Ferranti, Emma J. S.

Ghermandi, Andrea

Pert, Petina L.

Rao, Nalini S.

English

University of Birmingham Research Portal

  University of BirminghamEditorial: Nature-based solutions for climate changeadaptationRao, Nalini S.; Ferranti, Emma J. S.; Ghermandi, Andrea; Pert, Petina L.DOI:10.3389/fenvs.2025.1672694License:Creative Commons: Attribution (CC BY)Document VersionPublisher's PDF, also known as Version of recordCitation for published version (Harvard):Rao, NS, Ferranti, EJS, Ghermandi, A & Pert, PL 2025, 'Editorial: Nature-based solutions for climate changeadaptation', Frontiers in Environmental Science, vol. 13, 1672694. https://doi.org/10.3389/fenvs.2025.1672694Link to publication on Research at Birmingham portalGeneral rightsUnless a licence is specified above, all rights (including copyright and moral rights) in this document are retained by the authors and/or thecopyright holders. The express permission of the copyright holder must be obtained for any use of this material other than for purposespermitted by law.•Users may freely distribute the URL that is used to identify this publication.•Users may download and/or print one copy of the publication from the University of Birmingham research portal for the purpose of privatestudy or non-commercial research.•User may use extracts from the document in line with the concept of ‘fair dealing’ under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 (?)•Users may not further distribute the material nor use it for the purposes of commercial gain.Where a licence is displayed above, please note the terms and conditions of the licence govern your use of this document.When citing, please reference the published version.Take down policyWhile the University of Birmingham exercises care and attention in making items available there are rare occasions when an item has beenuploaded in error or has been deemed to be commercially or otherwise sensitive.If you believe that this is the case for this document, please contact UBIRA@lists.bham.ac.uk providing details and we will remove access tothe work immediately and investigate.Download date: 31. Oct. 2025Editorial: Nature-based solutionsfor climate change adaptationNalini S. Rao1*, Emma J. S. Ferranti2,3, Andrea Ghermandi4 andPetina L. Pert51Integrated Environmental Research and Development, Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), PaloAlto, CA, United States, 2School of Engineering, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom,3Birmingham Institute of Forest Research, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom,4School of Environmental Sciences, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel, 5CSIRO, Environment, Townsville,QLD, AustraliaKEYWORDSnature-based solutions, climate change, ecosystem services, green infrastructure (GI),ecological restorationEditorial on the Research TopicNature-based solutions for climate change adaptationNature-based Solutions (NbS) have emerged as a viable option to restore and maintainnatural ecosystems while delivering important co-benefits such as mitigating extreme eventsand reducing vulnerability. Additionally, NbS provide a means to tackle societal,environmental, and economic challenges, and biodiversity decline, and present analternative to traditional engineering solutions. In the United Nations (2022) definition,NbS are “actions to protect, conserve, restore, sustainably use and manage natural ormodified terrestrial, freshwater, coastal and marine ecosystems which address social,economic and environmental challenges effectively and adaptively, while simultaneouslyproviding human wellbeing, ecosystem services, resilience and biodiversity benefits.” Co-benefits may include, for instance, mitigation for extreme events, improved water qualityand availability, carbon sequestration and storage, recreational and cultural values, andreduced vulnerability. As climate change impacts increase in severity, and climate changeadaptation becomes crucial in adjusting to changing conditions, NbS have become a novelarea of focus for adaptation both at the community, regional, and global scales.It is our pleasure to present this Research Topic of Frontiers in Environmental Sciences,focused on Nature-based Solutions and Climate Change Adaptation, which includes12 articles, representing work by 126 authors from around the world. Together thesecontributions explore this rapidly evolving field through a range of perspectives,methodologies, and disciplinary approaches.Several of the studies examine NbS through the lens of the provision of ecosystemservices and biodiversity. Although the relationship between ecosystem services and NbScan be nuanced, and sometimes ambiguous (Remme et al., 2024), ecosystem services aregenerally understood to be one of the operational mechanisms through which NbS deliverbenefits. Enhancing biodiversity and ecosystem functions further supports resilience bystabilizing ecological processes, buffering against disturbances, and providing adaptivecapacity. For instance, mangrove restoration not only sequesters carbon but also protectscoastlines from storm surges, illustrating the dual role of ecosystem services in mitigationand adaptation. The studies touching upon this theme encompass the valuation,enhancement, and trade-offs of ecosystem services such as carbon sequestration, waterOPEN ACCESSEDITED AND REVIEWED BYFolco Giomi,University of Rome Tor Vergata, Italy*CORRESPONDENCENalini S. Rao,nrao@epri.comRECEIVED 24 July 2025ACCEPTED 04 September 2025PUBLISHED 10 October 2025CITATIONRao NS, Ferranti EJS, Ghermandi A and Pert PL(2025) Editorial: Nature-based solutions forclimate change adaptation.Front. Environ. Sci. 13:1672694.doi: 10.3389/fenvs.2025.1672694COPYRIGHT© 2025 Rao, Ferranti, Ghermandi and Pert. Thisis an open-access article distributed under theterms of the Creative Commons AttributionLicense (CC BY). The use, distribution orreproduction in other forums is permitted,provided the original author(s) and thecopyright owner(s) are credited and that theoriginal publication in this journal is cited, inaccordance with accepted academic practice.No use, distribution or reproduction ispermitted which does not comply with theseterms.Frontiers in Environmental Science frontiersin.org01TYPE EditorialPUBLISHED 10 October 2025DOI 10.3389/fenvs.2025.1672694regulation, pollination, and biodiversity conservation. Theyhighlight the role of both restored and conserved ecosystems indelivering critical services that underpin human wellbeing andecological stability. From a methodological perspective, studiesimplement techniques based on spatial modeling and ecosystemservices assessment, including meta-analytic value transfer, thatallow characterization of service flows under different land useand climate scenarios. From this Research Topic, McDonaldet al. assess NbS by examining the linkage between globalmitigation efforts and local ecosystem service outcomes.Environmental economics and planning form another keytheme. Economic justification is essential to scaling andmainstreaming NbS. By demonstrating positive benefit-cost ratiosand long-term returns, economic analyses validate NbS as viablealternatives to grey infrastructure. Investment planning frameworksalso help prioritize resilience-building interventions in regions withlimited resources, ensuring efficient allocation of funds. Byemploying spatially explicit economic assessments, discountingmethods, and scenario-based planning, the studies analyze thefinancial returns of restoration and conservation initiatives. Theseapproaches inform policy development and support private sectorinvestment by quantifying the economic viability of NbS. Studies inthis field employ spatially explicit economic assessments, includingdiscounting methods and scenario-based investment planning, toevaluate the returns on restoration and conservation projects. Theseanalyses are crucial for informing policy and attracting private sectorinvestment. In this Research Topic, van Zanten et al. examinedeveloping a national policy for mangroves in Indonesia byexplicitly using cost-benefit analysis.While challenging to implement, effective governance, policy,and institutional frameworks are prerequisites for successful NbSdeployment. Policies that integrate NbS into planning processes,provide technical guidance, and ensure cross-sectoral coordinationenhance the scalability and sustainability of resilience strategies.Institutional support may ensure that NbS are maintained andmonitored over time. Regulatory, institutionfal, and policymechanisms may either enable or constrain NbS implementation.Several studies examine the enabling and constraining roles of policyand governance mechanisms. Research in this area examines thedevelopment of standards, stakeholder coordination, and the role ofgovernment support in facilitating NbS implementation.Methodologies include policy analysis, stakeholder mapping, andinstitutional diagnostics. Morris et al. use stakeholder engagement toidentify challenges to NbS in the context of managing coastalhazards and protection.Community involvement is equally critical for the uptake andeffectiveness of NbS. Engaged communities are more likely tosupport and maintain interventions, enhancing their long-termclimate resilience (Puskás et al., 2021). Moreover, equityconsiderations ensure that NbS reduce vulnerability formarginalized populations and promote inclusive adaptation.Studies presented here examine the social dimensions ofenvironmental interventions, including public awareness,stakeholder participation, gender dynamics, and conflictresolution. Studies utilized surveys, participatory mapping, andqualitative interviews to assess community perceptions andengagement levels. In this Research Topic, planning approachespresented in Box et al. in Southeast Australia address fnaturalhazards by proposing a method to enabling councils to developresilient investment cases, and Donatti et al. describe how grasslandrestoration practices can reduce human-wildlife and social conflictsin Kenya.In both rural and urban contexts, strategic planning is crucial toensure the feasibility and effectiveness of NbS. Urban areas face distinctchallenges such as heat islands, stormwater management, and airpollution. Incorporating NbS into urban planning can significantlyenhance resilience while improving environmental quality. Strategicplanning also ensures that green spaces are equitably distributed andaccessible (Benati et al., 2024). Studies in this Research Topic examinespatial planning, land consumption, and the integration of greeninfrastructure in urban and peri-urban areas. Methods and tools toanalyze scenarios include GIS-based land use modeling, urban growthsimulations, and green infrastructure standards. In this Research Topic,Teerlinck et al. examine small-scale NbS in urban settings, and theirspatial and ecological importance, and Schaffert et al. focus on howvisualization and spatial awareness can help communities manage landpreservation.Hydrological and coastal dynamics are central to many NbS,particularly in flood-prone and coastal regions, which areexperiencing ever increasing impacts with climate change.Understanding these processes is essential for designinginterventions that are both effective and resilient. For example,levee setbacks and marsh terraces must be engineered tooptimize sediment retention and wave attenuation under varyingflow conditions. Studies in this Research Topic examine water flow,sediment transport, flood risk, and coastal erosion in relation toecological restoration. Studies employed hydrodynamic modeling,sediment analysis, and field experiments to understand the physicalprocesses that influence NbS performance. To illustrate these in ourResearch Topic, Jung et al. test and evaluate marsh terrace design forresilience to storm conditions among other factors, and van denBerg et al. examine the stability of tidal marsh vegetation to high flowvelocities as an alternative to dike development. Calderwood et al.identify the trade-offs in groundwater recharge and floodplainhabitat in the context of levee setbacks.Finally, the geographic scope of the studies in this Research Topicspans from local to global. Local contexts matter, and governancesystems, ecological conditions, and cultural factors are often highlyplace-specific. Initiatives such as the UK’s Natural England orLouisiana’s Coastal Master Plan offer valuable lessons. In thisResearch Topic, Grace et al. describes the evolution of standardsfor green infrastructure in the UK, and Carruthers et al. identifycritical gaps for the financial viability of blue carbon accreditation inLouisiana. However, direct transfer of such models is not alwaysfeasible. Ecological characteristics (e.g., species composition ofmangroves or marshes) and social contexts require tailoredsolutions. Similarly, ecological characteristics (e.g., speciescomposition of mangroves, grasslands, or marshes) require localadaptation. Cultural and social dynamics are deeply rooted in localcontexts. Policy frameworks like green infrastructure standards andblue carbon accreditation provide opportunities for communities andregions for shared planning outcomes. In addition, ecosystem servicevaluation techniques can be adapted to different biophysical andsocio-economic contexts.Each of the studies in this Research Topic covers a specific topicwith wider insights for designing, evaluating, analyzing, siting, andFrontiers in Environmental Science frontiersin.org02Rao et al. 10.3389/fenvs.2025.1672694managing NbS in the context of climate change adaptation. Acrossthe world, NbS activities have been used to upgrade water systems,reduce heat island effects, improve stormwater management, greeninfrastructure building and upgrading efforts, and providemultifaceted benefits to both ecosystems and communities.Despite the growing interest in NbS, further research is neededto build a stronger conceptual and technical foundation. Key areasinclude defining metrics for effectiveness, understanding ecologicaltrade-offs, scaling successful models, and integrating NbS intomulti-level governance frameworks. By synthesizing insights fromecology, economics, governance, and community engagement, thisResearch Topic demonstrates the rich interdisciplinary nature ofNbS research. The articles featured here contribute to filling thesegaps, offering evidence and tools to support more informeddecision-making in both developed and developing contexts. Theresearch presented could unveil key insights in applicability,measurement, effectiveness, and scalability. These findings can beused to improve research, design implementation, and decrease thenegative impacts of climate change.We thank all contributing authors for their dedication toadvancing knowledge in this critical field. We are delighted topresent this Research Topic as a resource for researchers,policymakers, and practitioners working to address the globalclimate challenge through nature-based innovation.Author contributionsNR: Writing – original draft, Writing – review and editing. EF:Writing – original draft, Writing – review and editing. AG:Writing – original draft, Writing – review and editing. PP:Writing – original draft, Writing – review and editing.FundingThe author(s) declare that no financial support was received forthe research and/or publication of this article.Conflict of interestThe authors declare that the research was conducted in theabsence of any commercial or financial relationships that could beconstrued as a potential conflict of interest.Generative AI statementThe author(s) declare that no Generative AI was used in thecreation of this manuscript.Any alternative text (alt text) provided alongside figures in thisarticle has been generated by Frontiers with the support of artificialintelligence and reasonable efforts have been made to ensureaccuracy, including review by the authors wherever possible. Ifyou identify any issues, please contact us.Publisher’s noteAll claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authorsand do not necessarily represent those of their affiliatedorganizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and thereviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article, orclaim that may be made by its manufacturer, is not guaranteed orendorsed by the publisher.ReferencesBenati, G., Calcagni, F., Martellozzo, F., Ghermandi, A., and Langemeyer, J. (2024).Unequal access to cultural ecosystem services of green spaces within the city of Rome–Aspatial socialmedia-based analysis. Ecosyst. Serv. 66, 101594. doi:10.1016/j.ecoser.2023.101594Puskás, N., Abunnasr, Y., and Naalbandian, S. (2021). Assessing deeper levels ofparticipation in nature-based solutions in urban landscapes–A literature review of real-world cases. Landsc. Urban Plan. 210, 104065. doi:10.1016/j.landurbplan.2021.104065Remme, R. P., Meacham, M., Pellowe, K. E., Andersson, E., Guerry, A. D., Janke,B., et al. (2024). Aligning nature-based solutions with ecosystem services in theurban century. Ecosyst. Serv. 66, 101610. doi:10.1016/j.ecoser.2024.101610United Nations (2022). Nature-based solutions for supporting sustainabledevelopment, 5. UNEP/EA.5/Res.Frontiers in Environmental Science frontiersin.org03Rao et al. 10.3389/fenvs.2025.1672694

Editorial: Nature-based solutions for climate change adaptation

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Editorial: Nature-based solutions for climate change adaptation

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