NbS Key Facts” refers to evidence-based information about the benefits, features and outcomes associated with nature-based solutions (NbS) to address environmental, societal and financial challenges. These facts include quantifiable data, statistics and information related to the effectiveness and impact of specific NbS, and how they contribute to overall environmental sustainability.
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Displaying 51 - 100 of 274
| Definition | Priority Themes | Ecosystems | Target Sector | Societal challenges | Country | Source | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NbS for infrastructure could cost 50% less than grey infrastructure alternatives alone and deliver 28% in added value such as carbon sequestration, cleaner air and water, better health, recreational services, jobs and opportunities for growth in other sectors (e.g. real estate and tourism). | Sustainable finance, investment and just transition | Urban ecosystems | NBS investors and entrepreneurs |
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Not found | https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2022/01/biodivercities-infrastructure-ci… |
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| Pollutants removal by bioretention processes can go up to 69% for Nitrogen, 80% for Phosphorus, and 86% for suspended solids. | Biodiversity enhancement and ecosystem restoration | Grassland | National and EU policy-makers |
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Not found | https://chesapeakestormwater.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/3768-7.pdf |
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| The cost of building a green roof amounts to about 1.3% of a building‘s overall construction costs. In multi-storey residential buildings this share can sink to as little as 0.4 % of overall construction costs. When considering life-cycle costs, both black roofs (i.e. without greening) and green roofs have similar costs over a 40-year period. | Sustainable finance, investment and just transition | Urban ecosystems | Local and sub-national governments and their public authorities |
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Not found | https://www.researchgate.net/publication/333210433_Hamburg%27s_Green_Ro… |
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| NatureBasedSolutions can mitigate the urban heat island (UHI) effect For example, a 10% increase in the tree canopy cover can reduce the maximum midday air temperature by about 1°C. | Climate change adaptation, mitigation and climate resilience | Urban ecosystems | Local and sub-national governments and their public authorities |
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Not found | ||
| Restoration of 350 million hectares of degraded land between now and 2030 could generate USD 9 trillion in ecosystem services and take an additional 13-26 gigatons of greenhouse gases out of the atmosphere. | Sustainable finance, investment and just transition | All | NBS investors and entrepreneurs |
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Not found | https://www.fao.org/in-action/forest-landscape-restoration-mechanism/ne… |
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| Using naturebasedsolutions in agriculture can reduce cultivation costs by up to 75%. In Bangladesh, For example, a 10-year program involving over 6,000 farmers found that strip planting increased yields by up to 28% and cut cultivation costs by 75%, labor requirements by 50%, irrigation water requirements by 11–33% and fuel costs by up to 85%, increasing profits by 47–560% for different crops. | Sustainable food systems (including soil and agriculture) | Cropland | Subnational, national and EU policy-makers |
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Bangladesh | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fenvs.2021.737659/full |
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| Bioretention areas are an NBS for stormwater management. Research shows that bioretention basins can decrease runoff volume up to 90%, and reduce peak flows of about 42%. | Climate change adaptation, mitigation and climate resilience | Urban ecosystems | Subnational, national and EU policy-makers |
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Not found | ||
| Forest absorbs 2.6 billion tonnes of carbon dioxyde annually and provides $75-100 billion per year in goods and services (cleanwater, healthy soil..) while housing 80% of the world’s terrestrial biodiversity. | Forest |
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Not found | https://www.iucn.org/resources/issues-brief/forests-and-climate-change |
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| On average, coastal habitats reduce wave heights between 35% and 71%. Coral reefs reduce wave heights by 70% (95% CI: 54–81%), salt-marshes by 72% (95%CI: 62–79%), mangroves by 31% (95% CI: 25–37%) and seagrass/kelp beds by 36% (95% CI: 25–45%). | Climate change adaptation, mitigation and climate resilience | Coastal, shelf and open ocean | Subnational, national and EU policy-makers |
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Not found | - https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/handle/10986/36507 |
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| Mangrove roots stabilize coastal soils, reducing erosion and flood levels during storms, while forests buffer shorelines from the full impact of waves. These flood protection benefits alone exceed $65 billion per year. Additionally, mangroves absorb atmosphere-warming carbon dioxide and sequester this carbon for centuries in the underlying soil. It’s estimated that mangrove forests store three to five times more carbon in their soil per acre than other tropical forests. | Sustainable finance, investment and just transition | Coastal, shelf and open ocean | NBS investors and entrepreneurs |
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Not found | https://www.pewtrusts.org/en/research-and-analysis/articles/2020/07/23/… |
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| Depending on type and age, a single tree can store anywhere between one to 22 tonnes of CO2 over the course of its life; a lot of carbon dioxide. (For context, a typical passenger vehicle releases about 50 tons of CO2 in 10 years.) | Climate change adaptation, mitigation and climate resilience | Urban ecosystems | Local and sub-national governments and their public authorities |
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Not found | https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2022/06/cities-urban-trees-climate-chang… |
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| Wetlands not only hold most of our available fresh water, they also improve its quality by naturally filtering pollutants. Wetlands can remove up to 60% of metals and eliminate up to 90% of nitrogen, purifying it so life can thrive. | Biodiversity enhancement and ecosystem restoration | Inland wetland | Subnational, national and EU policy-makers |
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Not found | ||
| Coastal Habitats Restoration is an effective NBS. Researchers showed that salt-marshes restoration can reduce non-storm waves height by 72% on average, while also increasing protection from storm events by 41%. | Biodiversity enhancement and ecosystem restoration | Marine inlets and transitional water | Subnational, national and EU policy-makers |
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United States | ||
| In Montpellier (France), agroforestry not only created a more resilient production system but also increased the productivity by 40%, thanks to the synergy between crops and trees and the innovative way of managing agroforestry. | Sustainable food systems (including soil and agriculture) | Cropland | Subnational, national and EU policy-makers |
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France | https://climate-adapt.eea.europa.eu/en/metadata/case-studies/agroforest… |
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| Seagrass meadow of various mature status at different cross-shore locations all provide considerable protection to the coast. The wave reduction by green nourishment is up to 80% under mild wave condition, which is higher than the effect of only seagrass meadow (i.e., 49% as in Reidenbach and Thomas, 2018). | Climate change adaptation, mitigation and climate resilience | Coastal, shelf and open ocean | Subnational, national and EU policy-makers |
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Not found | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2021.814589/full |
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| The WHO states that making cities greener through urban planning can tackle air pollution, the deadliest form of pollution. Covering at least 30% of total urban land area may prevent 400 premature deaths annually. | Zero pollution | Urban ecosystems | Local and sub-national governments and their public authorities |
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Not found | https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2022/06/cities-urban-trees-climate-chang… |
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| Research from the Norwegian University of Life Science showed that terrace farming improves foodsecurity and increases crop yield 2.5 times by conserving water and soil. | Sustainable food systems (including soil and agriculture) | Cropland | Subnational, national and EU policy-makers |
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Norway | world bank document: https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/handle/10986/36508 |
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| Between 1990 and 1993, New York City also designed and implemented the largest water conservation program in American history, permanently reducing its per capita water use by close to 20% and, at the cost of roughly $500 million dollars, saving the $3 to $5 billion dollars it would have cost to construct new water supply works on the Hudson River. | Sustainable finance, investment and just transition | Urban ecosystems | NBS investors and entrepreneurs |
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United States | ||
| 🇬🇧A case study in the United Kingdom showed that soil organic matter increased by around 75% on a farm using a minimum tillage system | Sustainable food systems (including soil and agriculture) | Cropland | Local and sub-national governments and their public authorities |
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Not found | https://www.diverimpacts.net/success-stories/combined-rotation-cover-cr… |
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| The results showed that, 2494 cubic meters of potential runoff was reduced per hectare of green area and a total volume of 154 million cubic meters rainwater was stored in these urban green spaces, which almost corresponds to the annual water needs of the urban ecological landscape in Beijing. | Sustainable urban and regional transformation | Urban ecosystems | Local and sub-national governments and their public authorities |
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China | https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0301479712000163 |
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| Greenroofs are beneficial for waterretention U.S. General Services Administration found that they can retain between 50% & 100% of rainwater. Green roofs also last longer than traditional roofs, and insulate buildings, reducing heating and cooling costs. | Sustainable urban and regional transformation | Urban ecosystems | Local and sub-national governments and their public authorities |
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Not found | https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/Green-Roofs%3A-Stormwater-Managem… |
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| Greened surfaces, whether on buildings or on the ground, have a higher albedo (20-30%) than artificial hard surfaces (5%), contributing to reducing the urban heat island effect by reflecting more light. | Climate change adaptation, mitigation and climate resilience | Urban ecosystems | Local and sub-national governments and their public authorities |
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Not found | https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0360132313002382 |
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| Research from University of Plymouth shows that the whole-site management of a Marine ProtectedArea can increase the total abundance of reef species within its borders by up to 95% . | Biodiversity enhancement and ecosystem restoration | Coastal, shelf and open ocean | Subnational, national and EU policy-makers |
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United Kingdom | ||
| Wildlifebridges over highways make animals and people safer A research found that in just one two-mile stretch, wildlife-vehicle crashes were reduced by 80% - with similar studies being performed worldwide. | Sustainable urban and regional transformation | Urban ecosystems | Subnational, national and EU policy-makers |
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United States | https://www.rockies.ca/files/reports/Bow_Valley_Highway_Mitigation_FINA… |
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| Permeable Pavements are a great NaturebasedSolution for urban flooding. Researchers found permeable pavements can reduce stormwater run-off by a massive 93%. | Climate change adaptation, mitigation and climate resilience | Urban ecosystems | Local and sub-national governments and their public authorities |
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Not found | ||
| Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS) can provide effective nature-based solutions. A study carried out by the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs of UK and the Environment Agency of UK highlighted that SuDS can help reducing the construction costs by 30% . | Sustainable finance, investment and just transition | Urban ecosystems | NBS investors and entrepreneurs |
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United Kingdom | ||
| Research funded by the United States Environmental Protection Agency showed that greenroofs can reduce annual rainfall volumes by up to 50%. | Climate change adaptation, mitigation and climate resilience | Urban ecosystems | Local and sub-national governments and their public authorities |
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United States | https://cfpub.epa.gov/si/si_public_record_report.cfm?dirEntryId=205444&… |
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| The whole-site management of a Marine Protected Area (MPA) can increase the total abundance of reef species within its borders by up to 95%, according to new research. | Biodiversity enhancement and ecosystem restoration | Coastal, shelf and open ocean | Subnational, national and EU policy-makers |
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Not found | https://www.enn.com/articles/70765-whole-site-management-of-marine-prot… |
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| Investing in nature and naturebasedsolutions is an ecological and socio-economic imperative. Nature positive investments can create new business opportunities and up to 395 million greenjobs by 2030. | Sustainable finance, investment and just transition | All | NBS investors and entrepreneurs |
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Not found | https://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Scaling_Investments_in_Nature_2022.pdf |
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| 46 million hectares of peatlands are in a degraded state, emitting greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. Restoring peatlands would prevent the release of 394 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent per year. That’s comparable to the emissions from 84 million passenger vehicles per year. | Climate change adaptation, mitigation and climate resilience | Inland wetland | Subnational, national and EU policy-makers |
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Not found | https://www.pewtrusts.org/en/research-and-analysis/articles/2022/06/02/… |
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| Restoration of 350 million hectares of degraded land between now and 2030 could generate USD 9 trillion in ecosystem services and take an additional 13-26 gigatons of greenhouse gases out of the atmosphere. | Sustainable finance, investment and just transition | All | Subnational, national and EU policy-makers |
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Not found | https://www.fao.org/in-action/forest-landscape-restoration-mechanism/ne… |
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| Coral Reef restoration is an important NaturebasedSolution for coastal management @SNAPPartnership conducted a study that found restoring coralreefs can reduce non-storm wave heights by 70%, greatly slowing coastal erosion. | Biodiversity enhancement and ecosystem restoration | Coastal, shelf and open ocean | Subnational, national and EU policy-makers |
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Not found | ||
| The EU-funded iSCAPE project aimed at reducing air pollution in European cities & gave evidence on the role of green infrastructure. It showed hedges mixed with trees reduce exposure to particulate matter by up to 50%. | Zero pollution | Urban ecosystems | Local and sub-national governments and their public authorities |
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Not found | https://ec.europa.eu/research-and-innovation/en/projects/success-storie… |
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| More than 20 coral nurseries are active throughout the Caribbean. Each year, they provide more than 40,000 healthy corals for reef restoration throughout the region. | Biodiversity enhancement and ecosystem restoration | Coastal, shelf and open ocean | Subnational, national and EU policy-makers |
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Not found | ||
| According the to EPA, the shade from trees, in combination with the water vapor they release, can reduce peak temperatures by as much as 20–45°F (11–25°C) compared to unshaded areas. And when shade is cast onto an office building or home, internal temperatures can drop 8–10°F. | Climate change adaptation, mitigation and climate resilience | Urban ecosystems | Local and sub-national governments and their public authorities |
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United States | https://onetreeplanted.org/blogs/stories/planting-trees-reduce-carbon-f… |
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| Some estimates say the shade from a single tree can save the same amount of energy it takes to power 10 room-sized air conditioners for 20 hours a day! | Climate change adaptation, mitigation and climate resilience | Urban ecosystems | Local and sub-national governments and their public authorities |
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Not found | https://onetreeplanted.org/blogs/stories/planting-trees-reduce-carbon-f… |
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| Trees provide important windbreaks around buildings to reduce heat loss by as much as 50%, lowering heating costs and energy consumption. | Climate change adaptation, mitigation and climate resilience | Urban ecosystems | Local and sub-national governments and their public authorities |
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https://onetreeplanted.org/blogs/stories/planting-trees-reduce-carbon-f… |
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| Mangroves provide flood protection benefits exceeding $US 65 billion per year. | Sustainable finance, investment and just transition | Coastal, shelf and open ocean | NBS investors and entrepreneurs |
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Not found | ||
| Kelp restoration is an important marine NaturebasedSolution Expanding kelp habitats mitigates climate change by developing carbonsinks, like afforestation, storing up to 10 billion tonnes of CO2 per year. | Climate change adaptation, mitigation and climate resilience | Coastal, shelf and open ocean | Subnational, national and EU policy-makers |
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Not found | ||
| Research from the NASciences shows that NCS can provide over one-third of the cost-effective climate mitigation needed between now and 2030 to stabilize warming to below 2 °C. | Sustainable finance, investment and just transition | All | NBS investors and entrepreneurs |
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United States | ||
| According to a new study by the Institute for European Environmental Policy (IEEP), commissioned by WWF, restoring degraded habitats that fall under the EU Habitats Directive could sequester 84 million tonnes of carbon (MtC) – or around 300 million tonnes of carbon dioxide – a year, equivalent to the annual GHG emissions of Spain. | Climate change adaptation, mitigation and climate resilience | All | Local and sub-national governments and their public authorities |
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Spain | https://wwfeu.awsassets.panda.org/downloads/wwf_briefing_paper_nature_r… |
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| In all sectors, our estimates showed that NBS implementation can reduce urban carbon emissions from the spatial unit of its implementation (30 m × 30 m land use grid) by up to 25%. In the transport sector, carbon emissions can be reduced by up to 1.4% by improving streetscape design (that is, improving street greening design, narrower roads), as well as improving accessibility to urban parks and agriculture to create more agreeable environments for walking and cycling in urban centres, and thus reducing the need for automobile travel, and associated carbon emissions from fuel combustion. | Climate change adaptation, mitigation and climate resilience | Urban ecosystems | Local and sub-national governments and their public authorities |
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Not found | ||
| In Scotland, a riverrestoration project successfully reduced flood peaks by 30% avoiding an estimated £GBP 950,000 of flood damages and protecting 500 properties downstream. | Sustainable finance, investment and just transition | Rivers, lakes and ponds | NBS investors and entrepreneurs |
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United Kingdom | ||
| In the largest laboratory experiment ever constructed to investigate this phenomenon, the researchers have shown that over a distance of 40 metres, the salt marsh reduced the height of large waves in deep water by 18%, making them an effective tool for reducing the risk of coastal erosion and flooding. | Climate change adaptation, mitigation and climate resilience | Marine inlets and transitional water | Subnational, national and EU policy-makers |
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Not found | https://www.cam.ac.uk/research/news/salt-marsh-plants-key-to-reducing-c… |
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| As of October 2023, GCTWF teams have cleared more than 46,000 hectares of invasive trees. This recovers about 15.2 billion liters of water per year (42 million liters per day) back into the water catchment and keeps the rivers flowing. | Climate change adaptation, mitigation and climate resilience | Urban ecosystems | Local and sub-national governments and their public authorities |
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South Africa | https://www.nature.org/en-us/about-us/where-we-work/africa/stories-in-a… |
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| Seagrasses stand as a crucial habitat for many species and are great carbonsinks sequestering carbon faster than tropical forests. While they make up only 0.1% of the ocean surface, seagrasses store 18% of the world’s oceanic carbon and provide nursery habitat for 20% of the world’s largest commercial fisheries. | Biodiversity enhancement and ecosystem restoration | Coastal, shelf and open ocean | Subnational, national and EU policy-makers |
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Not found | https://www.unep.org/resources/report/out-blue-value-seagrasses-environ… |
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| Healthy coastal dune ecosystems can provide efficient ecosystem based adaptation and disaster risk reduction by protecting shorelines against storm surges and coastal erosion. Research in the Northern Adriatic Sea has found dune restoration to reduce maximum flooding water by 42% and 25% under current sea level and high hazard scenario respectively. | Climate change adaptation, mitigation and climate resilience | Coastal, shelf and open ocean | Local and sub-national governments and their public authorities |
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Italy | https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0964569119309445 |
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| ProtectedAreas create substantial economic benefits besides safeguarding ecosystems and species. In the EU, the Natura2000 network of protected areas is estimated to generate between 200 and 300 billion euros per year in tourism and recreation, disaster risk reduction, water provision and food security. | Sustainable finance, investment and just transition | All | Subnational, national and EU policy-makers |
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Not found | https://op.europa.eu/en/publication-detail/-/publication/c344196e-bb73-… |
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| Coastal ecosystems provide key ecosystem services from seashore stabilization to carbonsequestration. We conservatively estimate that the economic value of oyster reef services, excluding oyster harvesting, is between $5500 and $99,000 per hectare per year and that reefs recover their median restoration costs in 2–14 years. | Sustainable finance, investment and just transition | Coastal, shelf and open ocean | NBS investors and entrepreneurs |
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Not found | https://academic.oup.com/bioscience/article/62/10/900/238172 |
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| Green Infrastructure can make a large contribution to air pollution abatement in cities. Mixed hedges and trees along roads have shown to decrease particulate matter concentrations by up to 50 percent. | Zero pollution | Urban ecosystems | Local and sub-national governments and their public authorities |
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Not found | https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1352231018308938… |