The Biden-Harris Administration released their recommendations “roadmap” to the National Climate Task Force with the intention of accelerating the use of nature-based solutions (NBS) in the United States. The roadmap stems from the 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act and Executive Order 14072, which directed Federal agencies to identify opportunities to expand the implementation of natural and nature-based solutions. The administration announced its plan to expand nature-based solutions at the 2022 United Nations Climate Change Conference. They are planning to allocate about $25 million in infrastructure and climate funding to support integrating nature-based solutions.
What are Nature-Based Solutions?
The White House defines nature-based solutions as “actions to protect, sustainably manage, or restore natural or modified ecosystems to address societal challenges, simultaneously providing benefits for people and the environment”. Best management practices (BMPs) act as a vehicle for achieving the broad principles of nature-based solutions. There are several types of BMPs that are used to mimic natural processes like permeable pavement, greenways, rain gardens, and constructed wetlands.
Wetlands and Nature-Based Solutions
Wetlands and their functions can be applied to several different nature-based solutions. The roadmap cites a wetland’s ability to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through wetland conservation, improve inland flooding, capture and treat stormwater runoff through constructed wetlands, and restore community culture through recreational activities. A common nature-based solution used to protect coastal and freshwater wetlands from shoreline erosion and storm surge are living shorelines. Living shorelines are structures comprised of natural materials like rocks, plants, and sand that act as protection for shorelines. They are often used in place of hardened structures like sea walls or jetties.
The Goals of the Roadmap
The Administration finds nature-based solutions to be the key to improving climate change and environmental inequities. To combat climate change, the administration proposes that the increased use of nature-based solutions can reduce greenhouse gas emissions and increase rates of carbon sequestration. In their recommendation, they state conserving and restoring critical habitats like grasslands, forests, and wetlands will contribute to one-third of the climate mitigation required to reduce global warming below 2 degrees Celsius by 2030. Environmental inequity plays directly into improving the effects of climate change as at-risk communities experience climate change at a disproportionately higher rate. In their roadmap, the White House makes a point to utilize nature-based solutions as methods to mitigate environmental justice issues and prevent further inequities.
Strategy and Challenges Ahead
To accomplish their goal, the Biden-Harris Administration suggested five strategies and recommendations for Federal agencies to adopt in their practices. The five action areas in their roadmap are:
1. Update Policies to Accelerate Nature-Based Solutions
2. Unlock Funding for Nature-Based Solutions
3. Lead with Federal Facilities and Assets
4. Train the Nature-Based Solutions Workforce
5. Prioritize Research, Innovation, Knowledge, and Adaptive Learning
While the Administration is hopeful to implement nature-based solutions, they identified potential roadblocks that would hinder the widespread use of nature-based solutions. In their note, they identified their main challenges as:
- Insufficient awareness of nature-based solutions
- Regulatory and policy hurdles
- Difficulty accounting for cost and benefits
- Insufficient and uncoordinated funds
- Limited federal, community, and workforce skills and knowledge
- Gaps in evidence of effectiveness
It will be interesting to see how well these nature-based solutions are incorporated into Federal agencies and future policies over the next two years. To learn more about the Administration’s recommendations, please refer to the roadmap here: https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Nature-Based-Solutions-Roadmap.pdf