Author(s): Thomas Dunlop; William Glamore; Stefan Felder
Linked Author(s): Stefan Felder
Keywords: No Keywords
Abstract: In estuaries, Nature-based solutions (NbS) have the potential to support ecosystem restoration, reduce flood risk and erosion, and provide a myriad of social and environmental co-benefits. However, a lack of design standards, uncertainty in performance, and reliability concerns, have become barriers towards the widespread implementation of NbS. In this study, a review of existing NbS design guidelines, in conjunction with a literature review of intertidal NbS, revealed that technical content balancing ecology with engineering is currently missing in design guidelines. A conceptual approach to integrating ecology and engineering within design guidelines was subsequently proposed. This conceptual approach focuses on the critical thresholds and parameter relationships associated with four key stages of NbS development, namely establishment, growth, recovery and mortality, and functionality. Technical guidance is presented that enables practitioners to overcome deficits in design details, for improved project implementation in the short, medium, and long-term. This guidance advises practitioners of the necessary site-specific and experimental data that are to be collected to improve model predictions of NbS success across the project lifecycle.
Year: 2024