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Book (series)Forests: nature-based solutions for water
No. 251. Vol. 70 2019/1
2019Water – drinkable, usable water – is likely to be one of the most limiting resources in the future, given the growing global population, the high water demand of most agricultural production systems, and the confounding effects of climate change. We need to manage water wisely – efficiently, cost-effectively and equitably – if we are to avoid the calamity of a lack of usable water supply. Forested watersheds provide an estimated 75 percent of the world’s accessible freshwater resources, on which more than half the Earth’s people depend for domestic, agricultural, industrial and environmental purposes. Forests therefore, are vital natural infrastructure, and their management can provide “nature-based solutions” for a range of water-related societal challenges. This edition of Unasylva explores that potential. -
Brochure, flyer, fact-sheetObservations and key messages on Nature-Based Solutions for agricultural water management and food security 2018
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No results found.Food and agricultural systems are under a set of pressures to feed an increasingly hungry population and to cope with an intensifying competition over natural, human and financial resources, all subject to impacts of climate change. The natural resource base is already degraded to significant levels, and ‘’business as usual’’ is no longer an option. FAO has been emphasizing the need to accelerate a global transition to sustainable food and agriculture systems, advocating an integrated approach to ensure sustainability in production and subsequent value chains processes, taking into account the sustainable management of natural resources, and water resources in particular. This document focuses on the management of water for agricultural use, which holds the largest share of total water demand for many countries as illustrated by Figure 1. Moreover, for many countries, the prospects of improving water availability under changing climatic conditions remain a challenge, as both droughts and flood hazards are expected to increase. Conventional interventions founded on ‘hard’ water engineering and infrastructural development provided valuable lessons but often showed that they compromise the very ecosystem services that are required for stable water flows. Hence, calls for a paradigm shift in water management are justified and should be a priority on the political agendas. -
ArticleGoing back to nature: Green Care as an emerging field for nature-based innovation and entrepreneurship in Europe
XV World Forestry Congress, 2-6 May 2022
2022Also available in:
No results found.The negative effects of the current societal and environmental challenges on human health and wellbeing are of growing concern. Nature and ecosystem-based approaches such as Green Care can offer a wide range of solutions to mitigate these negative effects. Green care is an emerging concept referring to the health and well-being benefits of activities carried out in contact with nature. By focusing on four thematic sectors – Forest-based care, Social agriculture, Urban green care, and Green care tourism – the Green4C multidisciplinary EC funded research portrays the complex picture of the solutions offered by social and nature-based innovation and entrepreneurship in the Green Care sector in Europe (www.greenforcare.eu). The research aims to a) understand the entrepreneurship needs of the stakeholders involved in the sector and b) assess success factors and challenges for innovation in Green Care. The research employs qualitative data collection methods, namely academic and grey literature review, an online questionnaire, and in-depth interviews with the innovative case studies and best practices operating in four thematic sectors. The results show that there is a clear trend of growing interest and participation in Green Care, strengthened in the current context of the global pandemic, yet the challenges in different countries indicate uneven entrepreneurship and innovation capacity. Gaps in policies, institutional and governance frameworks, quality assurance, and collaborative arrangements were identified as important challenges. The research concludes that the Green Care innovation and entrepreneurship that integrate sustainably managed green spaces with a focus on health and well-being can contribute to healthier and more resilient human societies and natural ecosystems. Recommendations for different stakeholder groups, including policy-makers, are detailed in the EU Blueprint on Green Care. Keywords: green care, health, well-being, innovation, entrepreneurship ID: 3486896
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