Sub-theme
3. Building Resilience for Disaster Prevention and Mitigation
Topic
3-3. Nature-based Solutions for water-related disaster prevention and mitigation
Body
As a low-lying delta country, the Netherlands is vulnerable to flooding. Rising sea levels and temperatures resulting from climate change are exacerbating the threat of flooding. To address rising flood risk and its consequences, Nature-based solutions (NBS) are gaining popularity in the Netherlands, which represents a paradigm shift in flood risk management toward solutions to improve water retention and mitigate floods by applying elements, processes, and management strategies that are derived from nature. While the number of NBS projects is increasing, there is still a lack of a systematic and consistent approach to legal and policy analysis that integrates NBS into development strategies, sectoral policies, and legal instruments to address flood risks. In responding to this gap, this article aims to provide insight into the current state of NBS in existing policy frameworks and processes of flood risk management in the Netherlands by applying the IUCN Global Standard for Nature-based Solutions (Societal Challenges, Design at Scale, Net Biodiversity Benefits, Economic Feasibility, Governance, Balance Trade-offs, Adaptive Management, and Mainstreaming and sustainability). The research questions are 1) To what extent does the Dutch policy relevant to flood risk management enable the mainstreaming, design, and implementation of NBS in accordance with the IUCN Global Standard for Nature-based Solutions? 2) What opportunities exist (for example, in policy processes and institutional arrangements) to address policy limitations regarding NBS integration? By addressing these research questions, the article will contribute to current discussions about Nature-based Solutions and their role in flood risk management in two ways. First, it gives policy and decision-makers an overview of how NBS is currently integrated into Dutch policy frameworks and processes. Other countries and regions in the world dealing with comparable issues might find inspiration from this. Second, this study enables comparison with previous studies that analyze NBS policies in various countries using the IUCN Global Standard as a methodology; this comparison will assist researchers in better understanding the laws and regulations in different political settings that support, enable, or hinder NBS adoption.