Federal Resources for Nature-Based Solutions to Climate Change

This fact sheet from the Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) outlines various United States federal funding and technical assistance programs available to implement nature-based solutions for climate resilience. It details programs from agencies including the EPA, FEMA, HUD, NOAA, USDA, and USFWS, highlighting how these resources support green and natural infrastructure to mitigate hazards like flooding and extreme heat.

• Nature-based solutions, which restore or emulate natural systems, can reduce damage from natural hazards as effectively as or better than traditional engineered projects, often at a lower cost. These solutions include reforestation, restored wetlands, living shorelines, and green roofs, and they provide co-benefits such as carbon sequestration.
• The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) manages several programs for nature-based solutions: 'Building Blocks for Sustainable Communities' provides technical assistance for sustainability; 'Clean Water Act Nonpoint Source Grants (Section 319)' funds water pollution management; the 'Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF)' offers low-interest loans; the 'Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI)' focuses on the Great Lakes region; 'Greening America’s Communities' supports urban sustainable design; the 'Superfund Redevelopment Initiative (SRI)' integrates resilience into contaminated site cleanup; and 'Urban Waters Small Grants' fund urban water quality projects up to $60,000.
• FEMA provides funding to reduce disaster impacts through the 'Flood Mitigation Assistance (FMA) Grant Program,' which targets repetitive flood damage to buildings insurable under the National Flood Insurance Program, and the 'Pre-Disaster Mitigation (PDM) Grant Program,' which is being replaced by the 'Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC)' program.
• Other federal agencies provide specialized nature-based funding: HUD's 'Community Development Block Grant (CDBG)' supports urban tree planting and stormwater management to create jobs and mitigate flooding; NOAA's 'Community-based Restoration Program' funds coastal and marine habitat restoration; the USDA's 'Urban and Community Forestry (UCF) Program' helps communities conserve and enhance urban forests; and the USFWS 'Coastal Program' provides assistance for coastal ecosystem resilience, leveraging $8 from partners for every $1 spent.

APA

Environmental and Energy Study Institute (2020). Federal Resources for Nature-Based Solutions to Climate Change. https://www.eesi.org/files/FactSheet_Nature-Based_Solutions_Funding.pdf

Chicago

Environmental and Energy Study Institute. Federal Resources for Nature-Based Solutions to Climate Change. 2020. https://www.eesi.org/files/FactSheet_Nature-Based_Solutions_Funding.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Environmental and Energy Study Institute |title=Federal Resources for Nature-Based Solutions to Climate Change |date=February 2020 |url=https://www.eesi.org/files/FactSheet_Nature-Based_Solutions_Funding.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{environmentalandenergystudyinstitute2020federal, author = {{Environmental and Energy Study Institute}}, title = {{Federal Resources for Nature-Based Solutions to Climate Change}}, institution = {Environmental and Energy Study Institute}, year = {2020}, month = feb, url = {https://www.eesi.org/files/FactSheet_Nature-Based_Solutions_Funding.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }