The Department of the Interior (DOI), in partnership with Duke University’s Nicholas Institute for Energy, Environment & Sustainability, has announced new steps to use nature-based solutions to thwart ecological problems. These new provisions, detailed in the online Nature-based Solutions Roadmap tool, are designed to help improve the resilience of the United States’ land, water, wildlife, and communities.
Nature-based solutions mimic natural processes that will enhance biodiversity while reducing carbon in the soil, air, and water. The department’s new policy will prioritize using nature-based solutions across all offices and bureaus.
Photo Courtesy U.S. Department of the Interior
The new policy gives decision-makers and land managers clear guidance on how to use these climate solutions, addressing everything from living shorelines to prescribed burns and urban stormwater runoff management to restoration of numerous American ecosystems.
“Investing in nature is investing in ourselves,” Shannon Estenoz, assistant secretary of the interior, said in a statement. “By employing nature-based solutions, land managers and decision-makers can restore and sustain healthy ecosystems that in turn support healthy communities and economies.”
Photo Courtesy U.S. Department of the Interior
The Nature-based Solutions Roadmap tool is a 500-page-plus living document detailing numerous nature-based solutions. The roadmap includes tips for community engagement, equity, funding sources, overcoming common barriers, and applying Indigenous Peoples’ techniques and knowledge.
Each solution consists of a list of potential benefits focused on climate threat reduction and economic and social enhancements.
The roadmap also offers example projects and information on site suitability, strategy implementation, and operations and maintenance suggestions.
This DOI policy complements the announcement in September 2023 to strengthen climate adaptation and resilience efforts as the country moves closer to reaching its net-zero carbon emissions goal by 2050. The federal government is focused on cleaning up greenhouse emissions for generations to come, with many programs utilizing natural solutions. The Executive Order on Strengthening the Nation’s Forests, Communities, and Local Economies directs the federal government to accelerate the use of such solutions.
Photo Courtesy U.S. Department of the Interior
“As our public lands face more intense wildfires, droughts, storms, and other extreme weather events, improving the department’s climate-informed decision-making is critical to ensuring effective and efficient resource management while also protecting communities and wildlife,” DOI Secretary Deb Haaland said in a press release.
