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Nature-based solutions (NbS) are a crucial low carbon resilience (LCR) climate action strategy, and include a range of approaches that address multiple societal challenges. Forests, wetlands, rain gardens, and green roofs, for example, increase resilience to extreme heat and flooding, store carbon, and deliver benefits like cleaner water, greater biodiversity, improved health and wellbeing, cost savings, green jobs, and more. 

This Lower Mainland Nature-based Solutions Best Practices report showcases examples of NbS implementation in British Columbia’s Lower Mainland, using ACT’s NSI framework to emphasize the value of an integrated and systemic approach to NbS planning. By presenting concrete, local, community-based initiatives, the report aims to inspire decision-makers, practitioners, and others to build a resilient region and accelerate implementation of cohesive and systemic NbS.

This report is structured around the NSI's three nested planning approaches: ecosystem-based management, natural asset management, and blue-green infrastructure strategies. It highlights how, when aligned, these intersecting approaches strengthen integration in planning and practice, advancing the health and resilience of ecological systems, while addressing and optimizing benefits across five key community sustainability priorities:  

• climate action,
• biodiversity,
• Indigenous Knowledge systems and leadership,
• sustainable service delivery, and 
• health, equity, and justice.

This report is developed based on ACT’s multi-year NSI research. As a living resource, we invite you to share your NbS successes and recommendations to advance knowledge and decision-making on NbS research, implementation and policy. Please send your feedback to actinfo@sfu.ca.