Nature-based Solutions for Major Societal Challenges

Strengthening Political Commitment and Institutional Coordination

The lack of political will and long-term commitment, as well as sectoral administrations, are often considered a barrier to NbS implementation. With regard to strengthening political commitment and institutional coordination for NbS, China is strong in taking legislative, regulatory and strategic instruments. The example below shows how China promotes NbS from its national strategy, through provincial action plans, to implementation at cities and districts.

In China, the ‘National Strategy for Adapting to Climate Change 2035 ’ (國家適應氣候變化戰略 2035) issued in 2022 emphasises the implementation of NbS for strengthening overall adaptation capabilities. It recognises the need to integrate NbS into urban and rural climate-resilient infrastructure construction and to prioritise NbS for improving systems of urban green spaces. It specifies that NbS should be implemented in South China to protect the natural shoreline, mangroves, coral reefs, and marine biodiversity in the South China Sea, and also be implemented in East China to improve the protection of coastal wetlands and sea grass beds in the Yellow Sea and mangroves and coral reefs along the southeast coast.

In response to the ‘National Strategy for Adapting to Climate Change 2035’, 22 bureaux/departments of Zhejiang jointly released the ‘Zhejiang Provincial Action Plan for Adapting to Climate Change ’ (浙江省適應氣候變化行動方案) in 2024 to offer guidance for strengthening adaptation actions throughout Zhejiang before 2035. Among the key actions listed, NbS should be integrated into urban and rural climate-resilient infrastructure construction while building smart cities and digital villages. The provincial units responsible for each key action are specified. Ecology and environment bureaux of districts and cities are required to implement the action plan jointly with the relevant sectoral bureaux/departments. At the district level, Haishu District in Ningbo, Zhejiang released in 2023 the local technical specifications of ‘Biodiversity-Friendly Townships – Guidelines for Nature-Based Solutions Application’ (生物多樣性友好鄉鎮 基於自然的解決方案實施指南), which include guidance on the basic principles, project planning, project management, as well as monitoring and assessment for facilitating local governmental units to apply the NbS-GS (海曙区市场监管局, 2023).

 

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