Nature That Works

This executive summary from the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) examines the role of 17 types of natural infrastructure in enhancing water resilience across the Canadian Prairies. It argues that natural assets—both conserved/restored and constructed—should complement conventional grey infrastructure to mitigate floods, secure water supplies during droughts, and improve water quality.

• Natural infrastructure is critical for the Canadian Prairies to address a growing infrastructure gap, as approximately 30% of Canada's water-related grey infrastructure, such as pipes and treatment plants, is currently in fair, poor, or very poor condition.
• The report identifies 17 types of natural infrastructure relevant to the Canadian Prairies, divided into eight natural assets (conserved and restored ecosystems) and nine constructed assets. These are categorized into four functional families based on their morphology and role in water management.
• Natural infrastructure supports three primary water management areas: flood mitigation (by reducing peak flows and water volume), water supply and drought mitigation (by capturing and storing snowmelt and rainfall), and water quality (by using soil, plants, and microbes to capture and break down pollutants).
• The document emphasizes that natural infrastructure should be integrated with grey infrastructure and recognized and funded as infrastructure. In urban settings, constructed assets like green roofs and rain gardens are highlighted as essential for replicating natural processes where conservation is constrained.

APA

International Institute for Sustainable Development (2025). Nature That Works. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2025-05/benefits-performance-natural-infrastructure-water-management-summary.pdf

Chicago

International Institute for Sustainable Development. Nature That Works. 2025. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2025-05/benefits-performance-natural-infrastructure-water-management-summary.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=International Institute for Sustainable Development |title=Nature That Works |date=May 2025 |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2025-05/benefits-performance-natural-infrastructure-water-management-summary.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{internationalinstituteforsustainabledevelopment2025nature, author = {{International Institute for Sustainable Development}}, title = {{Nature That Works}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2025}, month = may, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2025-05/benefits-performance-natural-infrastructure-water-management-summary.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }