From Coasts to Cities: Mainstreaming Nature-Based Solutions for Climate Resilience in India

1. Introduction

India's vulnerability to climate risks—intense cyclones, unpredictable monsoons, and urban heat islands puts lives, livelihoods, and infrastructure at risk (IPCC, 2023). While grey infrastructure such as seawalls, drains and heat shelters may provide short-term relief, it often involves high capital and maintenance costs and also lacks additional co-benefits like biodiversity conservation or social inclusion. Nature-Based Solutions* (NbS), according to International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN 2020) are the "actions to protect, sustainably manage, and restore natural or modified ecosystems that address societal challenges effectively and adaptively, while simultaneously providing human well-being and biodiversity benefits". They utilise the ecosystem processes to provide adaptive, cost-efficient, and multifunctional benefits—from flood protection to carbon sequestration and also improvements in public health. (Schneider & Lane, 2017; MoF, 2021)

* The term Nature-Based Solutions was formally recognized in the 2016 World Conservation Congress and has since been adopted by the UN, IPCC, and numerous national governments as a cornerstone for integrated climate and biodiversity policy.

2. Scope of the Brief

This brief explores Nature-Based Solutions (NbS) within the climate resilient framework of India, differentiating them from the available traditional grey infrastructure solutions. It reviews three case studies—Odisha's mangrove restoration, the East Kolkata Wetlands, and Hyderabad's urban green infrastructure—to highlight their governance reforms, mixed financing models, and measurable resilience impacts. These cases show how NbS can provide co-benefits for ecology, society, and economy, including flood protection, livelihood support, and improved public health. In spite of several successful pilots, India is still lacking a well-integrated national policy and specialised financing arrangements for scaling NbS in a systematic manner.

The brief also highlights major barriers and suggests practicable policy instruments that include governance reforms, new and innovative financing platforms, and effective monitoring systems to mainstream and scale up NbS into national and subnational climate policies and promote a regenerative, community-driven approach to resilience.

3. Case Studies

3.1. Mangrove Restoration, Odisha

After the 1999 Super Cyclone, the Odisha Forest & Environment Department added a mass-scale mangrove re-growth programme in its State Action Plan on Climate Change, developing a public–private–community partnership with ₹150 million from the National Adaptation Fund for Climate Change along with Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) funding and MGNREGA-funded manpower (MoF, 2021). Grassroots panchayats held "Eco-Protection Committees," co-designing planting schedules and overseeing patrolling, while TERI provided technical expertise and equipped youth volunteers with ecological monitoring skills (TERI, 2022). This ‘co-governance-finance approach’ ensured that the intervention was both owned and benefited by communities, aligning livelihoods with long-term resilience goals.

By 2018, LiDAR* and drone surveys had mapped a 30 percent increase in mangrove canopy. Post-cyclone assessments after Phailin (2013) and Fani (2019) had reported a 20 percent decrease in storm-surges at Kendrapara which is a direct proof of ecological and social co-benefits (TERI, 2022). The programme also created more than 10,000 person-days of work per year, increasing household incomes and encouraging civic stewardship through youth-led data collection. The Odisha experience illustrates the potential of mixed finance and collaborative governance in upscaling NbS but chronic delays in central fund release indicate an imperative for enhanced state–centre coordination if the model is to be replicated in other states. 

*LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) is an active remote-sensing technology that emits pulses of laser light toward a target and measures the time taken for the reflections to return, thereby generating precise three-dimensional models of terrain, vegetation, and built structures. (EBSCO Research Starters, 2024).

3.2. East Kolkata Wetlands, West Bengal

With increased urban wastewater and flood hazard, Kolkata utilised the East Kolkata Wetlands (EKW)—a peri-urban marsh ecosystem, to provide low-cost water treatment, wetland conservation, and community livelihoods under Ramsar protection. An institutionally supported co-management arrangement was established which involved the Kolkata Municipal Corporation, West Bengal Fisheries Department, and more than 500 fisher-farmer cooperative societies. A user fee for wastewater paid under the Environmental Protection Act (1986), collects revenue which is directly diverted to cooperatives to provide an open incentive towards ecological upkeep. 

Remote sensing surveys indicate a decline of 80 percent in nutrient loads (i.e., the amount of nitrogen and phosphorus compounds entering water bodies), while public health surveys indicate a fall of 15 percent in waterborne illnesses in neighbouring communities (IISD, 2022). The wetlands provide livelihood support for more than 20,000 people via aquaculture and agriculture, bringing together economic sustenance with ecosystem services. Regular monitoring and data collection are performed by university interns and youth volunteers, instilling a participatory stewardship culture. EKW's revenue-sharing governance provides an example for other peri-urban wetland systems, given that legal safeguards and cooperative institutions are established (NITI Aayog, 2020).

3.3. Urban Green Infrastructure: Miyawaki Forests & Natural Farming

To counter urban heat islands and reducing air quality in the city, the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) initiated a Miyawaki urban forest drive in June 2020 under the Telangana Ku Haritha Haram programme, planting high-density mini-forests of native species in areas like Kukatpally at a budget of ₹7.5 lakh per location. The program collaborated with local NGOs and Resident Welfare Associations, utilising state program funds augmented by CSR donations and in-kind community volunteer effort.

Growth surveys show how Miyawaki plots can show growth rates nine times higher and canopy densities thirty times denser than traditional plantations (Hans India, 2020). Civic contribution to urban resilience is increased by quarterly monitoring and maintenance by community volunteers. Although such outcomes highlight the model's viability, wider spread across India's cities will call for institutionalised data sharing standards and aligned monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL) systems.

4. Policy Recommendations

1. Mandate NbS Integration in Subnational Planning

Nature-based Solutions should be institutionalised as a statutory requirement in the State Action Plans on Climate Change (SAPCCs), Smart City Master Plans, and Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs). This would integrate NbS into urban and infrastructure development at the design phase and not as an added-on green element. To make this possible for resource-poor states and cities, the Centre can provide a mix of financial incentives (e.g., matching grants) and technical handholding in the form of guidelines, toolkits, and planning templates. By integrating NbS into local planning systems, the strategy can be institutionalised and self-sustaining in the long run.

2. Mobilise Blended Finance for NbS

The establishment of a National NbS Finance Facility would allow aggregated, outcome-based funding from multiple sources—CSR donations, unused 15th Finance Commission grants, and revenue from India's future carbon markets. This facility could be established as an independent organization that collaborates with the Ministry of Finance, or it could be placed under the Ministry of Environment, Forests, and Climate Change (MoEFCC). This single platform can direct funds to validated NbS projects through competitive grants or challenge funds, and de-risk private investment by providing partial guarantees. For enhanced local alignment, a decentralised model with state or zonal units might also be taken into consideration.

Such a mechanism not only enhances fund use but also brings out fragmented financial streams under one climate-resilience framework. It ensures that projects with measurable ecosystem benefits get reliable and sufficient funding.

3. Institutionalise Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) Systems

Successful scaling up of NbS relies on establishing strong monitoring and learning systems. A national MEL system should standardise some measurable indicators like canopy cover gain, temperature decrease, biodiversity increase, and carbon sequestration, while promoting youth and community-led data collection. Remote sensing, ecosystem service valuation software, and real time digital dashboards can offer timely insights to decision makers. Implementing such MEL systems will not just enhance transparency and accountability but also enable adaptive learning where policies adapt based on actual evidence.

5. Conclusion

Nature-based solutions are a holistic approach to climate resilience that combines ecological restoration with substantial socio-economic co-benefits like job creation, enhanced public health, and civic participation, particularly among the youth. The Odisha, West Bengal, and Hyderabad case studies show how scalable and context-relevant NbS implementation can be triggered by strategic design, community engagement, and mixed financing. However, recurring obstacles such as fragmented planning systems, weak funding instruments, and poor monitoring mechanisms persist which limit their impact and replication. 

To fill these gaps, India needs to focus on three key interventions, among many- integrating NbS into subnational climate and urban planning, implementing a blended finance facility to mobilise public and private capital to invest in verified ecological benefits, and institutionalising strong monitoring and learning systems that are participatory and data-driven. All these together can trigger a shift from disconnected pilot projects to a nationally aligned and regenerative model of climate action which is nature-led and is rooted in local ownership. 

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