Plants soak up water, cool and clean the environment, and provide food and habitat for wildlife. These incredible abilities are in strong demand across urban environments, where we are now using plants to help combat big challenges:
- Higher intensity storms and flooding are on the rise, estimated to cost the UK £1.3 billion per year.
- Global temperatures are increasing, with the 2022 summer heatwave claiming more than 60,000 lives across Europe.
- Biodiversity loss—the decline and disappearance of insect, plant, bird, and other wildlife species—is happening across the planet, driven by habitat loss, human influence, and climate change.
Our climate is experiencing shifts that current urban infrastructure was not designed to handle. By mimicking natural ecosystems and putting the right plants in the right place, we can help tackle flooding, cool our environment, improve biodiversity, and provide healing green spaces for human wellbeing. These multi-benefit endeavors are the exciting world of nature-based solutions.
RBGE’s nature-based solutions programme provides scientific evidence, develops cross-disciplinary skills, and invests in knowledge exchange with our many partners across society. Nature-based solutions are embedded in the fabric of RBGE’s vision.