International Guidelines on Natural and Nature-Based Features for Flood Risk Management

Abstract

To deliver infrastructure that sustain our communities, economy, and environment, we must innovate, modernize, and even revolutionize our approach to infrastructure development. Change takes courage, but as one starts down the path of innovation, what was once novel becomes more familiar, more established. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) is walking this path with our partners through the Engineering With Nature (EWN) Initiative, integrating human engineering with natural systems. The International Guidelines on Natural and Nature-Based Features for Flood Risk Management are the next step toward revolutionary infrastructure development—a set of real-world guidelines to help familiarize us with what was once novel. USACE and collaborators around the world have been building, learning, and documenting the best practices for constructing Natural and Nature-Based Features (NNBF) for decades. The consolidation of these lessons into a single guidance document gives decision-makers and practitioners a much-needed resource to pursue, consider, and apply NNBF for flood risk management while expanding value through infrastructure. Relationships and partnerships are vital ingredients for innovation and progress. The NNBF Guidelines was achieved because of the strong relationships in the nature-based engineering community. The magnitude and diversity of contributors to the NNBF Guidelines have resulted in a robust resource that provides value beyond a single agency, sector, or nation. Similarly, the work of incorporating NNBF into projects will require us to strengthen our relationships across organizations, mandates, and missions to achieve resilient communities. I hope you are inspired by the collaborative achievement of the NNBF Guidelines and will draw from this resource to develop innovative solutions to current and future flood risk management challenges. There is a lot we can achieve together along the path of revolutionary infrastructure development.

Transforming Institutions to Connect Land and Water for Healthy Communities

“…To that end, the “International Guidelines on the Use of Natural and Nature Based Features for Flood Risk Management” published in September 2021 brings together international experts from government, academia, NGOs, engineering firms, and construction companies (Bridges, King, et al. 2021). The guidelines provide the international community with perspectives and methods for applying sustainable practices that afford communities a way to reduce flood and storm risk while creating social and environmental benefits‐‐a deliverable that will directly support UN SDG #11.5 (i.e., sustainable cities and communities; UN 2019).…”

Engineering With Nature® : supporting mission resilience and infrastructure value at Department of Defense installations

“…Left: Man-made nature-based measures enhance coastal resilience using the same processes as natural features. (Image from Bridges et al 2015)…”

State of the practice and engineering framework for using emergent vegetation in coastal infrastructure

“…These types of solutions for shoreline protection are termed "Natural and Nature-Based Features (NNBF)," and are landscape features that are used to provide engineering functions, while producing additional economic, environmental, and/or social benefits. There are many definitions, but the common element among all of these definitions is the focus on conserving, restoring, and engineering natural systems for the benefit of people and the ecosystems they inhabit (Bridges et al, 2021). NNBF for flood and erosion protection include natural features such as emergent vegetation, beaches and dunes, reefs, or islands, and nature-based features (i.e., engineered ecosystems that mimic characteristics of natural features) such as constructed wetlands, nourished beaches, and artificial reefs (Bridges et al, 2015).…”

“…NNBF for flood and erosion protection include natural features such as emergent vegetation, beaches and dunes, reefs, or islands, and nature-based features (i.e., engineered ecosystems that mimic characteristics of natural features) such as constructed wetlands, nourished beaches, and artificial reefs (Bridges et al, 2015). These systems have also been referred to as "Nature-Based Solutions (NbS)," "Natural Infrastructure," or "Green Infrastructure," among other terms (Bridges et al, 2021). NNBF solutions are attractive because they have the potential to provide ecological, social, and economic benefits in addition to shoreline protection services (Barbier et al, 2011;Arkema et al, 2015;Ruckelshaus et al, 2016), and are often viewed as a "win-win" approach to coastal engineering (Hochard et al, 2019;Menéndez et al, 2020;Cunha et al, 2021;Feagin et al, 2021).…”