Solutions Based on Nature to Face Water Stress: Lessons from the Past and Present

Abstract

first_pagesettingsOrder Article Reprints Open AccessReview Solutions Based on Nature to Face Water Stress: Lessons from the Past and Present by Daniel O. Suman 1,*ORCID,Manuela Morais 2ORCID andCarlos Hiroo Saito 3ORCID 1 Department of Environmental Science and Policy, Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric, and Earth Science, University of Miami, 4600 Rickenbacker Causeway, Miami, FL 33149, USA 2 Laboratory of Water, School of Sciences and Technologies, University of Évora, Parque Industrial e Tecnológico, R. da Barba Rala No. 1, 7005-345 Évora, Portugal 3 Center for Sustainable Development, Department of Ecology, Institute of Biological Sciences, University of Brasilia, Campus Universitário Asa Norte, Brasilia 70910-900, DF, Brazil * Author to whom correspondence should be addressed. Water 2024, 16(16), 2301; https://doi.org/10.3390/w16162301 Submission received: 1 July 2024 / Revised: 8 August 2024 / Accepted: 12 August 2024 / Published: 15 August 2024 (This article belongs to the Special Issue Coastal and Marine Governance and Protection) Downloadkeyboard_arrow_down Browse Figures Versions Notes Abstract Nature-based solutions (NbS) to water scarcity, environmental degradation, climate change, and biodiversity losses are enjoying increasing implementation throughout the world. This manuscript reviews three case studies from Brazil, Panama, and Portugal that illustrate NbS and searches for commonalities that may assist their usefulness in new sites. The Tijuca Forest in Rio de Janeiro is a remarkable story of centuries of forest management and restoration that initially aimed at providing water security for the capital of the country during the XIX Century while it was still a monarchy. Today, it is recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Panama Canal Watershed produces water for canal operations, electricity generation, and drinking water for half the country’s population. Traditional water mills and weirs near streams in the Alentejo Region, Portugal, have largely been abandoned due to the damming of the Guadiana River. Yet today, weirs are increasingly recognized for their important contribution to water provisioning in this dry region. All have a primary goal related to water provisioning, yet their ecosystem benefits are multiple. The cases offer important lessons for adaptation to climate change, cultural benefits from traditional human activities, and concerns about social equity.