Handbook of Nature-Based Solutions to Mitigation and Adaptation to Climate Change

Over recent years, nature-based solutions (NbS) have gained popularity as tools to ameliorate the effects of climate change, while slowing down the global warming process. More specifically, the potential of NbS has been explored in terms of meeting greenhouse gas emissions targets, and fostering climate change adaptation.

NbS are methods that use and enhance nature to improve social and environmental challenges. They involve several multifaceted actions, that work sustainably to restore and protect the natural environment while helping people. Therefore, these solutions are useful in climate change adaptation and mitigation. There are 3 main areas which NbS may target, namely reducing exposure, reducing sensitivity, and supporting adaptive capacity.

Reducing exposure refers to protecting areas from existing climate change effects. There is thus a perceived need to document and promote experiences related to NbS, and to apply these in different contexts.  

It is against this background that the "Handbook of Nature-Based Solutions to Mitigation and Adaptation to Climate Change" is being produced. The publication will showcase experiences related to NbS from around the world. In particular, it will gather examples of projects, studies and the latest thinking on NbS, which can serve the purpose of inspiring and fostering further works in this key area.

Thanks to its scope and thematic diversity, the book will be of special interest to representatives from government organisations, researchers and students from a wide range of natural and social sciences courses. It will also provide useful information to practitioners and representatives from non-governmental organisations.

Professor Walter Leal Filho (BSc, PhD, DSc, DPhil, DTech, DL, DLitt, FSB, FLS, FRGS) holds Professorial positiions at universities in Germany (Hamburg University of Applied Sciences), UK (Manchester Metropolitan University) and Poland (WSB Merito University). He directs the European School of Sustainability Science and Research (ESSSR) and the Inter-University Sustainable Development Research Programme, the largest network of universities specifically focusing on research on matters related to sustainable development. Professor Walter Leal Filho  has over 30 years experience on sustainable development research and in excess of 800 publications to his credit.

Gustavo J. Nagy, an Earth and Environmental scientist, is an expert in interdisciplinary climate studies trained in Uruguay, Chile, France, Sweden, and Italy. He is a Full-Time teaching researcher at the Faculty of Sciences, UdelaR, Montevideo, Uruguay. His research experience focuses on Climate adaptation, impacts and vulnerability, Climate Risk Management, and Planetary Health. He has published over 80 articles and chapters. His authority in the field is underscored by his role as a Lead Author of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, Group II. He was a consultant on Climate Impacts and Adaptation for the United Kingdom, UN-ECLAC, and the Ministry of the Environment, Uruguay. Since 2014, he has been part of the International Climate Change Information and Research Programme (ICCIRP), Hamburg University of Applied Sciences (HAW), Germany, focusing on the development of publications and scientific projects. He has been an associate editor for five scientific journals, five books and a reviewer for 87 international journals. He has been the Editor-in-Chief of the International Journal of Climate Change Strategies and Management since 2024.

Dr. Desalegn Yayeh Ayal is an Associate Professor of Disaster Risk Management and Sustainable Development at the Center for Food Security Studies, College of Development Studies, Addis Ababa University. He holds a Ph.D. in Geography and currently serves as the Deputy Editor of the International Journal of Climate Change Strategies and Management and associate editor of Climatic Change Journal. Desalegn has authored over 100 scholarly publications, including books, book chapters, and peer-reviewed journal articles. He also serves as the East African Vice President for the "Interconnections for Making Africa Great, Empowered and Sustainable (IMAGES)" Initiative. He has presented extensively at both national and international conferences on topics related to climate change adaptation and related issues. His primary research interests include climate change vulnerability, adaptation, and mitigation; indigenous weather forecasting; integrated natural resource rehabilitation and management; and the nexus between livelihoods and food security. Desalegn possesses a deep understanding of the interlinkages between natural and human-induced hazards and sustainable development. He is committed to staying current with tools and methodologies for assessing the impacts of climate change on livelihoods and the broader environment. He has been actively engaged in research and development interventions focused on building climate resilience and improving food security through integrated natural resource management.