Study #26
Figure: NbS networks engaged with NATURA across seven global regions.
STUDIES
2026-04-27
Nature-based solutions insights - The Global NATURA Network
In 2025, researchers led by Elizabeth M. Cook and colleagues published a global study in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences examining nature-based solutions (NbS) for urban sustainability. Drawing on insights from the NATURA global research network (presented in the picture), the team synthesized evidence from over 60 scientific reviews and expert assessments across seven world regions to understand how cities can better use nature to tackle climate and sustainability challenges.
As cities face climate change, biodiversity loss, and aging infrastructure, solutions like urban forests, wetlands, green roofs, and restored rivers can simultaneously, as we already know, cool neighborhoods, reduce flooding, and improve public health. Yet scaling these solutions is not simple. The researchers identified eight major challenges slowing progress, especially fragmented governance, inequitable access to green infrastructure, and lack of long-term monitoring.
Nature isn’t just decoration in cities, it’s essential infrastructure. When science, policy, and communities work together, urban nature can transform cities into more resilient, healthier, and more equitable places to live.
Cook, E. M., Kim, Y., Grimm, N. B., McPhearson, T., Anderson, P., Bulkeley, H., Collier, M. J., Diep, L., Morató, J., & Zhou, W. (2025). Nature-based solutions for urban sustainability. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2315909122
