Blue Nature Based Solutions Week

Did you know that blue carbon and blue carbon ecosystems can absorb five times more CO2 than terrestrial forests?

This was one of the many compelling statistics discussed during the Blue Nature Based Solutions week at UNESCO House in Paris at which I was Master of Ceremonies.

While many people are familiar with the term Nature based solutions (NBS) the concept of Blue NBS is not so well known. Evaluating the effectiveness of the latter has been one of the key goals of the EU funded MaCoBios project which has come to an end of its four year term.

The groundbreaking research has resulted in a rich legacy of findings on marine protections, restoration and community engagement and ideas on how to translate science into policy.

I moderated wide ranging discussions with key players from the international community, scientific, economic and institutional sectors looking at ways bridging the gap between science and policy.  

Several challenges hinder the successful implementation of blue NBS including:

• Sectoral fragmentation: Existing policies are often fragmented across different sectors, making it difficult to integrate blue NBS into existing frameworks.

• Governance challenges: Current governance arrangements are not always adequate to implement blue NBS, which often require cross-sectoral and multi-level governance approaches.

• Funding limitations: A lack of sufficient and sustained funding for planning, implementing, and monitoring blue NBS projects is a major obstacle.

• Knowledge gaps: There is a need for better scientific understanding of the effectiveness, benefits, and potential trade-offs of different blue NBS interventions.

• Social and cultural barriers: Engaging local communities and addressing potential conflicts among stakeholders are crucial for the successful adoption of blue NBS.

Mainstreaming blue NBS in policy making, strengthening policy frameworks and increasing funding through public and private investments are just some of the solutions.