Brief

NBS for sustainable urban development

Nature-based Solutions for Sustainable Urban Development

This brief provides case studies from China and Germany outlining best practices for nature-based solutions (NBS).

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Planting trees to improve urban air quality, converting disused brownfield sites into parks, greening roofs to reduce buildings’ energy use, and restoring degraded wetlands to prevent floods: nature-based solutions (NBS) are increasingly being implemented in urban areas to enhance resilience, support sustainable development, and safeguard biodiversity.

This briefing draws from examples in Germany and China to showcase the potential of NBS for urban areas, emphasizing their multiple social, environmental and economic benefits. These benefits include disaster risk reduction, climate change adaptation,  urban renewal and the regeneration of neglected and degraded areas. This report was produced by ICLEI.