Nature‐based resilience: Experiences of five cities from South Asia

 Nature-based Solutions (NbS) are identified as a promising strategy to reduce risk and increase resilience through conserving, managing, and restoring ecosystems, however, there appears to be a lack of evidence-based approaches. Against this backdrop, the South Asian cities of Barishal (Bangladesh), Phuentsholing (Bhutan), Gurugram (India), Kathmandu (Nepal), and Colombo (Sri Lanka) provide opportunities to evaluate capacities for achieving Nature-based Resilience (NbR) through NbS. 

This study documents insights from the five cities with the primary objective of providing evidence on how NbS are being practiced. Thus, some success stories in cities under consideration are highlighted: restoration of natural canals through integrated development plans and community participation (Barishal), concepts of Gross National Happiness (GNH) and minimal nature interventions (Phuentsholing), “Greening cities’’ including eco-corridors, vegetation belts, biodiversity parks (Gurugram), proper land use planning aims at different disasters (Kathmandu), and wetland restoration and management with multiple benefits (Colombo).