A Scan of Natural Infrastructure Approaches

This report by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) examines "bright spots"—effective examples of policy and planning change—to scale natural infrastructure for water services in Canada. It analyzes three distinct models: the City of Nelson's use of local bylaws, the Halifax Regional Municipality's integrated multi-level planning, and EPCOR's hybrid approach combining natural and grey infrastructure for flood mitigation in Edmonton.

• The City of Nelson demonstrates that small municipalities can effectively implement natural infrastructure by leveraging local bylaws to enforce design standards. The Subdivision and Development Servicing Bylaw specifically lists "dry detention ponds, rain gardens, and swales" as acceptable alternatives for meeting stormwater storage requirements, encouraging developers to use natural infrastructure for onsite management.
• The Halifax Regional Municipality (HRM) utilizes a comprehensive, hierarchical planning approach to embed natural infrastructure across all levels of government. This structure flows from the Halifax Regional Municipality Charter and the Regional Plan down to Municipal Priority Plans (such as the Halifax Green Network Plan and HalifACT) and Secondary Municipal Planning Strategies, ensuring that high-level goals are translated into community-level implementation.
• EPCOR employs a hybrid infrastructure approach in Edmonton, integrating low-impact development (LID) and dry ponds with traditional grey infrastructure to improve flood resilience and reduce costs. Its Stormwater Integrated Resource Plan (SIRP) is a 20–30 year, CAD 1.6 billion plan, with approximately 59% (CAD 940 million) of funding dedicated to LID and dry ponds.
• EPCOR's collaboration with the City of Edmonton helps normalize natural infrastructure by sharing costs, operations, and maintenance. This includes joint efforts such as the Old Strathcona Back Street Plaza, where EPCOR installed soil cells to manage stormwater while the City's Urban Forestry department managed the trees, and the development of a shared Stormwater Management and Design Manual to ensure consistent construction standards.

APA

Rawluk, A., & Méthot, J. (2024). A Scan of Natural Infrastructure Approaches. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2024-05/natural-infrastructure-approaches.pdf

Chicago

Rawluk, Ashley, and Josée Méthot. A Scan of Natural Infrastructure Approaches. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2024. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2024-05/natural-infrastructure-approaches.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Rawluk |first1=Ashley |last2=Méthot |first2=Josée |title=A Scan of Natural Infrastructure Approaches |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=March 2024 |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2024-05/natural-infrastructure-approaches.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{rawluk2024scan, author = {Rawluk, Ashley and Méthot, Josée}, title = {{A Scan of Natural Infrastructure Approaches}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2024}, month = mar, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2024-05/natural-infrastructure-approaches.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }