Rethinking Nature-Based Solutions: Unintended Consequences, Ancient Wisdom, and the Limits of Nature

Marianna Olivadese ()
Additional contact information
Marianna Olivadese: Department of Agricultural and Food Sciences, University of Bologna, Viale Fanin, 42, 40127 Bologna, Italy

Land, 2025, vol. 14, issue 6, 1-14

Abstract: Nature-based Solutions (NbS) have emerged as an influential framework in climate and water governance, promoted as cost-effective, resilient, and ecologically sound responses to environmental degradation. This interdisciplinary review critically examines the conceptual foundations, governance models, and systemic risks associated with NbS in urban and coastal water management. While NbS are often presented as sustainable and multifunctional alternatives to grey infrastructure, the literature reveals recurring vulnerabilities—ranging from ecological side effects to socio-political inequities and epistemological overconfidence. Drawing on contemporary case studies and classical environmental thought—from authors such as Virgil, Lucretius, and Seneca—the paper challenges the prevailing assumption that nature-based interventions are inherently beneficial or resilient. Instead, it argues for a reflexive and context-sensitive approach to NbS, one that integrates historical awareness, ethical reflection, and adaptive governance. The review proposes a typology of systemic risks, synthesizes unintended consequences across global examples, and calls for greater integration of environmental humanities into NbS research and policy design.

Keywords: nature-based solutions; urban water governance; environmental humanities; resilience; adaptation; socio-ecological systems; technocratic critique (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q15 Q2 Q24 Q28 Q5 R14 R52 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/14/6/1272/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/14/6/1272/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jlands:v:14:y:2025:i:6:p:1272-:d:1678404

Access Statistics for this article

Land is currently edited by Ms. Carol Ma

More articles in Land from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().