On Thursday, March 23, 2023 at 4:30 p.m. the coalition for mainstreaming Nature Based Solutions will launch the NBS commitment on the UN Water Action Agenda at the Water House.

Several organizations, including Asian Development Bank, Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO), Invest International, US Army Corps of Engineers, Rijkswaterstaat, EcoShape (including its consortium-partners Van Oord, Deltares, Wetlands International, Arcadis, RHDHV) have joined forces to form the NBS-coalition to take action. The coalition aims to create a breakthrough in the application and implementation of NBS for water-related challenges and to make NBS a widely accepted practice by 2030.

Commitment on mainstreaming NBS

It is our goal to make NBS a widely accepted and applied solution for societal issues in the water sector by 2030.

All parties in the coalition take their own responsibility and will voluntarily commit to:

– Being an ambassador for NBS;

– Promoting the inclusion of NBS as an option in the realisation of solutions for societal challenges in the water sector;

– Presenting examples of how NBS solutions act as an alternative to traditional infrastructure;

– Joining, supporting or creating fundamental and applied research projects to further develop NBS as a standard option;

– Promoting, supporting or co-investing in enablers for the development of NBS, such as a sound business case, technical, ecological, social and system knowledge.

The coalition will offer an inclusive, action-oriented, cross-sectoral platform of exchange. For participants, it will offer the opportunity to exchange knowledge and experience, profile their work and actions for NBS in an international setting and connect with the frontrunners in the water sector. The parties join forces in a productive coalition working towards mainstreaming NBS.

Action and follow-up

The coalition proponents will develop the details of this commitment further during and after the UN2023 Water Conference. The coalition is launched at the conference and is open to new members in the near future.

Through strengthened collaboration, the parties will work on mainstreaming NBS by 2030.

Date: Thursday, March 23, 2023 from 4:30 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Location: Water House, 666 Third Avenue 21st floor, New York