Integrating Nature-Based Solutions into catchment management: A prototype tool, stakeholder engagement and case study: PAPER & PRESENTATION
Pau Juan-Garcia, Senior Consultant, Atkins, UK
(free)
Catchment management is vital for maintaining water resources, ecosystem services, and human well-being. Nature-based solutions (NBS) have emerged as a promising approach to address multiple catchment management challenges, including water quality, flood control, biodiversity, and carbon sequestration. However, the implementation of NBS requires careful planning, assessment, and monitoring of their effectiveness and impacts. The present study showcases a study on the Cam and Wellow, situated near the city of Bath in the southwest of England. The study set out to explore the feasibility of using NBS to improve water quality and reduce flood risk and has demonstrated the
potential of NBS to provide co-benefits for both the environment and society. Stakeholders included farmers, landowners, conservation groups, and local authorities. A novel methodology for integrating NBS into catchment management using a variety of available modelling tools has been deployed, which supports decision-making by assessing the potential benefits, costs, and trade-offs of different NBS options at the catchment scale. The methodology is rapid, efficient, and adaptable to different contexts and scales, and supports the active participation of stakeholders in the NBS modelling process
