Nature-based solutions in municipal stormwater management in Sweden

The report examines the integration of nature-based solutions (NbS) in Swedish municipal stormwater management. It finds that while NbS principles are embedded in most municipal steering documents, the specific term 'nature-based solutions' is rarely used. There is a significant lack of standardized cost data, particularly for operations and maintenance (O&M). While co-benefits like flood risk control and water quality are widely recognized, others such as the heat island effect and carbon sequestration are underrepresented. The report highlights complexities in the division of responsibilities between municipal departments and private landowners and notes that current regulatory frameworks often fail to fully account for the multiple co-benefits of NbS.

• Cost data for nature-based solutions (NbS) in Sweden is limited and lacks transparency, with a particular deficiency in data regarding operations and maintenance (O&M) requirements.
• NbS are integrated into Swedish municipal stormwater management, but municipalities typically use proxy terms such as 'open', 'local', 'sustainable', or 'multifunctional' rather than the specific phrase 'nature-based solutions'.
• Municipal stormwater documents frequently address co-benefits related to flood risk control, water quality, biodiversity, aesthetics, and health, but underemphasize the heat island effect, carbon sequestration, air quality, energy consumption, and noise reduction.
• There is a complex division of responsibilities for stormwater management in Sweden, as municipalities often lack the legal mandate to enforce NbS implementation on privately owned land, which constitutes approximately 70% of urban land.
• While there is strong support for NbS in national and EU regulatory frameworks, these policies often fail to fully recognize or quantify the multiple co-benefits of NbS, hindering the development of strong business cases for their implementation.
• Of the 38 municipalities investigated, 29 (76%) had at least one specific steering or supporting document for stormwater management as of March 2024.

APA

Gunnarsson, M., Barquet, K., & Le Rouzo, A. (2025). Nature-based solutions in municipal stormwater management in Sweden. Stockholm Environment Institute. https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/nature-based-solutions-municipal-stormwater-sweden-sei2025-002-corrected.pdf.pdf

Chicago

Gunnarsson, Matilda, Karina Barquet, and Aziliz Le Rouzo. Nature-based solutions in municipal stormwater management in Sweden. Stockholm Environment Institute, 2025. https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/nature-based-solutions-municipal-stormwater-sweden-sei2025-002-corrected.pdf.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Gunnarsson |first1=Matilda |last2=Barquet |first2=Karina |last3=Le Rouzo |first3=Aziliz |title=Nature-based solutions in municipal stormwater management in Sweden |publisher=Stockholm Environment Institute |date=January 2025 |url=https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/nature-based-solutions-municipal-stormwater-sweden-sei2025-002-corrected.pdf.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{gunnarsson2025naturebased, author = {Gunnarsson, Matilda and Barquet, Karina and Le Rouzo, Aziliz}, title = {{Nature-based solutions in municipal stormwater management in Sweden}}, institution = {Stockholm Environment Institute}, year = {2025}, month = jan, url = {https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/nature-based-solutions-municipal-stormwater-sweden-sei2025-002-corrected.pdf.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }