Water Research Laboratory, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, UNSW Sydney, Manly Vale 2093, NSW, Australia.
Sci Total Environ. 2023 May 15;873:162362. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.162362. Epub 2023 Feb 22.
Traditional solutions to estuarine flood risk management have typically involved the implementation of static 'hard' shoreline protection structures, often at the expense of the natural landscape and the societal and ecosystem benefits they provide. In a changing climate, there is an increasing need to restore these estuarine ecosystems, and alternative measures in the form of Nature-based Solutions (NbS) are being considered. Guidance that balances ecology and engineering is required for NbS to establish as self-sustaining ecosystems. In this study, a review of NbS guidelines was undertaken, revealing an absence of technical content bridging ecological and engineering values. Instead, most guidelines focus on NbS project implementation, identifying engineering aspects, and providing frameworks for investors and project managers. Integration of technical engineering and ecological outcomes within NbS guidelines is needed. A conceptual approach for integrating eco-engineering aspects for estuarine ecosystems is proposed. This conceptual approach focuses on the critical thresholds and parameter relationships associated with establishment, growth, recovery and mortality, and functionality of estuarine NbS, in efforts to quantify changes in ecological development and flood risk mitigation services. The conceptual approach documents how the suggested relationships between parameters can be adopted by practitioners in the short-term, medium-term, and long-term. The application of this conceptual approach to multi-habitat restoration is explored, including lifecycle timing and ecosystem/design functionality. The findings of this study demonstrate the need for an integrated NbS design guideline that balances ecology and engineering research for the long-term success of estuarine ecosystems.
传统的河口洪灾风险管理解决方案通常涉及实施静态的“硬”岸线保护结构，这往往以牺牲自然景观和它们提供的社会和生态效益为代价。在气候变化的背景下，越来越需要恢复这些河口生态系统，因此正在考虑采用基于自然的解决方案 (NbS)。为了使 NbS 能够建立起自我维持的生态系统，需要有平衡生态和工程的指导。在本研究中，对 NbS 指南进行了审查，结果表明缺乏弥合生态和工程价值的技术内容。相反，大多数指南侧重于 NbS 项目的实施，确定工程方面，并为投资者和项目经理提供框架。需要在 NbS 指南中整合技术工程和生态成果。本文提出了一种用于河口生态系统的生态工程整合方法。该方法侧重于与河口 NbS 的建立、生长、恢复和死亡以及功能相关的关键阈值和参数关系，以努力量化生态发展和洪水缓解服务的变化。该方法记录了建议的参数关系如何可以被从业者在短期、中期和长期内采用。还探讨了将这种概念方法应用于多栖息地恢复，包括生命周期时间和生态系统/设计功能。本研究的结果表明，需要制定一种综合的 NbS 设计指南，以平衡生态和工程研究，从而实现河口生态系统的长期成功。
