Nature as a facilitator for urban coastal resilience: A thesis on how to link nature-based thinking and climate resilience in the urban coastal context

Sloth, Kristina Momsen

4. semester

Joint European Master in Environmental Studies - Cities and Sustainability (JEMES CiSu)

2022

2022-06-01

This thesis examines how the concept of Nature-based Thinking can contribute to building climate resilience in recent projects within the field of coastal urban climate change adaptation in Denmark. The state-of-the-art interventions for nature-based solutions for climate change adaptation have been identified to assess the potential of the urban coastal nature-based approach. Furthermore, the study examines the theoretical conceptualization of climate resilience by assessing current projects in Assens, Aabenraa, Svendborg, and Vejle and analyzes the contemporary perceptions in the case projects regarding barriers and opportunities of the use of nature-based climate change adaptation. To examine the full potential of the concept of Nature-based Thinking, a planning tool of ‘reflective discussion-cards’ has been developed to widen the discussion of urban nature and climate resilience. For nature to be able to facilitate the building of climate resilience, the thesis recommends future urban coastal projects of climate change adaptation to acknowledge path-dependencies within the field while integrating the core principles of climate resilience. Furthermore, the thesis recommends openly encouraging discussion and reflection between stakeholders in adaptation projects on how to enhance biodiversity by integrating nature-based solutions and further building an urban coastal environment for nature beyond solely anthropogenic values.

climate resilience ; coastal climate adaptation ; sustainable planning ; nature-based solutions ; nature-based adaptation ; nature-based thinking

Download
View record in AAU Student Projects