Prior Indication of Agricultural Nature-Based Solutions (NbS) for Water and Food Security in the Context of Climate Change

Impacts of climate change represent a serious challenge for the agricultural sector and expose the need for suitable solutions for its adaptation. Nature Based Solutions (NbS) are a key component to address climate change and challenges related to food and water security and biodiversity loss. The aim of this work is to present and test a methodological framework for prior indication of agricultural NbS for the water-food security nexus in the context of climate change. The study case is Nova Friburgo, a municipality located in the mountainous region of Rio de Janeiro State, highly vulnerable to the impacts of extreme weather events and an important center of food production. The method consists of an integrated environmental assessment that includes the synergies and trade-offs between ecosystem services and a water-food security nexus assessment, as well as the assessment of the implementation of NbS in public policies of the municipality of Nova Friburgo. The survey of NbS in the literature resulted in the selection of twenty-six NbS for agricultural management of water and food security (water-food security nexus). The most suitable NbS considering the integrated environmental assessment and the governance assessment were soil conservation practices, agroforestry/integrated crop-livestock-forestry system and organic agriculture. Agricultural zoning and agritourism received the highest score in terms of governance. The methodology was able to identify the most appropriated NbS for the study case. However, prior indication of NbS needs to be discussed with local decision makers, considering the local environmental, socioeconomic, and political factors.