Opportunities and Challenges to Implement Nature-Based Solutions for Urban Waters in Developed and Emerging Developed Countries

The diverse rainfall patterns due to climate change have been the major causes of flooding in urban areas, particularly in emerging developed countries, where there is a lack of resources for flood mitigation and ineffective infrastructure systems. With this comes deterioration in water quality entering the environment with pollutants carried by the increased surface runoff, combined with the lack of treatment measures. Water sensitive cities promote the integration of water management and urban planning, where the application of nature-based solutions (NbS) aligns sustainable and adaptation goals and provides better capacity for communities and environments to adapt and become resilient to climate change. But if NbS are so important to build resilience to climate change, why aren’t they thoroughly applied? Why aren’t they considered high priority in the hierarchical order of prominent flood and stormwater quality solutions in emerging developed countries where resources are scarcer? Are the challenges faced by developed and emerging developed countries similar? Common knowledge about conventional and non-innovative systems and all the involved uncertainties are among the reasons holding back the adoption of NbS and promotion of cultural change. This chapter aims to discuss the similarities and differences encountered to implement NbS for urban waters.