework consists of two main evaluation processes, which are ex-ante evaluation and ex-post evaluation. The ex-ante evaluation was applied to the Tamnava river basin, Serbia, while the ex-post evaluation was conducted in the Rangsit area, Thailand. The results of this research contribute to the improvement of decision-making and NBS evaluation processes, both before and after NBS implementation. They offer valuable insights for practitioners and researchers to enhance the effectiveness and credibility of NBS, considering their risk reduction benefits and co-benefits.