The challenges of climate change and rapid urbanization present central obstacles to sustainable development in cities of low- and middle-income countries. Urban Nature-based Solutions (NbS) receive growing attention as potential remedies for these challenges because they offer environmental and social co-benefits in comparison to conventional grey or engineered solutions. In practice, NbS co-exist and positively complement conventional grey or engineered solutions.
Pluvial flooding, flash floods and heat stress are central climate impacts in urban areas in Mauritius. Particularly pluvial flooding and flash floods are a major concern in Port Louis given its geographic location where rainwater runoff from the surrounding mountain ranges has caused extreme flood events in the city center (e.g., during tropical cyclone Belal, January 2024).
In addition to this, the average mean surface air temperature is projected to continue an increasing trend.
Urban Nature-based Solutions like permeable pavements, infiltration measures, rainwater harvesting and, creation of bio-retention systems are potential remedies for these challenges because they can reduce flood impacts and simultaneously offer environmental and social co-benefits in comparison to conventional grey or engineered solutions. However, there are currently hardly any examples of urban NbS that address these challenges.
The next necessary step to move towards implementing NbS is to build on existing experiences and strengthen enabling environments that incentivize the use of NbS, for example, by presenting proof of concepts and clear NbS investment cases to attract the much-needed resources for implementing NbS. For this, the National Climate Change Adaptation Policy Framework 2021 can serve as a central leverage point for policymakers and investors.
This policy brief was developed in the context of the project “Implementation of Urban Nature-based Solutions for Mitigation and Adaptation” funded by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark (Danida).
Download here| Published year: | 2025 |
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| File: | Download |
| Publisher: | UNEP Copenhagen Climate Centre |