Nature based solutions (NBS) are believed to be the answer for most of our pressing water-related challenges. What do you understand by the term NBS and discuss its applications in addressing various water-related challenges.
Refer – The Hindu
IAS Parliament 7 years
KEY POINTS
Nature based solutions (NBS)
· Nature-based solutions (NBS) are inspired and supported by nature and use, or mimic, natural processes to contribute to the improved management of water.
· An NBS can involve conserving or rehabilitating natural ecosystems and/or the enhancement or creation of natural processes in modified or artificial ecosystems.
· They can be applied at micro- (e.g. a dry toilet) or macro(e.g. landscape) scales.
· This year’s World Water Development Report makes it clear that business-as-usual approaches to water security are no longer viable and Nature Based Solutions (NBS) can offer answers to our most pressing water-related challenges.
Applications in various fields
For managing water availability
· Nature-based solutions can address overall water scarcity through “supply-side management,” and are recognised as the main solution to achieving sustainable water for agriculture.
· Environmental-friendly agricultural systems like those which use practices such as conservation tillage, crop diversification, legume intensification and biological pest control work as well as intensive, high-input systems.
For managing water quality
· Constructed wetlands for wastewater treatment can also be a cost-effective, nature-based solution that provides effluent of adequate quality for several non-potable uses (irrigation) and additional benefits that include energy production.
· Natural and constructed wetlands also biodegrade or immobilise a range of emerging pollutants.
For managing water-related risks
· NBS for flood management can involve water retention by managing infiltration and overland flow, and thereby the hydrological connectivity between system components and the conveyance of water through it, making space for water storage through, for example, floodplains.
· The mix of potential NBS for drought mitigation is essentially the same as those for water availability and aim to improve water storage capacity in landscapes, including soils and groundwater, to cushion against periods of extreme scarcity.
Multiple benefits
Watershed management is another nature-based solution that is seen not only as a complement to built or “grey” infrastructure but also one that could also spur local economic development, job creation, biodiversity protection and climate resilience.
