Nature-based solutions to climate change adaptation in urban areas: a Norwegian planning perspective

Abstract

Over the last decade, scholars and policy makers have recognized the Nature-Based Solutions (NBS) as key-tools to challenge climate change mitigation and adaption, as well as underpinning the Sustainable Development Goals (by supporting e.g. vital ecosystem services, biodiversity, and access to fresh water, improve livelihoods, food security from sustainable food systems, United Nation Global Compact, 2019).  Despite the rise and active promotion of NBS in the international and local debates, relatively little is known about what has been effectively done (and not yet done) at the different levels of planning - from the planning strategies to detailed regulations.  The aim of the study is to fill this knowledge gap by providing an overview of the development of NBS in the Norwegian planning context. The research was conducted by an interdisciplinary group of experts on climate, water and ground water management, urban planning and laws, from NIVA, the Norwegian Institute for Water Research (NIVA), and from Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU) and commissioned by the Norwegian Environment Agency (Miljødirektorat). The study first includes a review of studies focusing on the challenges in implementing NBS in planning (e.g. impacts on conceptualization of NBS, existing barriers, role of planners and other practitioners, including private actors). Second, the study presents the main outcomes from the four selected municipalities of Trondheim (in central Norway), Stavanger (in south-western Norway), Indre Østfold (in south-eastern Norway) and Bodø (in northern Norway).  A planning document analysis, which encompasses all levels of planning, and five among focus groups/interviews with the municipal managers (experts on urban planning, climate, environment and water security) were conducted.  The main findings reveal that the municipalities have acknowledged the relevance and need for NBS to tackle the climate changes. To this end, a variety of NBS have been identified in the planning strategies of the four municipalities that contribute to ecosystem restoration, habitat, flood protection and water retention, as well as soil restoration and heat regulation. In addition, the planning regulations and the most recent detailed plans show some provisions and guidelines for an effective implementation of NBS (with a major focus on storm water management), and with local variations among the four municipalities (see e.g. the state of the approval of detailed plans). The study shows also that there are other planning tools and concepts, such as blue-green factor, blue-green structure and ecological compensations (so-called in Norwegian arealnøytralitet), which are currently used for integrating climate change adaptation in land use planning. Nonetheless, there are still barriers for implementing NBS that are linked to the understanding of the concept itself among practitioners and local private actors, the use of other notions adopted in earlier plans and current legislation, including need for long-term investments for NBS and uncertainties related to the maintenance of NBS themselves. The study contributes to the current debate on the implementation and upscaling of NBS to further address climate, biodiversity, water and health issues in planning.