International Guidelines on Natural and Nature-Based Features

Abstract

Natural and Nature-Based Features (NNBF) have been used for decades to support a variety of objectives in coastal and fluvial systems. Coastal and fluvial restoration projects have been used in Europe, the United States and elsewhere either as part of flood risk management strategies or to restore ecosystem functions. Recent flood and storm events around the world have given rise to a range of studies and projects focused on the role of natural and landscape features in flood risk management. A global dialogue about these events and projects has revealed a demand for authoritative guidance on the use of Natural and Nature-Based Features in support of Integrated Water Resources Management. In 2015, the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), the Netherlands Rijkswaterstaat and the UK Environment Agency, supported by other federal and international organizations, initiated a collaborative multi-author project to develop and publish international Guidelines on the use of NNBF to support engineering functions for flood risk management. This paper will outline the content of, and rationale for, the International Guidelines and how they may be used to support informed, resilient and sustainable use of NNBF alongside conventional flood risk management measures.