Nature-Based Solutions (NBS) are playing an increasingly important role in helping cities to mitigate the effects of climate change and significantly increase their resilience through the promotion of green and blue infrastructure. This study analyzed 38 articles on nature-based solutions with a direct focus on climate change mitigation and adaptation in the urban environment, targeting European cities. The aim of the review was to systematically analyses the nature-based solutions for adapting to and mitigating the effects of climate change in the selected articles, revealing the diversity of issues explored, the approaches and solutions proposed in different concrete applications, and the challenges that currently exist in reconciling cities and nature. The results of the analysis also show that, despite the large number of studies carried out at the urban level, the practical approaches of the NBS focus on one city or groups of cities that generally face similar challenges: urban heat islands, stormwater management, green areas, tested and implemented green infrastructure (GI) solutions, blue-green infrastructure. We found that ecosystem-based adaptation in the urban context is fragmented due to the different urban challenges: mainly flooding or heat and the corresponding risk reduction solutions: wetlands, green spaces, trees, parks. A key finding of the articles analyzed the involvement of stakeholders in urban and NBS planning. A more in-depth analysis and systematization of good practices at the level of urban areas can be achieved by analyzing the entire literature in the field of NBS and climate change mitigation and adaptation, categorized according to different themes, through a multidisciplinary effort.

Nature-based solutions, climate change, mitigation, adaptation, review

environmental engineering

Presentation: oral presentation