CATALOGUE OF NATURE-

BASED SOLUTIONS FOR

INFRASTRUCTURE
PROJECTS

DRAFT FOR DISCUSSION

1
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Nature-based solutions as infrastructure are not new. There are many examples of large public works projects
and projects led by conservation organizations that integrate nature to deliver infrastructure services and bring
environmental and community benefits. But what is new is the thinking on how to translate that experience
into the core operations of private companies to leverage private finance and integrate nature-based
solutions at scale into how we build future or retrofit existing infrastructure. It is estimated that emerging markets
will need to invest $2 trillion per year in infrastructure for the next decade.92 This is an opportunity to reimagine
how infrastructure could be built with nature to reduce the footprint of traditional grey infrastructure and generate
additional business, economic, climate, biodiversity and community benefits.
This catalogue provides examples of nature-based solutions that private infrastructure companies can integrate
into their core business operations and articulates the business case for doing so. The intent of the catalogue is
to raise the awareness of the business benefits of nature-based solutions and start the conversation with
infrastructure companies to identify opportunities and possible projects. The catalogue will evolve over time as
the market for nature-based solutions for infrastructure projects develops and matures .
In the meantime, please get in touch with us to share suggestions and case studies that demonstrate the
business case for water, mining and renewable energy companies to implement nature-based solutions at scale.
Contact: [email protected]
2
TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction

Nature-based Infrastructure Solutions for Water Utilities

Nature-based Infrastructure Solutions for Mining

Nature-based Infrastructure Solutions for Energy

3
PURPOSE OF CATALOGUE
This catalogue is a companion resource to IFC's Biodiversity Finance Reference Guide.1

RAISING AWARENESS
This catalogue intends to raise awareness about the use of nature-based
solutions (NBS) in infrastructure sectors among IFC investment teams and
private sector clients. It provides sector specific examples of NBS
investments that conserve, enhance, and restore ecosystems and
biodiversity within larger infrastructure projects.
These NBS provide infrastructure-type services that are core
to projects’ operations and that can displace or complement
grey (traditional engineered) infrastructure.

This catalogue supplements IFC’s Biodiversity Finance Reference Guide,

providing sector-specific examples where NBS are accepted use of
proceeds. This catalogue is not an exhaustive list and other NBS that meet
the criteria articulated could be considered.
This catalogue is a result of a partnership between IFC and Conservation International.

4
 IFC'S BIODIVERSITY FINANCE REFERENCE GUIDE
Biodiversity finance is a new and fast-growing area of green finance to direct capital towards production practices and products that directly addre ss
the drivers of biodiversity loss and help avoid negative impact, conserve, or restore nature and ecosystem services.

IFC Biodiversity Finance Reference Guide identifies eligible investment activities that protect, maintain, or enhance
biodiversity and ecosystem services. The Guide builds on the Green Bond Principles and the Green Loan Principles to
provide eligible use of proceeds and aligns with the targets of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.
Investment activities listed in the Guide are organized in three categories:

Investments that generate Investments in biodiversity Investments in nature-

biodiversity co-benefits conservation and restoration based solutions

Financing that seeks to address the key Financing to support nature conservation or Financing to support integration of nature-
drivers of biodiversity loss (land/sea use restoration and related services as a primary based solutions into larger projects to
change; pollution; overexploitation of resources; objective of investment. provide infrastructure services and displace
and invasive species) in economic activity. or complement grey infrastructure.

The Guide in its entirety addresses the finance mobilization target 19 of the Kunming- *This catalogue focuses on examples for the above category.
Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework and target 14 to integrate biodiversity across
sectors. In addition, each investment activity listed in the Guide contributes to other targets.
IFC consulted with the UN Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity to map each
investment activity to the relevant targets of the Global Biodiversity Framework.
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BIODIVERSITY FINANCE & NATURE-BASED SOLUTIONS
This catalogue focuses on the third investment category of IFC's Biodiversity Finance Reference Guide:
Investments in Nature-Based Solutions.
To be considered biodiversity finance, investment activities must meet all of the following criteria:

BE CONSISTENT with the Green Bond and Green Loan Principles and contribute to either SDG 14
1. (life under water) or SDG 15 (life on land)

2. DO NOT INTRODUCE material risks to other themes and priority environmental areas of the SDGs

3. FOLLOW internationally accepted sustainability standards

ADDRESS a key driver of biodiversity loss: land/sea use change, climate change*, pollution, resource
4. overexploitation, and spread of invasive species (*the Guide does not include taxonomy for climate finance)

5. PROVIDE metrics and data to report on impact

Eligible investments in nature-based solutions must:

Provide infrastructure-type or other services Displace or complement

that are material to a project's operation man-made structures

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NATURE-BASED SOLUTIONS
The most accepted definition of 'nature-based solutions' comes from the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP):
.
.

NATURE-BASED SOLUTIONS are actions to protect, conserve, restore, sustainably use and manage natural or modified
terrestrial, freshwater, coastal and marine ecosystems which address social, economic and environmental challenges effectively
and adaptively, while simultaneously providing human well-being, ecosystem services, resilience and biodiversity benefits.2

Nature-based solutions can accomplish a variety of project goals,3, 4 such as:

CLEAN WATER: EROSION CONTROL:

• Improve water quality by reducing chemical, • Stabilize steep slopes and degraded areas
nutrient and sediment runoff • Reduce number of landslides in the surrounding
• Improve water quality by removing pollutants environment of infrastructure
in wastewater such as solids and pathogens
FLOOD MANAGEMENT: COASTAL PROTECTION:
• Protect and increase the resilience of communities • Protect coastal urban areas and assets from erosion,
and assets from flooding storm surges, damage from wave energy, and sea level
• Reduce peak flow (the maximum rate of flow water rise
passing a given point following rainfall) 5
WATER SECURITY:
• Improve water retention
• Contribute to water supply reliability
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NATURE-BASED SOLUTIONS
Benefits Challenges
Depending upon the project and the setting, NBS offer many Practitioners face challenges when constructing and
benefits when compared to traditional infrastructure: 3 utilizing NBS:3

1. Business Case: Lower investment and operational/ 1. Location specific: Requires location specific design
maintenance costs for infrastructure services which makes it challenging to have universal design
guidelines and templates
2. Climate Change Mitigation: Lower carbon footprint 2. Specialized Knowledge: Requires specialized
when compared to conventional alternatives; engineering expertise in designing and
carbon sequestration services operating nature-based solutions
3. Climate Change Adaptation: Disaster risk reduction; 3. Performance Management: Requires adaptative
management and performance monitoring to
resilience in infrastructure6 complement long-term operations and maintenance
4. Biodiversity Benefits: Higher plant and animal variety, 4. Large footprint: Requires large land area for
improved ecosystem services implementation of some nature-based solutions
5. Social: Job creation, cultural and educational 5. Financing: Lack of knowledge on how to finance NBS;
absence of widely accepted methodologies for valuing
opportunities and improvement of human health ecosystem services
and wellness
6. Permitting: Lack of guidance from governments and
institutional bodies on permitting for NBS given it is a
conceptually emerging area in infrastructure

8
NATURE-BASED SOLUTIONS: Water Supply
Example: Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park, Singapore
Original
concrete- CONTEXT: Despite plentiful rainfall, Singapore has little land to capture
lined canal
and store water. To meet its population demand for fresh water,
Singapore imports 40% of its water at a significant cost. To reduce its
reliance on water imports, Singapore undertook a project to increase
available water catchment and storage area.7, 8

NBS: A three-kilometer-long sinuous stream channel was restored in

place of a 2.7-kilometer-long concrete-lined drainage channel.

COST: Increasing the local water catchment is a cheaper alternative to

importing water from neighboring countries. Singapore currently pays
Malaysia 0.01 Singapore dollar for 1,000 gallons of raw water from the
Johor river in Malaysia (for a daily maximum of 250,000,000 gallons of
water).11

BENEFITS: The restoration of sinuous flow of the stream increased

water storage capacity of the local river and floodplain system by 40%.
Restored Additional benefits of the NBS included improved water quality, a 30%
sinuous stream increase in biodiversity and an increase of 12% in recreational space.3
channel (NBS)

9
NATURE-BASED SOLUTIONS: Coastal Flood Management
Example: Coastal Guyana
CONTEXT: In Guyana, 90% of the population lives along
the coast below sea level in areas vulnerable to sea rise
Reduced risk of coastal and storm surge.
New flooding for communities
mangrove
growth NBS: Planting mangroves next to a seawall provided protection
Sea wall against sea level rise and storm surge for coastal communities.
To promote the growth of mangroves, a geotube was buried to
trap sediments to create ideal growing
conditions for mangroves. 9
A now buried
geotube traps COST: Using a geotube to promote the growth of mangroves
sediments creating was a cheaper alternative compared to raising and
ideal conditions for strengthening the seawall. Materials of geotubes on average cost
mangrove growth
6 to 12 less (about $200 to $400 a foot) than materials for
seawalls (about $2000 a foot). 10

BENEFITS: Mangroves offer coastal resilience to sea rise and storm surge. They
reduce wave size and trap sediments in their roots, which allows the seabed level to
rise. Mangroves create ideal environments for fish, offering benefits for local
fisheries. Mangroves also offer climate mitigation services through carbon
Coast-perpendicular sequestration and can generate revenue through carbon credits.
geotube groyne

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 SECTOR-SPECIFIC NATURE-BASED
SOLUTIONS FOR:

WATER MINING ENERGY

UTILTIES

11
 CATALOGUE OF NATURE-
BASED SOLUTIONS
Water Utilities
Water Supply | Wastewater Treatment | Stormwater Management

This section covers nature-based solutions that can be integrated

into water utilities infrastructure investments, with a specific focus
on water supply, wastewater treatment and stormwater
management.

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 NATURE-BASED SOLUTIONS
FOR WATER UTILITIES:
Water Supply Infrastructure

13
CATALOGUE OF NATURE-BASED SOLUTIONS
FOR WATER UTILITIES Key Driver of Biodiversity
Nature-Based Solution Infrastructure Service Performance Loss Addressed

Reduce sedimentation; increase water storage capacity;

Reforestation and forest Land-use change; resource
Water supply improve water quality; reduce flood risk; carbon
conservation overexploitation; climate change
sequestration services
Infiltration and treatment-based Increase infiltration; reduce sedimentation; reduce flood
Water supply; stormwater
landscape (small dams and/or risk; increase water storage capacity; regulate flows to Land-use change; pollution
management
terracing; infiltration channels) reservoir (location specific)

Water supply; stormwater Contribute to water supply reliability; reduce peak flows; Resource overexploitation; land-use
Rainwater harvesting
management less land area required compared to reservoir alternatives change

Land-use change; resource

Quarry lakes Water supply Improve local water storage capacity; reduce flood risk
overexploitation
Improve water quality; reduce chemical input, energy
Treatment wetlands Wastewater treatment costs and quantity of water in treatment process; reduce Pollution; climate change
flood risk; carbon sequestration services
Hard structure to protect
Reduce risk of damage from sea level rise and storm
Horizontal levees coastal assets; Pollution; climate change
surge; reduce flood risk; improve water quality
wastewater treatment
Interconnected networks of Improve water quality; reduce flood risk; reduce peak
green stormwater infrastructure Stormwater management flows; reduce heat island effect; improve air quality; Pollution
from site to regional scale carbon sequestration services
Improve water quality; reduce flood risk; reduce heat
Permeable pavement Stormwater management Pollution
island effect
Improve water quality; reduce flood risk; carbon
Bioretention and biofiltration Stormwater management Pollution; climate change
sequestration services; reduce heat island effect
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 CONVENTIONAL WATER SUPPLY INFRASTRUCTURE

Conventional water supply infrastructure consists of

Artificial Reservoirs
man-made structures such as artificial reservoirs and
water treatment plants. Such structures have high
construction and maintenance costs and
utilize high-emission building materials.

Artificial Reservoirs are formed behind dams to store

Water Treatment Plants freshwater. Releases from the artificial reservoir through the
dam supply water to downstream users and can provide flood
control and energy generation co-benefits.

Water Treatment Plants remove contaminants and/or

Conventional Water
potentially harmful pathogens from raw water to produce water
Supply Infrastructure
for human consumption.

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WATER SUPPLY: Reforestation & Forest Conservation
NATURE-BASED SOLUTIONS
REFORESTATION: practices that restore ecologically suitable
landscapes through replanting native or naturalized species.1
Conventional Water
Supply Infrastructure
FOREST CONSERVATION: establishment of legally
recognized protected areas.

FARM MANAGEMENT PRACTICES: incentivized, on-

site practices, such as conservation easements and integration of
Watershed trees into croplands or pasture, that provide mutual benefits to
Hydroelectric Restoration
Dam farmers and the local watershed.

BUSINESS RATIONALE
Water
Treatment • Reduce sedimentation making water cleaner and cheaper for
Plant
downstream water treatment plants to clean.
• Reduce sedimentation which prolongs the useful life of the reservoir.
• Regulate flows to reservoirs, which increases water storage capacity.
• Where hydropower is present, regulation of flows increases
energy production and reduces need for sediment flushing.
• Increase infiltration to shallow and deep groundwater supplies,
Reforestation
and forest improving their recharge and reducing flood risk.
conservation • Carbon sequestration services.

Water supply infrastructure incorporating

16 reforestation and forest conservation
WATER SUPPLY & STORMWATER MANAGEMENT:
Infiltration and Treatment-based Landscapes – Dams & Terracing
NATURE-BASED SOLUTIONS

Watershed
Water Supply Infrastructure
Incorporating NBS Hydroelectric Restoration INFILTRATION AND TREATMENT-
Dam
BASED LANDSCAPES: landscapes that
integrate small dams and/or terracing that
expand groundwater recharge areas and natural
catchment regions to reduce the quantity of
Water stormwater runoff.
Treatment
Plant

BUSINESS RATIONALE
Small dams • Slow overland flow of water to help reduce local
and terracing flood risk and soil erosion and protect built assets.
• Increase groundwater infiltration to recharge
aquifers which results in increased water storage
in the local area and increased water table
Small dams and/or terracing, during water scarce periods.
which hold water and allow rainwater
to absorb into the earth, are an example
of a treatment-based landscape.
Small dam as part of
17 watershed restoration
 WATER SUPPLY & STORMWATER MANAGEMENT:
Infiltration and Treatment-based Landscapes – Infiltration Channels
NATURE-BASED SOLUTIONS
INFILTRATION
Hydroelectric Dam
Watershed CHANNELS
Restoration
are trenches dug into
the earth that collect and
guide surface water.13
Water Water Supply 8.4 km long infiltration channel
Treatment
Plant Infrastructure in the Andes Mountains 12
Incorporating NBS

Infiltration BUSINESS RATIONALE

Channel
• Slow overland flow of water to help reduce local flood
risk and soil erosion and protect built assets.
• Increase groundwater infiltration to recharge
aquifers which results in increased water storage in
the local area and increased water table during
water scarce periods.

Infiltration channel as part

18 of watershed restoration
WATER SUPPLY & STORMWATER MANAGEMENT:
Rainwater Harvesting (Bioretention)
NATURE-BASED SOLUTIONS
Watershed
Restoration
RAINWATER HARVESTING: the practice
Hydroelectric
Dam of collecting and using rainwater from roofs and
other artificial surfaces.

Water Water Supply BUSINESS RATIONALE: UTILITIES

Treatment Infrastructure
Plant Incorporating NBS • Reduce flood risk through reducing peak flow of water.
• Contribute to water supply reliability.
• Less land required compared to reservoir alternatives.
Cistern to
capture rainfall
from rooftop
Rainwater
harvesting BUSINESS RATIONALE: CONSUMERS
• Reduce flood risk through reducing peak flow
of water (risk mitigation measure).
• Increase water storage lowering utilities cost.
Rainwater
harvesting

Stored water for

Stored water for watering a garden
19
toilet flushing
WATER SUPPLY: Quarry Lakes
NATURE-BASED SOLUTIONS

QUARRY LAKES are reservoirs created out of

abandoned mining pits that, where suitable, can
provide critical recharge to groundwater aquifers
or water storage to manage water supplies for the
local area.

BUSINESS RATIONALE
• Increase water storage for use during water
scarce periods.
Quarry Lakes • Reduce flood risk.
• Utilize reclaimed land for reservoir which
Clean water
supply reduces pressure for land use change for water
supply infrastructure in the local area.
Restored mine incorporating NBS, • Utilize existing landscape at a lower
including quarry lakes cost than conventional infrastructure alternatives.

20
 NATURE-BASED SOLUTIONS
FOR WATER UTILITIES:
Wastewater Treatment Infrastructure

21
CONVENTIONAL WASTEWATER TREATMENT
INFRASTRUCTURE

Conventional wastewater treatment

plants use numerous biological,
physical, and chemical
processes to clean the
wastewater collected from homes,
businesses and industries so it can
safely be reused or discharged
back into the environment.

Conventional wastewater treatment infrastructure 91

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 WASTEWATER TREATMENT: Treatment Wetlands
NATURE-BASED SOLUTIONS
Integration of treatment wetlands for wastewater treatment
Treatment wetlands further cleans water before it is discharged into the environment.
typically increase the
footprint of Treatment wetlands utilize native plants, soil, porous media, and bacteria to
conventional wastewater Constructed remove pollutants in wastewater including solids, organics, nitrogen, phosphorus
treatment and pathogens.14
treatment plants wetlands

They are built by excavating, backfilling, grading, diking and installing water control
structures to establish desired hydraulic flow patterns - before discharging to the
environment.
Shallow treatment areas work best and must be hydrated to maintain effectiveness.
Wetland plants, such as cattail, southern naiad and algae are suitable for water
quality treatment.

BUSINESS RATIONALE
• Improve water quality by removing 75% to 90% of pollutants naturally.15
Constructed • Reduce chemical input, energy use costs and quantity of water in the treatment
treatment
wetlands process.
• Reduce flood risk.
• Carbon sequestration services, supporting businesses’ climate strategies.
Constructed treatment wetlands integrated into a
wastewater treatment plant • Increase biodiversity (benefits vary depending on project location).
23
 WASTEWATER TREATMENT & COASTAL RESILIENCE:
Horizontal Levees HORIZONTAL LEVEES: Wide, sloping, vegetated buffers of
NATURE-BASED SOLUTIONS land constructed behind a hardened structure (levee) that prevent water
from moving inland.
Grassland
They are typically designed for coastal protection. In areas
Concrete levee
Transition
where horizontal levees happen to be located close to wastewater
zone habitat treatment plants, they can also perform an additional function of further
cleaning water at the final stage of the treatment process before it is
discharged into the environment.17

By protecting the coastal habitats and moving the hardened structure

(levee) away from the coast, the natural habitat provides a buffer to
reduce the impacts of flooding, storm surge and waves.16 As a result,
Natural the hardened structure (levee) are reduced in size compared to levees
horizontal
levee which do not have a natural habitat buffer, lowering construction costs.
Tidal
marsh
BUSINESS RATIONALE
• Reduce the risk of damage from sea level rise and storm surge to both
the community (and if located close by, the water treatment plant).
• Reduce flood risk.
Irrigation (as needed) with water
Concrete levee from treatment wetland • When used for wastewater treatment, could improve water quality. 15
• Construction and maintenance costs for a natural horizontal levee are
Treatment wetlands incorporated into horizontal levees 40% less than a traditional waterfront concrete levee.17

24
 NATURE-BASED SOLUTIONS
FOR WATER UTILITIES:
Stormwater Management Infrastructure

25
CONVENTIONAL STORMWATER MANAGEMENT

STORMWATER MANAGEMENT aims to

prevent pollution from entering waterways from
rainwater that runs off the landscape.

CONVENTIONAL STORMWATER
MANAGEMENT relies on curbs, gutters, and
buried storm drains to quickly and efficiently prevent
flooding away from built, mostly impervious,
infrastructure.

Stormwater pollution results from materials and

chemicals washed into storm drains from the streets,
Urban area with conventional gutters, industrial sites, homes and parking lots. 18
stormwater management

26
STORMWATER MANAGEMENT: Green Stormwater Infrastructure
NATURE-BASED SOLUTIONS

GREEN STORMWATER INFRASTRUCTURE: mimics natural

systems by supporting adsorption into the ground, which reduces
Community with
water volume, pollutant loads, stream bank erosion, and sedimentation. 19
conventional Can range in scale from site design approaches to regional planning such
stormwater
management as conservation of large tracts of open land.
Interconnected networks of green stormwater infrastructure, along with gray
infrastructure, enhance urban resiliency by increasing water supply, reducing
flooding, combating urban heat island effect, and improving water quality of
nearby bodies of water.18

BUSINESS RATIONALE: BUSINESS RATIONALE:

CITIES UTILITIES
• Increase property values. • Reduce flood risk.
• Reduce heat island lowering energy • Decrease pollutant discharges,
use for cooling. up to 80% pollutant removal,
• Contribute to cleaner air. saving costs of water treatment
• Create recreational spaces. at wastewater treatment plants.
Community with green • Increase biodiversity (benefits vary
stormwater infrastructure depending on project location).
• Carbon sequestration services.
27
STORMWATER MANAGEMENT: Permeable Pavement
NATURE-BASED SOLUTIONS

PERMEABLE PAVEMENT: structure that uses

natural materials to create a durable, pervious
surface overlaying a crushed stone base that allows
stormwater to easily infiltrate into the underlying soil. 20

Rainwater
harvesting BUSINESS RATIONALE
Permeable
Pavement • Decrease pollutant discharges, saving costs
Bioretention
to treat wastewater.
Biofiltration
• Reduce flood risk.
Community with green stormwater infrastructure • Reduce heat island effect lowering costs for utilities.

28
STORMWATER MANAGEMENT: Bioretention & Biofiltration
NATURE-BASED SOLUTIONS

BIORETENTION AND BIOFILTRATION:

processes that allow for filtration through a
specialized soil media and infiltration into
subsurface soils. The processes can be constructed
with or without an underdrain (perforated) pipe.

Rainwater
harvesting
BUSINESS RATIONALE​
Permeable • Decrease pollutant discharges, saving costs to treat water
pavement
Bioretention at wastewater treatment plants.
Biofiltration • Reduce flood risk.
• Carbon sequestration services, supporting
Community with green stormwater infrastructure businesses' strategies.
• Reduce heat island effect, lowering costs for utilities.
• Increase urban biodiversity.

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 NATURE-BASED SOLUTIONS
FOR WATER UTILITIES:
Case Studies

30
CASE STUDY: Anglian Water (UK)
Example of an investment with a nature-based solution component
SECTOR • Water supply (provision of clean water) Ponds designed to
remove chemicals
through natural
INVESTMENT • Part of £250 million green bond by Anglian Water processes

NBS & COST • 1 ha constructed water treatment wetland, planting 25,000

native wetland species that remove acutely toxic ammonia,
phosphorus and other chemicals, planting 1,400 native trees in
connecting river channel.
• £600,000 for NBS (vs £11 million for traditional chemical-based
purification).
Anglian Water’s wastewater treatment
RATIONALE FOR NBS • Lower cost of water filtration. wetland and plant
• Increase resilience to floods. 21

IMPACT OF NBS • Savings of £10.4 million over traditional chemical stripping Native plants
solution. removing pollutants
from the water
• 53% water consumption savings.
• 89% reduction in CO2e emissions (lower energy use
and lower levels of dissolved organic carbon).
• Resilience benefits (flood risk reduction).
• Biodiversity co-benefits. Anglian Water’s NBS treatment wetland
• 59 new similar projects are in preparation by Anglian Water.
31
CASE STUDY: Water Utilities (Peru)
Example of an investment with a nature-based solution component
SECTOR • Water supply

INVESTMENT • $25 million committed by Peru’s largest water utility.

• 43 out of Peru’s 50 water utilities added a small fee to monthly water Reservoir
utility bills to collectively raise $50 million over the last 15 years. 22

NBS & COST NBS vary depending on geographic location, but include:
• Reforestation or afforestation
• Infiltration ditches
• Rustic water and soil conservation practices Water reservoir constructed
(often known as water sowing and harvesting) for water security in the Andes
• Construction of permeable micro-reservoirs.23

RATIONALE FOR NBS • NBS for improving water security are cost competitive with conventional
alternatives (within a $0.25/m3 price point).24 Infiltration ditch
• Use of NBS avoids negative environmental trade-offs like deforestation
and increased energy demand (resulting in increased emissions).

IMPACT OF NBS • Increased water supply to support water security. Following the restoration
efforts, local springs provided more water during the dry season, supporting
local businesses.25 Ditches constructed for water
• Improved water quality through increased infiltration/reduced infiltration
sedimentation, reducing water treatment costs.
• Increased moisture in the hillside facilitates the growth of vegetation that
32
helps control erosion on the steep slopes.
CASE STUDY: Catskills Mountains,
New York City Watershed (United States)
Example of an investment with a nature-based solution component
SECTOR • Water treatment (reforestation & forest conservation)

INVESTMENT • $1.5 billion toward 1) payments for environmental services to farmers

for changes in farm management practices, 2) purchase of land, and
3) improvement of the wastewater system in the watershed area.
• $167 million in annual maintenance fees of the forested watershed in
the Catskills mountains.

NBS Forest conservation activities including: Farm management practices in action in

• Payments to farmers to incentivize sustained changes to farm the Catskills to reduce non-point source
management practices in effort to reduce pollution to the watershed pollution into the water supply 27
area, such as building fences to keep cattle from waterways.26
• Purchase of 70,000 acres of land for conservation purposes in the
New York City (NYC) watershed.
• Payments to landowners to keep forests undeveloped.

RATIONALE FOR NBS • Without the forest conservation activities reducing the pollution levels
in the watershed, NYC would need to spend $6 billion to build
filtration plants that would then cost $250 million per year to maintain.

IMPACT OF NBS • Improved water quality by reducing non-point source pollution

Rondout Reservoir, part of the New York
and sedimentation, making water cleaner and cheaper for City's water supply network 26
downstream water treatment plants to clean.
33
• $100 million increase into local economy each year.25
 CATALOGUE OF NATURE-
BASED SOLUTIONS
Mining
Roads | Water Management | Waste Management
Air Pollution Management | Reclamation

This section covers nature-based solutions that can be integrated

into mining infrastructure investments, with a specific focus on
roads, water management, waste management, air pollution
management and reclamation.

34
CATALOGUE OF NATURE-BASED SOLUTIONS FOR MINING
Key Driver of Biodiversity
Nature-based Solution Infrastructure Service Performance
Loss Addressed

Stabilize slope; reduce erosion and landslides; reduce flood

Bioengineering for roads Roads risk and protect local built assets; carbon sequestration Land use change
services

Reduce number of car/animal crashes; reduce air

Road routing Roads Land use change; pollution
pollution; avoid local communities

Improve water supply quality through increased infiltration;

Land use change;
Road decommissioning Roads reduce flood risk; reduce erosion; improve biodiversity
pollution
through increasing native and naturalized species

Reduce flood risk; reduce peak flows; improve water

Forest conservation and/or Land use change; resource
Water Management quality; reduce erosion; improve water supply to mine and
restoration overexploitation; climate change
local communities

Improve water quality through filtering and adsorbing

pollutants; improve water supply to mine and local Land use change;
Treatment wetlands Water Management
communities; reduce flood risk; carbon sequestration pollution
services

Reduce flood risk; improve water supply to mine and local

communities; improve water quality; improve
Floodplain restoration Water Management Land use change; pollution
biodiversity through provision of undisturbed habitat for
species

35
CATALOGUE OF NATURE-BASED SOLUTIONS FOR MINING
Key Driver of Biodiversity
Nature-based Solution Infrastructure Service Performance
Loss Addressed

Improve water quality; improve water management through

increased infiltration; reduce windblow erosion; improve
Phytocapping Waste Management Pollution
biodiversity through increasing native and naturalized
species

Reduce impact of windblown erosion and dust; Pollution;

Reforestation and revegetation Air Pollution Management
carbon sequestration services; muffle noise climate change

Reduce impact of windblown erosion and dust; reduce

Natural fiber matting Air Pollution Management Pollution
erosion

Enhance natural recovery of forests; increase infiltration

Assisted natural regeneration Reclamation to shallow and deep groundwater supplies; Climate change; invasive species
carbon sequestration services

Enhance natural recovery of forests; increase infiltration to

Climate change;
Applied nucleation Reclamation shallow and deep groundwater supplies; carbon
invasive species
sequestration services

Land use change; resource

Quarry lakes Reclamation Improve local water supply; reduce flood risk
overexploitation

Improve soil quality; reduce flood risk; reduce erosion;

Establishment of sustainable carbon sequestration services; improve biodiversity
Reclamation Land use change
agriculture production through increasing native and naturalized specie; additional
revenue stream for local communities and farmers

36
 NATURE-BASED SOLUTIONS
FOR MINING:
Road Infrastructure

37
 ROAD INFRASTRUCTURE: Bio-engineering for Roads
NATURE-BASED SOLUTIONS
BIO-ENGINEERING FOR ROADS: practices that
Road infrastructure
utilize living vegetation to provide high quality and low
incorporating bio-
engineering Jute netting environmental impact methods for slope stabilization.

Bio-engineering can be implemented alone or

Tree and grass
plantation combined with conventional road infrastructure.

Stone
pitching
channel
Disposal
BUSINESS RATIONALE
Brush
layering
of drainage • Stabilizes slopes surrounding road infrastructure to reduce
erosion and landslides.28
• Slow overland flow of water to help reduce local flood risk and
Bamboo fencing
protect built assets.
• Carbon sequestration services.
• Lower cost when compared to conventional measures such as
stone pitching, gabions and placement of soil cement layers.29
Toe protection
• Where available, bioengineering can further lower costs
by utilizing local or onsite materials for construction such
as on-site soil, rocks, tree stumps, downed trees,
*The above graphic illustrates a plethora of
bioengineering measures. It is not necessary live vegetation, and leaf litter.29
to implement all the measures in the graphic
to successfully stabilize slopes surrounding
road infrastructure.
38
ROAD INFRASTRUCTURE: Road Routing
NATURE-BASED SOLUTIONS
ROAD ROUTING TO PROTECT WILDLIFE:
infrastructure practices, such as locating and installing wildlife
crossings across roads or protected biodiversity corridors for
wildlife that maintain species access to their habitats and
minimize infrastructure's encroachment to undeveloped areas.

ROAD ROUTING TO AVOID COMMUNITIES: selecting

Road routes to minimize noise, dust and pollution to local communities.
infrastructures
incorporating
wildlife
crossing
BUSINESS RATIONALE
• Reduce number of animal strikes, vehicle damage, and injury to people.
• An average cost of a wildlife crossing ranges from $500,000 to $6.2
million, depending on the length, materials and geographic complexity
of the project.34
• A study looked at crashes within 10 miles of 13 wildlife crossings
and found each crossing generated an annual benefit of $235,000
to $443,000.34
• Reduce air pollution.
• Avoid local communities to minimize noise and dust.

39
ROAD INFRASTRUCTURE: Road Decommissioning
NATURE-BASED SOLUTIONS
ROAD DECOMMISSIONING: formal closure of
any road that is not regularly inspected and maintained.

Closure of a road includes:

• Decommissioning stream crossings.
• Removing culverts to avoid erosion that pollutes the
downstream environment.
• Seeding and mulching exposed areas.
Removal of culverts on an unused road
• Planting areas with native and/or naturalized species. 28

BUSINESS RATIONALE
• Slow overland flow of water to help reduce local flood risk
and soil erosion and protect built assets.
• Increase infiltration to shallow and deep groundwater
supplies, improving their recharge.
• Improve water quality.
• Reduce erosion.
• Improve biodiversity through increasing native and
naturalized species.
Seeding and mulching (suing a straw blower)
of an exposed area from a decommissioned road
40
 NATURE-BASED SOLUTIONS
FOR MINING:
Water Management Infrastructure

41
 WATER MANAGEMENT: Reforestation & Forest Conservation
NATURE-BASED SOLUTIONS
Forest conservation
or reforestation
REFORESTATION: water management practices in
Operational mine mining operations that restore ecologically suitable
including forest
conservation and
landscapes through replanting native or naturalized species.1
reforestation

FOREST CONSERVATION: establishment of

legally recognized protected areas for water management
practices in mining operations.*

BUSINESS RATIONALE
• Reduce runoff and peak flows to reduce flood risk around
the mine.
• Protect aquifers and borehole water supplies from
contamination.
• Reduce erosion to improve water quality.
• Recharge groundwater supplies.
A mine in West Virginia • Improve water supply for mine and local communities.
incorporating reforestation
practices 49

42
WATER MANAGEMENT: Constructed Treatment Wetlands
NATURE-BASED SOLUTIONS
Treatment Wetlands ACID MINE DRAINAGE is a common byproduct of
mining that is harmful to local environment. The standard
method to remove contaminants from the water is through
expensive chemical treatment.

CONSTRUCTED TREATMENT WETLANDS

are an NBS alternative to chemical treatment that utilize
the naturally occurring processes of plants in wetlands to
reduce or eliminate waterborne contaminants in mine-
drainage.30, 31
Operational mine indicating These wetlands have a higher upfront cost compared to chemical
Silver Creek aerobic wetlands the area of potential inclusion
treatment but are a cost-effective alternative for long-term operations
treatment system used to treat for treatment wetlands
and deliver additional climate mitigation benefits.32 These wetlands
acid mine drainage in the United typically require a larger footprint than conventional alternatives as
States33 well as maintenance to manage sequestered materials. 31

CASE STUDY BUSINESS RATIONALE

• A treatment wetland in Forwardstown, PA, built to treat acid mine • Improve water quality through filtering and adsorbing pollutants
drainage, has 13-acre settlement ponds, which cost around in acid-mine drainage.
$500,000 to build. This cost was offset in 2 years of operation. • Improve water supply for mine and local community.
• When contrasted against the costs of chemical treatment which • Reduce flood risks through increasing infiltration and area for
start at $20,000 a month, it was calculated that the total savings water storage.
of these treatment wetlands were around $250,000 annually.32 • Carbon sequestration services.

43
WATER MANAGEMENT: Floodplain Restoration
NATURE-BASED SOLUTIONS
Floodplain
Restoration
FLOODPLAIN RESTORATION:
the practice of dedicating low-lying land area in proximity
to mines for the purpose of floodwater run-off from natural
flowing water.
Incorporation of specific native species can increase
percolation and aquifer recharge and reduce flood risk
through storage of flood water. 35

BUSINESS RATIONALE
Floodplain
Restoration • Reduce flood risk.
• Improve water supply for mine and local community.
Operational mine indicating the
• Improve water quality.
area of potential inclusion for • Increase biodiversity through provision of undisturbed
floodplain restoration habitat for species.

44
 NATURE-BASED SOLUTIONS
FOR MINING:
Waste Management Infrastructure

45
WASTE MANAGEMENT: Phytocapping
NATURE-BASED SOLUTIONS

PHYTOCAPPING: Planting native species as a

vegetated cover over rock piles, tailings or bare-earth surfaces
to reduce acid mine drainage. The vegetation adsorbs the
infiltrating water and reduces the leaching of contaminants into
the local water supply.52

BUSINESS RATIONALE
• Improves water quality by reducing leaching into the local
water supply.
• Improve water management through increased infiltration.
• Reduce windblown erosion to lower air pollution.
• Improve biodiversity through increasing native and
[46]
naturalized species.

The effects of phytocapping in a barren rare-earth mined site over time

46
 NATURE-BASED SOLUTIONS
FOR MINING:
Air Pollution Management

47
AIR POLLUTION: Reforestation and Revegetation
NATURE-BASED SOLUTIONS

Reforestation and revegetation

REFORESTATION AND REVEGETATION:
planting native species on banks and hillsides to reduce
windblown erosion.
Sources of dust from mines and mine operations
include blasting, handling, processing or transporting of the
mined materials, and can also come from waste disposal
facilities, such as waste rock and tailings, by wind erosion. 36
Plant species best suited to reducing air pollution are trees
with compact branches, broad leaves, shiny or waxy leaves
and high proline content.37

BUSINESS RATIONALE
• Reduce impact of windblown erosion and dust.
• Carbon sequestration services.
Operational mine including • Muffle noise, causing less disturbance to local
reforestation and revegetation communities and wildlife.

48
AIR POLLUTION: Natural Fiber Matting
NATURE-BASED SOLUTIONS

Natural Fiber Matting NATURAL FIBER MATTING: placement

of natural fibers, such as rolled coir (husk of coconut),
straw, or jute, on rock piles, tailings and bare-earth
surfaces to reduce soil erosion on banks and reduce
dust from sources such as transporting and processing
materials that contribute to air pollution.

Operational mine
natural fiber matting
BUSINESS RATIONALE
• Reduce impact of windblown erosion and dust.
• Reduce erosion through contributing to slope
stabilization efforts.53

Operational iron ore mine

with coir matting to reduce
dust impacts and contribute
to slope stabilization 38
49
 NATURE-BASED SOLUTIONS
FOR MINING:
Reclamation

50
MINE CLOSURE AND RECLAMATION

Mine at the point

of closure
MINE CLOSURE: the process of winding down
operations at a mine site, including planning,
decommissioning, reclamation and monitoring.

Applied
Nucleation Quarry
Responsible mine closure and reclamation
Lake considers environmental, social and economic
Assisted natural factors from an early stage of mine development
regeneration
and throughout the life of the asset and can add
value to shareholders and reduce long term
environmental liability. 39, 40

Reclaimed mine
51 incorporating NBS Sustainable
Production
 RECLAMATION: Assisted Natural Regeneration
NATURE-BASED SOLUTIONS

ASSISTED NATURAL REGENERATION: a blend of

active planting and passive restoration, where interventions
Assisted Natural focus on helping native trees and vegetation to naturally recover
Revegetation by removing barriers to their growth, such as elimination of alien
invasive species.41

This form of restoration is typically the most cost-effective method

as it utilizes limited labor-intensive activities, such as dispersing
seed mixes, as well as locally available materials, such as using
nearby trees as seed sources.42

Reclaimed mine
incorporating NBS BUSINESS RATIONALE
Enhance natural recovery of forests, leading to:
• Increase infiltration to shallow and deep groundwater supplies,
improving their recharge.
• Carbon sequestration services.
Reforested landscape • Improve biodiversity through increasing native
created through assisted and naturalized species.
natural regeneration.50

52
RECLAMATION: Applied Nucleation
NATURE-BASED SOLUTIONS

Applied
Nucleation APPLIED NUCLEATION: a technique that integrates tree
planting and natural succession to restore and regrow forests.
Trees are planted in clusters, rather than over the whole site,
thereby reducing costs and labor.

Applied nucleation enhances natural forest recovery and relies

on animal species to disperse native trees, which can create
forests with high native biodiversity.43
Reclaimed mine
incorporating NBS
BUSINESS RATIONALE
Enhance natural recovery of forests, leading to:
• Increase infiltration to shallow and deep groundwater
supplies, improving their recharge.
• Carbon sequestration services.
• Improve biodiversity through increasing native
Removal of invasive
species to prepare
and naturalized species.
land for planting
native species 41

53
RECLAMATION: Quarry Lakes
NATURE-BASED SOLUTIONS

QUARRY LAKES: reservoirs created out of

abandoned mining pits that, where suitable, can
provide critical recharge to groundwater aquifers or
water storage to manage water supplies for the local
area.

BUSINESS RATIONALE
• Increase water storage for use during water
scarce periods.
Quarry Lakes • Reduce flood risk.
• Utilize reclaimed land for reservoir which
Clean water reduces pressure for land use change for water
supply supply infrastructure in the local area.
• Utilize existing landscape at a lower
cost than conventional infrastructure alternatives.
Restored mine incorporating
NBS, including quarry lakes

54
RECLAMATION: Establishment of Sustainable Agriculture
Production
NATURE-BASED SOLUTIONS
Land used during the mining process can be reclaimed
to be utilized for sustainable production such as:

Reclaimed mine • Apiary: planting native wildflowers to promote bee populations

incorporating for honey production.51
sustainable
production • Cover Crops: planting crops, such as alfalfa, rye, and clover,
practices Sustainable to hold fragile soil in place to reduce erosion and to supply
Production a food source for soil life to provide nutrients for future crops. 44
• Pastureland: planting grasslands for livestock, such as cattle
or sheep.45
• Agroforestry: integrating trees into croplands or pasture
through windbreaks and buffers to shelter crops and animals
BUSINESS RATIONALE as well as to reduce soil erosion. 1, 46
Depending on the form of sustainable production:
• Improve soil quality on reclaimed land, reducing pressure
for further conversion of forests.
• Reduce flood risk and erosion through increasing ground Apiary in the land
cover which promotes infiltration and stabilizes soil. of a reclaimed
• Carbon sequestration services. mine in the
Appalachian
• Improve biodiversity through increasing native and Mountains in the
naturalized species. United States.51
• Potentially provide an additional revenue stream for local
communities and farmers.
55
 NATURE-BASED SOLUTIONS
FOR MINING:
Case Study

56
CASE STUDY: Nimr Oil Fields (Oman)
Example of an investment with a nature-based solution component
SECTOR • Mining (water treatment wetland)
Reed beds
at Nimr Oil
INVESTMENT • N/A Fields

NBS • Water flows via gravity into reed beds where periphyton
(algal and bacterial biofilms) attached to the submersed leaves
and stems of the reeds trap the oil and break down
hydrocarbon molecules, cleansing the water.
• The oil in the process water is reduced from 400mg/l to less than
0.5mg/l when leaving the water treatment wetland.47

RATIONALE FOR NBS • Lower cost of water filtration than conventional methods.

IMPACT OF NBS • The 12 km2 Nimr water treatment plant purifies 115,000 m3 of oil-
contaminated water daily.47
• Reed bed reduces CO2 emissions by 1,924,300 tons of CO2.
(when compared to conventional water management method). 48
• 98% reduction in energy costs.47
Aerial view
• Creates a habitat for 130 species of migratory birds and five of Nimr Oil
different native reed species.47 Fields
treatment
wetlands

57
 CATALOGUE OF NATURE-
BASED SOLUTIONS
Renewable Energy
Solar Power | Wind Power | Hydroelectric Power
Transmission & Distribution

This section covers nature-based solutions that can be integrated

into renewable energy infrastructure investments, with a specific
focus on solar power, wind power, hydroelectric power and
transmission and distribution.

58
CATALOGUE OF NATURE-BASED SOLUTIONS
FOR RENEWABLE ENERGY
Key Driver of Biodiversity
Nature-Based Solution Infrastructure Service Performance
Loss Addressed

Improve energy production efficiency; reduce costs for

Decreasing latent heat for Land use change; climate
Pollinator-friendly solar maintenance and mowing; improve infiltration of
solar power change
stormwater; carbon sequestration services
Improve energy production efficiency; increase crop Land use change;
Decreasing latent heat for solar
Agrivoltaics (crops) yield; lower irrigation costs; improve infiltration of overexploitation of resources;
power
stormwater; carbon sequestration services climate change
Lower maintenance costs; heat abatement for
Decreasing latent heat for Land use change; climate
Agrivoltaics (livestock) livestock; increase productivity of dairy cattle; improve
solar power change
soil quality; carbon sequestration services
Increase durability of structure & reduce maintenance
Protection of coastal assets for costs from scouring [compared to regular concrete]; Land and sea use change;
Alternative concrete mixes
wind power reduce regulatory compliance penalties; improve water pollution; climate change
quality; carbon sequestration services
Lower installation costs; less disruption in installation; Land and sea
Protection of coastal assets for
Cable protection alternatives reduce mitigation penalties for policy compliance; use change; pollution;
wind power
improve water quality; carbon sequestration services climate change
Erosion control to increase Decrease sedimentation in reservoir, extending
Reforestation and forest
water quality for hydroelectric lifespan of power plant; lower maintenance costs; Land use change
conservation
power increase energy production
Protection of coastal assets for Reduce damage on assets and linear facilities; reduce
Wetland, oyster and coral reef Land and sea use
wind power and maintenance costs; reduce erosion surrounding coastal
restoration change; climate change
transmission/distribution lines infrastructure; carbon sequestration services

59
 NATURE-BASED SOLUTIONS
FOR RENEWABLE ENERGY:
Solar Power

60
SOLAR POWER: Pollinator-friendly Solar
NATURE-BASED SOLUTIONS
POLLINATOR-FRIENDLY SOLAR: growing native grasses and
wildflowers groundcover under solar panels.
Native pollinators planted
around a solar panel Dense vegetation creates a layer of shade on the ground, absorbs latent
heat, and promotes lower ambient air temperature through transpiration
as a part of photosynthesis. This cooler, moderated microclimate can
improve the energy production efficiency of solar panels. 54

When preparing sites for solar installation, a pollinator friendly approach

skips the traditional step of removal of topsoil, which reduces site
preparation expenses and accelerates establishment of native plants.55

BUSINESS RATIONALE
• Improve energy production efficiency of solar panels.54, 84
• Reduce costs for maintenance and mowing – the maintenance of
pollinator vegetation is 80% to 90% less expensive than turf over ten years
for utility-scale developments.54
• Improve stormwater management through increased infiltration.
• Create habitat for pollinators, such as bees and butterflies.
Pollinators
• Increase pollination/crop yield by up to 6% for nearby crops (if located near
planted at
Carter Farms, agriculture).86
United • Improve local bee populations to establish an additional source of
States56 income from honey production for local communities.

61
SOLAR POWER: Agrivoltaics (Crops)
NATURE-BASED SOLUTIONS

AGRIVOLTAICS: the use of land for both agriculture (crops)

and solar photovoltaic energy generation.57
The crops with the solar panels overhead need less water and grow
more efficiently, while creating a cooler, moderated microclimate to
improve the energy production efficiency of solar panels.

BUSINESS RATIONALE
Agricultural crops growing in the shade of solar panels in
the United States 60 • Improve energy production efficiency of solar panels.
• Increase in crop yield from 20% to 60%.58
• Increase in habitat for pollinating insects (depending on crop variety). 58
• Reduce water quantity used to irrigate crops by up to 15-20%61 through:
• Creation of ideal microclimate conditions that reduces water
evaporation91
• Partial and intermittent shading of crops by the solar panels. 58
• Increased deep rooted vegetative ground cover can improve stormwater
management through increased infiltration.90

Aloe vera growing in the shelter of solar panels as part

of study in Spain, Greece, and Italy 60, 61
62
SOLAR POWER: Agrivoltaics (Livestock)
NATURE-BASED SOLUTIONS

AGRIVOLTAICS: the use of land for both agriculture

(livestock) and solar photovoltaic energy generation.

Livestock use solar panels for shade reducing heat stress

during hot months.57 Livestock in turn lower maintenance costs
for mowing and can improve soil quality.

Sheep resting in the shape of solar panels in the United States 58

BUSINESS RATIONALE
• Lower mowing costs for solar power operators.62
• Heat abatement for livestock from the shade of the solar
panels..63
• Increase productivity of dairy cattle due to lower levels of
heat stress.64
• Improve soil quality due to increase organic matter (sheep &
goats), leading to increased carbon sequestration services. 65

Cows at a dairy farm utilizing the shade of solar panels in the

United States 63
63
 NATURE-BASED SOLUTIONS
FOR RENEWABLE ENERGY:
Wind Power

64
W IND POWER: Alternative Concrete Mixes
NATURE-BASED SOLUTIONS

$14 MILLION SAVED ALTERNATIVE CONCRETE MIXES attract

In one U.S. project, including and promote the colonization of organisms,
ECOncrete’s technology in breakwaters further fortifying the structure. These mixes can
reduced regulatory penalties by complement or replace standard concrete mixes in coastal
approximately 80%, or about $14 fortifications and offshore wind structures.
million. These savings equaled nearly ECOncrete is 2 to 7% more expensive than conventional
ECOncrete used in a 15% of overall project costs.70
coastal fortification concrete but offers returns on investment through reduced
structure 66 maintenance costs and reduced regulatory penalties.89
Other companies include alternative concrete are Reef Cells, Reef Innovations,
& Roman Stone Construction Co.

BUSINESS RATIONALE
• 10x increase durability and strength of structure, with a longer
lifespan than conventional concrete.69
• Reduce maintenance costs.
• Reduce regulatory compliance penalties [see example].
Wind turbines installed with use
of ECOncrete 67 • Improve water quality.
• Enhance biodiversity through bio-enhancing concrete
composition.
Pilot study of ECOncrete Coastalock • 7x increase in carbon sequestration services versus conventional
armor units in the San Diego port 88 concrete.

65
W IND POWER: Cable Protection
NATURE-BASED SOLUTIONS
CABLE PROTECTION ALTERNATIVES, such as rock filter
Roman
units and marine mattresses that utilize alternative concrete mixes,
Stone
Construction provide protection for cables running from offshore wind turbines
Co. marine to land.
mattress
being
Cables from offshore wind turbines are traditionally buried beneath the
installed in seabed, either through digging open trenches or horizontal directional
the United drilling. While digging open trenches is the cheapest option, it poses
Kingdom 75 significant negative environmental risks. 71 Horizontal directional drilling
poses less environmental risks but is more expensive than the open
trench method.72

BUSINESS RATIONALE
• Lower installation costs.
• Less disruption of the environment during installation.
• Reduce mitigation penalties for policy compliance [see slide 8 example]
(depending on the material of the cable protection).
SubSea
• Improve water quality (depending on the material of the cable protection).
Specialist rock
filter unit – • Enhance or create habitat for commercially important or sensitive species.
pictured here • Carbon sequestration services (depending on the material of the cable
on land, prior protection).73
to installation 87
66
 NATURE-BASED SOLUTIONS
FOR RENEWABLE ENERGY:
Hydroelectric Power

67
HYDROELECTRIC POWER:
Reforestation and Forest Conservation
NATURE-BASED SOLUTIONS
Watershed
Restoration
REFORESTATION: practices that restore
ecologically suitable landscapes through replanting native
or naturalized species.1
Reforestation
and forest
conservation FOREST CONSERVATION: establishment of legally
recognized protected areas.*​
Farm Management Practices: incentivized, on-
Hydroelectric
site practices, such as conservation easements and integration
Dam of trees into croplands or pasture, can provide simultaneous
Hydroelectric power infrastructure benefit to farmers as well as the watershed surrounding a
incorporating reforestation reservoir.
and forest conservation

BUSINESS RATIONALE
Decreases sedimentation in reservoir behind the hydroelectric dam,
Reforestation extending lifespan of the asset through reducing wear and tear.
surrounding Fra • Lower maintenance costs.
ncisco Morazán • Regulate flows to reservoirs, which increases energy production.
Hydroelectric • Reforesting 3% of the watershed surrounding a reservoir
Power Station in can increase annual energy generation by 5%.76
Honduras76
68
 NATURE-BASED SOLUTIONS
FOR RENEWABLE ENERGY:
Transmission & Distribution

69
TRANSMISSION & DISTRIBUTION LINES; W IND POWER:
Wetland, Oyster and Coral Reef Restoration
NATURE-BASED SOLUTIONS WETLANDS, OYSTER AND CORAL REEF
RESTORATION AND CONSERVATION:
• Protect offshore assets, such as wind power infrastructure, and
Van Oord oyster shoreline assets from scour, storm surge, sea level rise, and coastal
reef restoration
project to protect erosion.
wind power
infrastructure from • Protect offshore and coastal linear facilities, such as pipelines
scour and storm or electrical power lines, from scour and storm surge
damage in the
Netherlands 79
Conservation: establishment of legally recognized protected areas.* 1
Restoration: support the recovery of degraded, damaged or
destroyed ecosystems.77

BUSINESS RATIONALE
• Reduce damages on wind power infrastructure (from storm surge and sea
level rise) and on offshore and coastal linear facilities (from scour and
storm surge).
• Reduced maintenance costs.
• Reduce erosion surrounding coastal wind power infrastructure and linear
Map showing (in yellow) protected coastal wetlands facilities.
protecting gas pipes owned by Conoco Philips in the • Carbon sequestration services.
United States 78
70
 NATURE-BASED SOLUTIONS
FOR RENEWABLE ENERGY:
Case Studies

71
CASE STUDY: Itaipu Dam (Brazil)
Example of an investment with a nature-based solution component
SECTOR • Hydroelectric power (reforestation/conservation)
Reforested strips
INVESTMENT • Total funds raised for construction, including financial rollovers, of land
is USD$27 billion plus USD$100 million in paid-in capital.

NBS & COST • USD$9 million for reforestation and restoration program.
• Protection of 101,000 hectares of land upstream of the Itaipú dam.
• 44 million trees planted in company-owned area around the dam.
• Restoration of 421 micro-watersheds.80 Reforested strips of land surrounding
the reservoir feeding into Itaipu Dam
RATIONALE FOR NBS • Prior deforestation and unsustainable land management practices
upstream of the reservoir reduced water quality, creating unreliable
flows and poor water quality for hydropower production.
• NBS practices were a more cost-effective and environmentally-
friendly solution than traditional dredging practices, utilized to
reduce sediment build up against the dam.

IMPACT OF NBS • Itaipu Preserves program provides USD$45 million of direct

financial benefits (avoided costs for dredging and reduced electricity
generation capacity).81
• Provide a network of biodiversity corridors that link forested areas
along the Parana River.
• Reforestation/conservation efforts capture 5.9 MT CO2e per year. Itaipu Dam watershed

• 1200 farms converted to organic production; cooperatives

organized to expand appropriate tilling and terracing techniques to
72
reduce agriculture runoff.80, 85
CASE STUDY: Zephyr Wind Farm (Pakistan)
Example of an investment with a nature-based solution component
SECTOR • Wind power (mangrove restoration)

INVESTMENT • USD$41 million (CDC Group); unknown amount from additional investors 83
Mangroves
NBS & COST • USD$352,400 for the entire mangrove program, including initial costs for
baseline studies, staff costs for monitoring growth for 25 years, and direct
costs for regeneration of 14 ha of mangroves.82

RATIONALE FOR NBS • Manage climate change impact of sea level rise, leading to flooding and
coastal erosion.
• Regular tidal water level fluctuation leading to wear and tear (scouring) on
internal roads, turbine platforms, and power cables. Mangroves regenerating at the Zephery
Wind Farm project site

IMPACT OF NBS • Mangrove restoration improved site stability, reduced soil erosion and built-up
ecological assets, estimating to save the project developer and investors up
to USD$7 million over the project’s 25-year timeframe in maintenance and Earth
replacement costs.82 Security
report
• Built up ecological assets resulted in substantial increase in fish, shrimp and evaluating
crab population within a year, leading to doubling the income of the effect of
local communities, with increased annual yield for 60 fisherman from mangrove
USD$4,500 to USD$9,000.82 restoration at
the project
• Enabled Zephyr to meet environmental requirements of international site
investors (in line with IFC Performance Standards).
• Project developer established a mangrove nursery to re-plant 64 ha – five
73
times the originally planned area.
REFERENCES
[1] IFC (2023) Biodiversity Finance Reference
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[2] UNEP (2022) Resolution adopted by the United Nations Environment Assembly on 2 March 2022. https://wedocs.unep.org/bitstream/handle/20.500.11822/39864/NATURE-
BASED%20SOLUTIONS%20FOR%20SUPPORTING%20SUSTAINABLE%20DEVELOPMENT.%20English.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y.
[3] Green-Gray Community of Practice (2020) Practical Guide to Implementing Green-Gray Infrastructure. https://www.conservation.org/docs/default-source/publication-pdfs/ci-green-
gray-practical-guide-v08.pdf?sfvrsn=62ed4b48_2.
[4] UN Water (2018) Nature-based solutions for water. The United Nations World Water Development
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rt_cc52ca9b-ccc4-4b43-972c-
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2C%7B%22name%22%3A%22XYZ%22%7D%2C0%2C842%2C0%5D.
[5] Californian Government of Transportation (2020) Highway Design Manual. Available at: https://dot.ca.gov/-/media/dot-media/programs/design/documents/chp0810-a11y.pdf.
[6] AECOM (2022) Practical User’s Guide for the NNBF Guidelines. https://qrcgcustomers.s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/account569877/32337810_2.pdf?0.08791332031073118.
[7] Atelier Dreiseitl (2012) Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park and Kallang River. https://www.c40.org/wp-content/static/other_uploads/images/1963_AD-Ref_Singapore_Bishan-
Park.original.pdf?1538133801.
[8] Shafer, Chloe. (2014). Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park and Kallang River: From Concrete Canal to Natural Wonderland. Ecological Urbanism.
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[9] Conservation International (2021) Guyana Mangrove-Seawall Engineering Guidance. https://www.conservation.org/guyanamangroveseawallguidance.
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 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

This catalogue was developed by IFC Climate Business Department in collaboration with Conservation International to provide
an overview of nature-based solutions for infrastructure investments. The Conservation International team includes Emily Corwin,
Rod Braun and Joseph Schmidt. Under the leadership of Jamie Fergusson, the IFC team includes Irina Likhachova and Beatrice
Phillips. Further contribution by IFC from Veronica Nyhan Jones, Oxana Meggle, Katherine Koh, Dan Vardi, Gregory Koffi Kpegli,
George Butler, Manuel Pereira Arias, Neil Pereira, Namrata Thapar, Ignacio De Calonje, Simone Brunner, Arjun Bhalla, Christelle
Van Vuuren, and Henriette Kolb. The illustrations are by Amy West.

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