Potential and Limitations of Nature Based Solutions

EXPLORING THE POTENTIAL AND LIMITATIONS OF NATURE BASED SOLUTIONS
IN MINIMIZING ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION IN CHAKARIA SUB-
DISTRICT, SOUTH-EASTERN COASTAL REGION OF BANGLADESH

Introduction and Slide Layout
 This proposed research puts forth the argument that nature based
solutions integrated with science based policies and possibly
engineering structures can minimize environmental degradation.
 Section One gives a background, problem statement, research
aim and objective, hypothesis, and research question (slides 2-8).
 Section Two is a detailed review of literature, including discussion
of terms and their interconnections and conceptual framework
(Slides 9-22).
 Section Three discusses research methodology, conclusions, and
contains list of references (Slides 23-30).

Section One: Introduction
 ED is environmental deterioration via resource depletion and
habitats and ecosystem destruction.
 Examples of ED include deforestation, pollution, soil erosion, ozone
layer depletion.
 Consequences of ED include increased poverty, loss of ES and
biodiversity, increased exposure to natural phenomena like cyclones,
extreme weather, diseases, and species loss.
 Major cause of ED mainly human activity from overpopulation,
wasteful resource overexploitation.; Human induced ED costs $ 10.6
trillion yearly.
 ED among the most serious threats facing the world today
(Spracklen and Garcia-Carreras, 2015).

Introduction
 Coastal areas are especially vulnerable to ED due to their
economic potential and large population (40% of global
population live there).
 Bangladesh, especially its coastal areas face massive ED
challenges and consequences of ED (Jabed et al., 2018).
 ED in the Bangladesh Coast as mangroves, coral, waters,
soils have been significantly destroyed and degraded from
aquaculture, salt mining, and wood and timber extraction.
 The Chakaria Sub-District in Bangladesh (the focus of this
research) is especially affected by ED as shown by 87.5% loss
of mangrove between 1992 and 2017 (Prince et al., 2018).

Research Aims, Question and Hypothesis
 Aim
 To establish the main reasons why the
existing policies and laws for protecting
the environment have not yielded the
desired outcomes in general, and
specifically in the Chakaria Sub-District
and to investigate the possibility (and
limitations) of Nature based Solutions as
a means of limiting Environmental
Degradation when integrated with
environmental management policies and
whether this can help restore ecosystem
services. This will be achieved by
undertaking primary research involving
environmental conservation practitioners
in Bangladesh and after an extensive
review of literature.
 Question
 Why has the study area continued to experience
environmental degradation despite having
several good laws and policies for its (ED)
containment and what is the possibility of using
NbS together with some of the effective policies
in minimizing ED impacts and restoring ES and
biodiversity?.
 Hypothesis
 Sustainable interventions using Nature Based
Solutions implemented alone or conjointly with
existing environmental management policies,
and artificial infrastructure will minimize and
reverse the ongoing Environmental
Degradation (ED) within the Chakaria sub-
district coastal ecosystem and result in
enhanced conservation and restore Ecosystem
Services.


Research Objectives
 To determine the value of ES in the study area and quantify them using the
InVEST computer model for data capture.
 To investigate if NbS when used together with effective policies can restore
50% of the ES and biodiversity in the study area within a decade.
 To determine the strength and drawbacks of existing initiatives and policies in
the conservation and protection of coastal ecosystem and ecosystem
restoration over the past few decades by making comparison with updated
alternatives through Ecosystem Service Valuation and employing InVEST.
 To inquire about the challenges that will arise in the integration and execution
of nature-based approaches in the adaptation and risk reduction projects
taken place from 2009 to 2016 and the way to overcome those barriers
through a survey of experts and practitioners and available literatures, and
afterwards, develop a model for sustainable use of ES in a vulnerable coastal
community that will be feasible environmentally, economically and socially.