Nature-based solutions (NbS) are strategies or measures that depend on, or mimic, natural system processes to manage flooding and erosion, while simultaneously providing a range of environmental, biodiversity and societal benefits. Good design and implementation of NbS is challenging, requiring an understanding of the complex interactions between water flows and the sediments, flora, and fauna of aquatic environments. The potential prize is great, with benefits for climate change, food and water security, disaster risk reduction, biodiversity, and human well-being.
NbS will be a major theme of ISEH 2024, with two Special Sessions on NbS taking place on the same day as Dr Ellis Penning’s keynote lecture on NbS.
Chair: Prof Agustin Sanchez-Arcilla, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain.
We invite contributions on NbS aimed at enhancing coastal resilience and avoiding tipping points, particularly for vulnerable hotspots such as deltas and estuaries. Contributions on the potential application of NbS as components of a hybrid coastal protection are also encouraged. The special session will include field studies, laboratory experiments, and numerical models that address these topics, as well as fundamental aspects of wave and current interactions with natural systems in the coastal zone.
Chair: Dr Ellis Penning, Deltares, Netherlands
We invite contributions describing laboratory experiments, field studies, numerical models, and case studies that relate to the design and implementation of NbS in fluvial environments. Contributions that address the fundamental and multidisciplinary aspects of NbS, and the prediction of the long-term effectiveness of NbS at large-scale are particularly encouraged.
Abstracts are submitted through ISEH 2024’s standard abstract submission system, which includes a tick box to enable contributors to indicate if they wish their abstract to be considered for one of the special sessions. Submitted abstracts will be reviewed by the Scientific Committee. The final selection of special session abstracts will be made by the Chairs of the special sessions in collaboration with the Local Organising Committee.