Nature-based Solutions (NbS) have the potential to mitigate up to 10 gigatonnes of CO₂ per year – about 27% of global annual emissions. As climate deadlines loom and cities continue to grow, local and regional governments are increasingly turning to NbS to build resilience, restore degraded ecosystems, and improve lives.
With over 70% of the world’s population expected to live in cities by 2050, many urban areas face mounting risks from climate change, biodiversity loss, and persistent inequality. In this context, Nature-based Solutions are emerging as one of the most promising tools to address interconnected challenges and build sustainable, inclusive cities.
An integrated path to systemic transformation
Nature-based Solutions are most effective when embedded in broader sustainability agendas, such as climate mitigation, resilience building, circular economy, ecosystem restoration, and social equity. These are not isolated goals, but interconnected pathways that support holistic, long-term urban transformation.
To go beyond pilot projects, NbS must be integrated into land-use planning, regulatory frameworks, and governance systems. This means engaging diverse stakeholders, linking multiple forms of knowledge, and anchoring interventions in local priorities.
Solutions that restore ecosystems and empower communities
Across Latin America, cities are increasingly using NbS to tackle shared urban challenges in ways that connect ecosystem restoration with social inclusion.
In Barranquilla and Copacabana (Colombia), participatory design processes with vulnerable communities have helped shape NbS that reduce flood and landslide risks. These initiatives not only restore strategic ecosystems, such as mangroves and micro-watersheds, but also build local capacity and foster grassroots engagement in risk management.
In Pereira, Pasto, Montería, Villavicencio, Yopal, and Bucaramanga, local governments have developed NbS that address both climate change and biodiversity loss. The approach promotes nature-based urban planning and ecosystem restoration, supported by participatory methods and institutional capacity building.
As a result, 44 in-person workshops were held with 627 participants (358 women and 269 men) from government, communities, and academia. Thirty-three locally tailored project proposals were developed, and four have already been incorporated into territorial planning instruments.
In La Estrella, NbS were implemented in three educational institutions, combining Ecosystem-based Adaptation with a Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI) lens. Through school gardens and fruit tree restoration, food security and climate resilience were strengthened. A total of 106 people participated, including students, teachers, and local actors.
Thirteen fruit tree species were planted in the El Romeral Reserve, two tons of organic waste were repurposed, and 150 m² were allocated for seedling production. A rainwater-fed drip irrigation system (2 m³) was also installed. Today, 20 vulnerable families benefit from the agroecological produce grown.
In Quito (Ecuador), a community-led process supported the creation of rain gardens and urban gardens to restore green spaces and reduce flood risk. The initiative built local capacity in environmental management and food security. Its success contributed to the approval of the Green and Blue Ordinance and a practical guide for NbS implementation that integrates urban ecosystem preservation and sustainable drainage systems into land-use planning.
Challenges to implementation
While the benefits of NbS are well documented, local governments often face major barriers to putting them into practice. Limited access to funding, fragmented regulatory frameworks, a lack of geospatial data, and low inter-institutional coordination are among the most common challenges.
Overcoming these barriers requires integrated public policy, enabling legal frameworks, and mechanisms that ensure meaningful community participation and long-term sustainability.
From solutions to structural strategies
The real challenge is not just implementing Nature-based Solutions, but embedding them as structural strategies for urban development. This involves long-term investments in local capacity, improved access to actionable data, regulatory reform, innovative finance, and inclusive governance.
OECD guidance on scaling nature-based solutions in cities
To support the integration of Nature-based Solutions into urban planning, climate resilience, and ecosystem restoration, the OECD offers practical tools such as Scaling up Nature-based Solutions to Tackle Water-related Climate Risks, Nature-based Solutions and Climate-resilient Infrastructure, and Building Systemic Climate Resilience in Cities. These resources provide guidance on aligning Nature-based Solutions with policy, finance, and governance frameworks to achieve lasting impact.
Alejandrois an environmental engineer witha PhD inSustainabilityandworksas auniversity lecturer. He has extensiveexperienceinurbanand regionalenvironmental management, hasheld leadershippositions inpublic organisations, andcurrentlyserves as ExecutiveDirector ofICLEI Colombia.
Sergio Arangurenspecialisesininternational relationsandurban management,with abackgroundininternational cooperation,project management, andbiodiversity. Hebringsextensiveexperience from theHumboldtInstituteandinternational organisations, andcurrentlyserves asTechnical Coordinator ofICLEI Colombia.
Luz Camachoholdsadegreein Business and InternationalRelationsand amaster'sinPublic PolicyManagement.Shehasexperienceininternational positioning oflocalgovernments,cooperation, and globalclimate action.Shehasworked with Colombia's National Planning Department(DNP) and São Paulo City Hall, andcurrentlyserves asInstitutional Relations Coordinator ofICLEI Colombia.
NathaliaCorreais an Environmental Administrator with specialisedtraining andmaster's studiesinproject management.She brings over nine years of experienceinsustainability,biodiversity, andclimate change, andworksas a ProjectAdvisorat ICLEI Colombia.
Melissa Velásquezis an environmental engineer with expertisein GISapplications for risk assessmentandclimate change.Shehasworkedininternational cooperation focussed on biodiversityandresilience, andcurrently worksas aSupportProfessional at ICLEI Colombia.