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SOLUTIONS FOR THE OCEAN / NATURE-BASED SOLUTIONS | 51

KEYFACT Nature-based Solutions could provide around 30% of cost-effective mitigation measures needed by 2030 to stabilise
warming to below 2° C. (sources: UICN)

PROJECTS UNDER WAY
Risks relating to rising sea levels, soil salinisation, floo- Closing the session, the global network Sea’ties was
dings, anthropogenic pressure along coasts, growing in turn presented with an inspirational overview of
tourism… François Simard, IUCN’s Senior Advisor for adaptation solutions for coastal towns exposed to ri-
Fisheries, outlined the key Mediterranean issues be- sing sea levels (see subject p.81) Spatial reconstruc-
fore giving an overview of the initiatives to strengthen tion efforts along the coastline in Sète and restoration
climate resilience in the Mediterranean thanks to Na- of the dunes were given as examples by Lisa Devi-
ture-based Solutions (NbS). Among the projects un- gnol, Project Manager at the Ocean & Climate Plat-
der way, the MedCités network, which is working of form, stressing the need to further integrate natural
the application of NbS standards in 44 Mediterranean ecosystems in highly urbanised areas.
cities, and the Life programme’s initiative, Blue Natura
Andalucía, which promotes wetlands and seagrass in
Andalucía as carbon sinks.
POSIDONIA MEADOWS, PROBLEM OR SOLUTION?
The Director of the Tour du Valat programme, Raphaël
Billé, gave details on the case of ponds and marshes An emblematic species of the Mediterranean,
in Camargue’s salt fields. How can this moving delta, Posidonia meadows form an ecosystem conducive
still young, with an ageing diking system, cope with to the maintaining of marine biodiversity, with
climate risks (coastal erosion, risk of submersion, repercussions on fish populations and stocks. These
soil salinisation…)? A hybrid solution seems close at seagrasses also play a role in coastal conservation
hand, coupling the conservation of secondary dikes and carbon sequestration. These flowering marine
with an increased connection between the lagunes plants lose their leaves each year, which wash up
and sea, which needs to be taken on board by the
players operating in a complex territory, involving both on beaches, often forming thick banks. Up to now
tourism and farming. deemed problematic for tourism, they are removed
by heavy duty machinery which promotes erosion.
However, through the lens of NbS, seagrass can be
considered a carbon sink and a solution to protect
coastlines and biodiversity. Effects that blue and
sustainable tourism will consider positive.

DEFINITION

Nature-based Solutions (NbS)
are actions to protect, sustainably
manage, and restore natural and
modified ecosystems that address
societal challenges effectively and
adaptively, simultaneously benefiting
© Renaud Dupuy de la Grandrive
people and nature.
(IUCN, 2016)