Reinforcing nature-based solutions through tools providing social-ecological-technological integration

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science
• Climate Change Adaptation
• Information Technology

Background:

• Nature-based solutions (NbS) are crucial for climate adaptation and mitigation but are vulnerable to climate change impacts.
• Integrating social-ecological-technological feedback is key to strengthening NbS resilience.
• Existing approaches often lack integrated data for context-specific management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a decision-support tool that enhances the resilience of NbS against climate change.
• To integrate remote sensing data with socio-economic information for adaptive NbS management.
• To support the development of context-tailored solutions for urban societal challenges.

Main Methods:

• Conducted a focused literature review on information technology applications for social-ecological-technological feedback.
• Developed a prototype decision-support tool integrating remote sensing data (functional diversity, ecosystem services) and human data (service demand, vulnerability).
• Utilized globally available remote sensing data and socio-economic indicators.

Main Results:

• The tool integrates functional diversity, ecosystem service provisioning, human service demand, and population vulnerability.
• Demonstrated the potential for integrated monitoring to inform climate change adaptation strategies.
• Highlighted the utility of actionable information for NbS management in urban environments.

Conclusions:

• Integrated monitoring and actionable information packaging can bolster NbS management and resilience.
• The developed tool supports local knowledge building for context-specific NbS solutions.
• This approach offers a pathway to address societal challenges in urban areas through adaptive NbS.