Nature-based Solutions (NbS)
Kartavya Desk Staff
Source: IUCN
Subject: Environment
Context: Nature-based Solutions (NbS) took center stage as the TREESCAPES 2026 Congress concluded in Delhi, highlighting agroforestry’s role in climate resilience, alongside the release of the UNEP State of Finance for Nature 2026 report which warned of a massive global investment gap.
About Nature-based Solutions (NbS):
What are they?
• Nature-based Solutions are defined by the IUCN as actions to protect, sustainably manage, and restore natural or modified ecosystems to address societal challenges (like climate change, food security, or water safety) effectively and adaptively.
• They are unique because they provide simultaneous benefits for both human well-being and biodiversity.
Key Data & Stats in NbS:
• Mitigation Potential: NbS can provide up to 37% of the cost-effective CO2 mitigation needed by 2030 to keep global warming below 2°C.
• Economic Value: Healthy mangroves globally avert over $57 billion in annual flooding damages, protecting over 18 million people.
• Finance Gap: The 2026 UNEP report reveals that for every $1 invested in protecting nature, $30 are spent on nature-negative activities (fossil fuel subsidies, etc.).
• Investment Need: Global NbS investment must triple to $571 billion annually by 2030 to meet climate and land restoration targets.
• India’s Green Cover: India currently ranks 9th globally in forest area, with forest and tree cover accounting for approximately 25.17% of its geographical area.
Need for Nature-based Solutions:
• Climate Change Mitigation: NbS act as massive carbon sinks to absorb greenhouse gases.
E.g. India’s Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam campaign (2025) led to the planting of 262.4 crore saplings to enhance the national carbon sink.
• Disaster Risk Reduction: Natural barriers like mangroves and wetlands buffer against extreme weather events.
E.g. The MISHTI (Mangrove Initiative for Shoreline Habitats & Tangible Incomes) protects coastal communities from cyclonic storm surges in Odisha and West Bengal.
• Water Security: Restoring watersheds and urban wetlands improves groundwater recharge and filtration.
E.g. In Bengaluru, the rejuvenation of seasonal lake systems (like Jakkur Lake) has significantly improved local water tables and reduced flood risks.
• Sustainable Livelihoods: Ecosystem restoration creates jobs in eco-tourism, sustainable forestry, and organic farming.
E.g. The MGNREGS program increasingly focuses on Natural Resource Management, providing rural employment through pond desilting and afforestation.
• Food Security: Integrating trees into farms (agroforestry) improves soil health and crop resilience.
E.g. The TREESCAPES 2026 initiative emphasizes that agroforestry now accounts for nearly 20% of India’s national carbon stocks while supporting marginal farmers.
Challenges to Nature-based Solutions:
• Lack of Standardized Frameworks: Without a common standard, greenwashing or poor project design can occur.
E.g. Some afforestation drives in Central India have been criticized for planting monoculture non-native species (like Eucalyptus) that drain groundwater.
• Financing and Budgetary Constraints: Most NbS projects lack long-term, dedicated funding compared to grey infrastructure.
E.g. Only about 30% of India’s current climate policies have explicit budgets allocated for the implementation of nature-based components.
• Complex Governance and Land Tenure: Overlapping jurisdictions between forest, water, and urban departments stall projects.
E.g. Restoring the Aravalli Green Wall (2025-26) faces hurdles due to complex land-use rights across four different states (Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan, Gujarat).
• Disconnect from Urban Planning: NbS are often treated as add-ons rather than core components of city design.
E.g. Despite the 2024 Bengaluru floods, city developers still prioritize concrete drains over restoring natural blue-green floodplains.
• Knowledge and Expertise Gaps: A lack of site-specific technical data often leads to project failure.
E.g. Mangrove restoration in parts of Tamil Nadu has failed in the past when upstream water flow changes were not technically factored into the design.
Initiatives Taken:
• IUCN Global Standard for NbS: A rigorous framework of 8 criteria to ensure projects are sustainable and benefit both people and planet.
• Aravalli Green Wall Project: A massive 2025 initiative to restore 6.31 million hectares of land to stop desertification in Northwest India.
• Digital CAMPA Reforms: The rollout of the Digital APO Portal (2025) to ensure transparency and real-time monitoring of compensatory afforestation.
• ENACT Initiative: A global partnership (supported by India) to accelerate NbS by integrating them into national climate and biodiversity plans.
Way Ahead:
• Mainstreaming NbS into Infrastructure: Incorporate Blue-Green infrastructure into the PM Gati Shakti framework for all new development.
E.g. Integrating rain gardens and bioswales into the Smart Cities Mission to handle urban runoff more effectively.
• Unlocking Green Finance: Develop Sovereign Forest Bonds and private carbon credit markets to fund large-scale restoration.
E.g. Using the DPDP Act (2023) frameworks to ensure transparent data for carbon credit verification in community forestry.
• Community-Led Governance: Empower local Gram Sabhas and Indigenous groups to lead NbS projects for better survival rates.
E.g. Expanding the Jal Jeevan Mission’s women-led water committees to manage local wetland restoration.
• Science-Based Monitoring (MRV): Use satellite imagery and geospatial tools to track the health of restored ecosystems.
E.g. The Meri LiFE portal (2026) now uses digital tracking to ensure the Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam saplings actually survive.
• Scaling Agroforestry: Transition from traditional agriculture to tree-based systems to future-proof rural economies.
E.g. Implementing the roadmap from the 2026 South Asian Agroforestry Congress to reduce India’s $7 billion wood import bill.
Conclusion:
Nature-based Solutions represent a shift from fighting nature to partnering with it to solve our most pressing societal crises. While challenges in funding and standardized implementation remain, recent Indian initiatives like the Aravalli restoration show a growing political will to adopt these holistic strategies. By bridging the finance gap and centering local communities, India can turn its vast natural capital into its strongest defense against climate change.
Q. “Nature-based solutions are increasingly seen as a key strategy to combat biodiversity loss and climate change”. Critically analyze the potential and limitations of nature-based solutions in achieving global conservation goals. (15 M)