The study of 15 cases in different Latin American countries shows that nature-based solutions, in addition to being adequate tools to face the ecological challenges for which they are designed, also generate economic and social benefits.
Interest in Nature-Based Solutions (NBS) has grown due to their many benefits, such as reducing flooding and pollution. In urban contexts, NBS have proven in the last decade to be able to support local biodiversity and help adapt to environmental challenges. Latin America and the Caribbean are the most urbanized regions in the world, with 80% of inhabitants in urban areas that are mostly vulnerable to climate change. Although the concept of NBS is recent in the region, experiences with green infrastructure and ancestral techniques show its potential to transform urban and peri-urban areas.
The implementation of NBS in the region faces obstacles such as the lack of socioeconomic valuation and the difficulty in integrating them into urban planning. Many projects are still theoretical or not very replicable, highlighting the need for studies that facilitate their sustainability and scalability.
Since 2022, YES Innovation, the Humboldt Institute, and Ciudad Viva have studied 15 exemplary cases of large-scale urban application of NBS in Peru, Colombia, and Ecuador through the ENSLAC research project, supported by the French Development Agency. ENSLAC seeks to understand the mechanisms of success in these projects to strengthen urban resilience in the face of environmental and social challenges while supporting sustainable urban development.
In Ecuador’s Quito, the AGRUP project exemplifies the impact of NBS. Started in 2002, this urban agriculture program has enabled more than 21,000 families to grow organic food, reducing malnutrition and promoting urban biodiversity. Until 2020, AGRUP produced 870 tons of organic food, improving food safety and reducing CO2 emissions associated with food transport.
NBS not only address ecological challenges, but also generate economic and social benefits. In Medellín, Colombia, the creation of urban green corridors has reduced air pollution and heat islands, lowering urban temperatures by up to 2°C and improving connectivity between green spaces and urban areas.
One of the keys to the success of these initiatives is governance. In Montería, Colombia, the Ronda del Río Sinú urban park, created in 2002, is a model of urban transformation thanks to the active participation of citizens and political continuity. This project has restored 70% of the riverside area, promoting ecological, urban and cultural development.
NBS offer unique flexibility, adapting to diverse urban contexts and providing multifunctional solutions. This is especially relevant for rapidly expanding cities in Latin America. They are also part of a long-term vision of urban sustainability. On the other hand, projects such as the Payment for Ecosystem Services Mechanisms (MERESE) in Peru demonstrate how the use of economic resources can be institutionalized to guarantee the conservation of water resources and ecosystems, ensuring local and participatory management.
The analysis made it possible to identify a series of factors common to the cases analyzed, which contributed to the success of the projects:
- Multifunctionality and sensitivity at scale: Projects should build on previous processes, consider local characteristics, and establish direct linkages with policy instruments.
- Clear financing model: A clear financing model and financial viability are essential.
- Autonomous management by stable entities: Management by autonomous entities ensures the long-term continuity and expansion of the project’s actions.
- Multi-stakeholder governance: cooperation between the public and private sectors, together with the organized community, is essential. Projects have often integrated a private entity that catalyzes and facilitates the relationship between the community and the public sector.
- Technical approach: A technical approach, rather than a political one, supported by a clear management model, facilitates the participation of local actors.
- Training and knowledge transfer: the integration of awareness-raising and training components of communities is crucial for the success of the project.
- Building trust with communities: Establishing relationships of trust with communities improves the effectiveness of the project.
- Driving visionary individuals: The vision of charismatic leaders can translate into long-term successes if transferred to a stable operator.
- International cooperation: The connection with international networks facilitates the replication and legitimization of projects.
In addition, surprising results have been observed, by which the added value of working with urban nature is evident; In fact, the projects are characterized by generating numerous secondary impacts. For example, many of them integrate a strong gender response; present original and powerful governance and financing models that could be applied in other urban projects; have a capacity to work cooperatively on complex issues rather than impose solutions, and even propose responses to large-scale needs without necessarily involving large investments.
The results of this analysis are a clear invitation to massify the use of NBS in the cities of the region, and the application of these organizational schemes could facilitate success for new projects.
