Building with Nature: a future proof strategy for coping with a changing and uncertain world : working with uncertainties

The influence of climate change on water related management challenges is felt worldwide. Backed by policies such as the European Green Deal, the UN Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Agreement, there is a growing focus on Nature-based Solutions (NBS) and Building with Nature (BwN) to tackle current global challenges. However, the choice to implement Building with Nature rather than a traditional ‘grey’ infrastructure solution is often hampered by greater perceived uncertainty in the performance and implementation of Building with Nature. At the same time, the co-benefits of Building with Nature are well documented, and an increasing body of evidence showcases the value and functioning of Building with Nature under both daily and extreme conditions. The objective of this whitepaper is to inform practitioners of Building with Nature about the concepts of uncertainty and how to use this as a strength in the dialogue to come to sustainable solutions for coping with future global change related uncertainties.