"Nature-based solutions are for the long term"

Interview by Julia Stanton

How would you define Nature-based Solutions? 

Mittul Vahanvati (MV): Nature-based solutions are a cost-effective, multi-faceted approach to protecting our natural resources. They can be used to combat the effects of climate change, as well as other challenges such as urbanisation.

Why are nature-based solutions so productive when it comes to dealing with climate challenges in informal settlements?

MV: nformal settlements often lack access to basic services and are very reliant on natural resources. At the same time they tend to live in areas that are at high risk from rising sea levels, cyclones or landslides because they are informally occupying land. Nature-based solutions are effective here because they require less tools and technologies than regular upgrading projects. 

Since 2019, you have been leading ‘Climate Resilient Honiara’, a programme in which you carry out applied research projects to improve urban climate resilience in Honiara, the capital of the Solomon Islands. As part of this, you have implemented several nature-based pilot projects in Koa Hill, an informal settlement in the city. How did this come about?

Darryn McEvoy (DMcE): The Pacific region is one of the fastest urbanising places in the world. There is a big influx of people into these cities and informal settlements there are growing rapidly. Often the only land available to them lies in vulnerable areas. Here you find houses built in perilious positions like steep slopes or floodplains. At the same time these communities aren't in communication with the  government because it does not want them living there. The project we lead in the Solomon Islands is multifaceted and nature-based solutions only form one part of it. The government did not support any concrete solutions, like capacity building, in Koa Hill. The only reason we were allowed to go in was because these solutions aren’t considered permanent. 

What specific challenges does Koa Hill face?

MV: Koa Hill is an informal settlement situated on a steep hillside next to the Mataniko River. The ecosystem there is very diverse: There are high mountains, forests, vegetation and biodiversity is rich with lakes and wetlands and and also coastal and coral platforms. The upper parts of the settlement are at risk from landslides following heavy rainfall, while dwellings on the floodplain or near the riverbanks are at severe risk of flooding. There is also an overall lack of infrastructure, impacting the health of people living there.

What concrete Nature-based Solutions did you implement in Koa Hill?

DMcE: We worked mainly with vetiver grass and bamboo for this project. These plants are valuable because they have an extensive root system. It's unbelievable what grows underneath the ground. That makes them really useful for reducing landslide risk, protecting river banks, and reducing flooding. They also have a role to play in drainage.

MV: The bamboo and vetvier grass were planted along the edge of the river to protect houses from flooding. The implementation team planted vetiver grass in a pattern that would redirect water into a proper drainage channel. Thirdly, vetvier grass was used to reinforce the embankment below the landslide area. 

Engaging the local community was crucial to this project. What steps did you take to get locals involved?

MV: We supported a local NGO from behind the scenes but we made sure we stayed in the background. We did this deliberately because the local NGO already has the trust of the community, they are able to strengthen the local bonds, they know what is working and what is not,  can improvise better and they're going to be there long term.

DMcE: The local NGO then got students from the Solomon Islands National University involved. They worked on the project and provided mentorship. The deal was that the community themselves had to do 50 percent of the work. They did the cleanup and helped with planting and the urban gardens. To do this, we ran a lot of workshops with a wide range of local inhabitants. 

Why is it so important to work with the community on this project? 

MV: The community already has deep-rooted knowledge of how to manage and work with nature. We look at what they lack and at their strengths and their cultural knowledge. This helps us identify how to best support them.  

DMcE: We have to understand that nature-based solutions in Europe are different from nature-based solutions in the Pacific, where people continue to have a direct relationship to the land they live on. That is the lens through which we need to approach nature-based solutions rather than following a colonial top-down approach that is fraught with power dynamics. The key issue is to build trust with the communities. When we run workshops, the first thing we say is: “Look, we're not the experts, you are. We're here to learn what your needs and your priorities are.”  If you just went in and planted vetvier grass, without building that trust, nobody would take ownership of it and it would just die. 

What did the project achieve in Koa Hill?

DMcE: Not only did these solutions reduce the climate risk of these communities, thay also brought the whole community together. It created a new sense of cohesion. Part of the project, for example, was to build an urban garden to enable the community to grow their own vetvier grass. They take ownership of this initiative so they can maintain it in the future. This also creates an economic opportunity for them to sell the vetvier grass to other communities. It's not a perfect solution, but it has multiple benefits for their day-to-day lives.

What were some of the challenges you faced?

MV: Nature-based solutions are long term solutions not quick fixes. Whatever you plant will not have its full impact until it's grown. Nature requires time to establish itself. In some places, it's worked really well, and the vetvier grass has already made a difference, for instance, reducing damage from flood events. Elsewhere, the grass has died because it's not being looked after properly. 

What are the plans for the future?

DMcE: We have just signed an extension agreement for 2025, the last year of the project. One of the projects we will be tackling will be the drainage of wastewater to protect drinking water. My hope is that once the project is completed, the community in Koa Hill will be able to continue the work independently without external help.