. Hydro-meteorological risks due to natural hazards such as severe floods, storm surges, landslides and droughts are causing impacts on different sectors of society. Such risks are expected to become worse given projected changes in climate, degradation of ecosystems, population growth and urbanisation. In this respect, nature-based solutions (NBSs) have emerged
as effective means to respond to such challenges. A NBS is a term used for
innovative solutions that are based on natural processes and ecosystems to
solve different types of societal and environmental challenges. The present
paper provides a critical review of the literature concerning NBSs for
hydro-meteorological risk reduction and identifies current knowledge gaps
and future research prospects. There has been a considerable growth of
scientific publications on this topic, with a more significant rise taking
place from 2007 onwards. Hence, the review process presented in this paper
starts by sourcing 1608 articles from Scopus and 1431 articles from the Web of
Science. The full analysis was performed on 146 articles. The analysis
confirmed that numerous advancements in the area of NBSs have been achieved
to date. These solutions have already proven to be valuable in providing
sustainable, cost-effective, multi-purpose and flexible means for
hydro-meteorological risk reduction. However, there are still many areas
where further research and demonstration are needed in order to promote
their upscaling and replication and to make them become mainstream
solutions.

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Nature-based solutions for hydro-meteorological risk reduction: a state-of-the-art review of the research area

This paper describes an assessment framework tool to analyze the performance of nature-based solutions (NBS) for hydro-meteorological risk management. The tool is based on multi-criteria decision analysis within the context of NBSs, an umbrella concept currently in focus that promotes nature and provides ecological and socio-economic benefits. The proposed tool includes the selection and application of key performance indicators (KPIs) for the co-benefits and costs associated with the implementation of NBSs. To ensure high societal impact, the tool relies on a participatory approach. Stakeholder preferences are taken into account within the assessment process. As such, the assessment framework can be used as a design and selection tool for NBSs and other alternative measures, including grey and hybrid solutions. The proposed procedure can be adapted to the specific socio-environmental context and hydro-meteorological risk by tailoring the set of relevant KPIs. The assessment framework is useful for monitoring the implemented measures and to document their effectiveness. The methodology provides quantitative and transparent documentation of hydro-meteorological risk management processes, useful for decision- and policy-makers, and stakeholders dealing with NBS measures. 

A comprehensive framework tool for performance assessment of NBS for hydro-meteorological risk management

The increasing frequency and severity of hydro-meteorological events on land and sea have a high impact globally. Extreme hydro-meteorological events such as hurricanes, intense cyclones, or destructive thunderstorms appear to be associated with climate change and an increasing number of people is exposed to climate-related hazards each year – particularly the most vulnerable. Furthermore, the massive deforestation, over-building of rural and coastal areas, and modification of natural watersheds have made territories more prone to hazards. The science behind these phenomena is complex and multi-disciplinary as the international scientific community explores solutions that not only mitigate the impact of hydrometeorological events but also can contribute to disaster risk reduction and achieve the broader goals of the Sendai Framework, as well as the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations. Additionally, advancement in evidence-based knowledge, together with progress in Bulletin of Atmospheric Science and Technology https://doi.org/10.1007/s42865-020-00007-4

https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s42865-020-00007-4.pdf

Elena Lopez Gunn

Papers

Nature-based solutions for hydro-meteorological risk reduction