When it comes to addressing some of humanity’s most pressing challenges, research has shown that harnessing the power of nature could unlock solutions to climate change, water quality and food security issues.

Liette Vasseur, Brock University Professor of Biological Sciences and UNESCO Chair on Community Sustainability: From Local to Global, was tapped to provide her expertise in the implementation of nature-based solutions (NbS) to a delegation in Hong Kong last week.

During the keynote speech at the Hong Kong Institute of Landscape Architects’ (HKILA) international conference on climate and biodiversity, she provided attendees with a baseline understanding of what NbS are, their potential for achieving societal and climate-based goals, and strategies and guidelines for their implementation in the field of landscape design.

“The NbS approach brings net benefits for both human and nature,” she said. “By addressing societal challenges such as climate change, food security and human health, through biodiversity conservation, sustainable management and restoration, it is possible to improve resilience and sustainability of both human communities and their ecosystems.”

Vasseur said these solutions must simultaneously provide human well-being as well as biodiversity benefits to truly be effective.

“Those that serve only to advance corporate gains are merely examples of corporate greenwashing rather than legitimate paths forward,” she said. “Designing cities with buildings and cars for today’s economic need is utopia — planning cities for nature and people, however, brings peace, happiness, health and resilience for future generations.”

The implementation of NbS is an undercurrent in much of Vasseur’s research, such as recent projects building capacity for climate resilience in the Town of Lincoln and studying the effectiveness of cover crops for building resiliency in Niagara vineyards.

With Hong Kong experiencing rising temperatures alongside more frequent and intense extreme weather events, Vasseur said there has been an increased interest in both understanding and adopting NbS and the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Global Standard for NbS, including strengthening the place of nature in urban planning.

Landscape architects design, plan and manage outdoor spaces in the natural and built environment, such as building parks, planning infrastructure developments within public spaces and designing and restoring natural areas like wetlands and forests.

Vasseur shared examples of how these professionals could implement NbS by incorporating the planting of trees and shrubs to reduce erosion in new housing and business developments, for example, or restoring degraded land and waters in public spaces to enhance plant and animal habitats while also improving neighbourhood aesthetics.

Implementing NbS is also a critical driver for helping organizations in meeting the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, she said, ensuring that basic societal needs are met in a safe and sustainable environment for all.

To help guide those seeking to applying the SDGs to their studies and research, Vasseur is also hosting a series of events throughout the month. The first of which, Working with international organizations on Sustainable Development, aims to provide guidance for those seeking to collaborate with large international organizations.

The event is free and open to the campus community and will be held on Thursday, March 13 in room IH 222/222a, located within the Brock-Niagara Validation, Prototyping and Manufacturing Institute (VPMI).