Nature-based solutions: Lessons from European and Chinese case studies

The report analyzes eight nature-based solutions (NbS) case studies across the EU and China, focusing on land, water, urban, and financing ecosystems. It evaluates these projects against the UNEA-5 definition and IUCN Global Standard, highlighting successes in large-scale landscape restoration and the role of research programs like Horizon 2020. Key findings emphasize that while NbS are increasingly mainstreamed, challenges remain in inclusive governance and private sector financing. The document recommends enhanced bilateral lesson-sharing, the development of a global costs-benefits database, and the use of standardized assessment tools to prevent greenwashing.

• The report identifies a general weakness in governance arrangements for many NbS projects, which are often 'high-level/top down'. In contrast, the Industrial Forest project in Germany is noted for significant community participation, and the 'Three Good Agriculture and Water Fund' in China is highlighted for its successful use of a Charitable Trust to attract investment.
• In the Mu Us Desert, desertification control measures have reversed land degradation. Between 2009 and 2014, the area of severely and extremely severely sanded land decreased by 6.3 million mu (419 thousand hectares). In Yulin City, the frequency of dust storms dropped from over 100 days to fewer than 10 days annually.

APA

Davies, C., Brack, D., Binbin, W., & Qianqian, Q. (2024). Nature-based solutions: Lessons from European and Chinese case studies. ClientEarth. https://www.clientearth.org/media/yckd1aj0/01-eu_china_naturesolutions_28oct.pdf

Chicago

Davies, Clive, Duncan Brack, Wang Binbin, and Qin Qianqian. Nature-based solutions: Lessons from European and Chinese case studies. ClientEarth, 2024. https://www.clientearth.org/media/yckd1aj0/01-eu_china_naturesolutions_28oct.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Davies |first1=Clive |last2=Brack |first2=Duncan |last3=Binbin |first3=Wang |last4=Qianqian |first4=Qin |title=Nature-based solutions: Lessons from European and Chinese case studies |publisher=ClientEarth |date=September 2024 |url=https://www.clientearth.org/media/yckd1aj0/01-eu_china_naturesolutions_28oct.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{davies2024naturebased, author = {Davies, Clive and Brack, Duncan and Binbin, Wang and Qianqian, Qin}, title = {{Nature-based solutions: Lessons from European and Chinese case studies}}, institution = {ClientEarth}, year = {2024}, month = sep, url = {https://www.clientearth.org/media/yckd1aj0/01-eu_china_naturesolutions_28oct.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }