⚠ Official Notice: www.ijisrt.com is the official website of the International Journal of Innovative Science and Research Technology (IJISRT) Journal for research paper submission and publication. Please beware of fake or duplicate websites using the IJISRT name.



From Hazard to Intervention: A Global Systematic Evidence Synthesis of Spatially Targeted Nature-Based Solutions for Urban Climate Resilience


Authors : Abdurahman Abba Goni; Mustapha Shettima; Mohammed Buba

Volume/Issue : Volume 11 - 2026, Issue 9 - September


Google Scholar : https://tinyurl.com/35mbv49t

DOI : https://doi.org/10.38124/ijisrt/26sep548

Note : A published paper may take 4-5 working days from the publication date to appear in PlumX Metrics, Semantic Scholar, and ResearchGate.


Abstract : In urban areas, a range of hazards are being exacerbated by climate change, such as extreme heat, flooding, drought and air pollution. Spatial solutions like NbS (Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems, green spaces, urban forests and wetlands) provide effective solutions to mitigate these risks with multiple functions and low costs. But knowledge of where and when, and who, such interventions work best is still incomplete. This review is a systematic review of the literature that followed the PRISMA 2020 guidelines and included peer-reviewed studies published between January 2010 and December 2024. The systematic search in the Scopus, Web of Science, ScienceDirect, MDPI and Google Scholar databases resulted in a total of 4,827 articles, with 102 articles found to be eligible.

Keywords : Climate Adaptation; Ecosystem-Based Adaptation; Geographic Information Systems; Nature-Based Solutions; Spatial Targeting; Urban Resilience; Vulnerability Mapping.

References :

  1. Anguelovski, I., Connolly, J. J., Masip, L., & Pearsall, H. (2016). Assessing green gentrification in historically disenfranchised neighborhoods: A longitudinal and spatial analysis of Barcelona. Urban Geography, 37(7), 1041–1059. https://doi.org/10.1080/02723638.2015.1037302
  2. Bark, R. H., Osgood, D. E., Colby, B. G., Katz, G., & Livneh, M. (2018). Assessing the effectiveness of risk mitigation strategies in green infrastructure cost-effectiveness, equity, and resilience. Water Resources Research, 54(10), 7341–7357. https://doi.org/10.1029/2018WR023523
  3. Bowler, D. E., Buyung-Ali, L., Knight, T. M., & Pullin, A. S. (2010). Urban greening to cool towns and cities: A systematic review of the empirical evidence. Landscape and Urban Planning, 97(3), 147–155. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landurbplan.2010.05.006
  4. Brears, R. C. (2020). Nature-based solutions to climate change adaptation in urban areas: Linkages between science, policy and practice. Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-54657-2
  5. Bush, J., & Doyon, A. (2019). Building urban resilience with nature-based solutions: How can urban planning contribute? Ecology and Society, 24(2), 43. https://doi.org/10.5751/ES-10860-240243
  6. Campbell, M., McKenzie, J. E., Sowden, A., Katikireddi, S. V., Brennan, S. E., Ellis, S., Hartmann-Boyce, J., Ryan, R., Shepperd, S., Thomas, J., Welch, V., & Thomson, H. (2020). Synthesis without meta-analysis (SWiM) in systematic reviews: Reporting guideline. BMJ, 368, l6890. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.l6890
  7. Cohen-Shacham, E., Walters, G., Janzen, C., & Maginnis, S. (Eds.). (2016). Nature-based solutions to address global societal challenges. IUCN. https://doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.CH.2016.13.en
  8. Connop, S., Vandergert, P., Eisenberg, B., Collier, M. J., Nash, C., Clough, J., & Newport, D. (2016). Renaturing cities using a regionally-focused biodiversity-led multifunctional benefits approach to urban green infrastructure. Environmental Science & Policy, 62, 99–111. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envsci.2016.01.013
  9. Costanza, R., de Groot, R., Braat, L., Kubiszewski, I., Fioramonti, L., Sutton, P., Farber, S., & Grasso, M. (2017). Twenty years of ecosystem services: How far have we come and how far do we still need to go? Ecosystem Services, 28, 1–16. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoser.2017.09.008
  10. Demuzere, M., Orru, K., Heidrich, O., Olazabal, E., Geneletti, D., Orru, H., Bhave, A. G., Mittal, N., Feliu, E., & Faehnle, M. (2014). Mitigating and adapting to climate change: Multi-functional and multi-scale assessment of green urban infrastructure. Journal of Environmental Management, 146, 107–115. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2014.07.025
  11. Dorst, H., van der Jagt, A., Raven, R., & Runhaar, H. (2019). Urban greening through nature-based solutions: Key principles and approaches. In N. Kabisch et al. (Eds.), Nature-based solutions to climate change adaptation in urban areas (pp. 99–115). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-56091-5_7
  12. Ferreira, V., Matos, P., Guimaraes, T. F., & Mira, A. (2021). Nature-based solutions and flood risk management in urban areas. Journal of Environmental Management, 295, 113126. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2021.113126
  13. Filazzola, A., Shrestha, N., & MacIvor, J. S. (2019). The contribution of constructed green roofs to the urban ecosystem services. Urban Ecosystems, 22(3), 445–460. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11252-018-0825-2
  14. Frantzeskaki, N. (2019). Seven lessons for planning nature-based solutions in cities. Environmental Science & Policy, 93, 101–111. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envsci.2018.10.014
  15. Geneletti, D., & Zardo, L. (2016). Promoting nature-based solutions for climate adaptation in cities through impact assessment. In C. M. R. Carvalho & F. L. R. O. Bina (Eds.), Handbook on biodiversity and ecosystem services in impact assessment (pp. 428–451). Edward Elgar. https://doi.org/10.4337/9781783478996.00022
  16. Gomez-Baggethun, E., & Barton, D. N. (2013). Classifying and valuing ecosystem services for urban planning. Ecological Economics, 86, 235–245. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolecon.2012.08.019
  17. Haase, D., Larondelle, N., Andersson, E., Artmann, M., Borgstrom, S., Breuste, J., Gomez-Baggethun, E., Gren, A., Hamstead, Z., Hansen, R., Kabisch, N., Kremer, P., Langemeyer, J., Rall, E. L., McPhearson, T., Pauleit, S., Qureshi, S., Schwarz, N., Voigt, A., … Elmqvist, T. (2014). A quantitative review of urban ecosystem service assessments: Current state, gaps and the way forward. Ambio, 43(4), 413–433. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13280-014-0507-8
  18. Hallegatte, S., Henriet, F., & Corfee-Morlot, J. (2012). The economics of climate change impacts and policy benefits at city scale: A conceptual framework. Climatic Change, 112, 975–993. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10584-011-0190-5
  19. Hobbie, S. E., & Grimm, N. B. (2020). Nature-based solutions to managing stormwater in cities. Elementa: Science of the Anthropocene, 8, 26. https://doi.org/10.1525/elementa.430
  20. Hong, Q. N., Pluye, P., Fabregues, S., Bartlett, G., Boardman, F., Cargo, M., Dagenais, P., Gagnon, M. P., Griffiths, F., Nicolau, B., O'Cathain, A., Rousseau, M. C., & Vedel, I. (2018). Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool (MMAT), version 2018. McGill University.
  21. IPCC. (2022). Climate change 2022: Impacts, adaptation and vulnerability. Contribution of Working Group II to the Sixth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009325844
  22. Kabisch, N., Frantzeskaki, N., Pauleit, S., Naumann, S., Davis, M., Artmann, M., Haase, D., Knapp, S., Korn, H., Stadler, J., Zaunberger, K., & Bonn, A. (2016). Nature-based solutions to climate change mitigation and adaptation in urban areas: Perspectives on indicators, knowledge gaps, opportunities and barriers for action. Ecology and Society, 21(2), 39. https://doi.org/10.5751/ES-08373-210239
  23. Kabisch, N., Qureshi, S., & Haase, D. (2015). Human-environment interactions in urban green spaces: A systematic review of contemporary issues and prospects for future research. Environmental Impact Assessment Review, 50, 25–34. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eiar.2014.08.007
  24. Keeler, B. L., Hamel, P., McPhearson, T., Hamann, M. H., Donahue, M. L., Meza Prado, K. A., Arkema, K. K., Bratman, G. N., Brauman, K. A., Finlay, J. C., Guerry, A. D., Hobbie, S. E., Johnson, J. A., MacDonald, G. K., McDonald, R. I., Neverisky, N., & Wood, S. A. (2019). Social-ecological and cultural factors associated with the use of urban green spaces in cities of the Global North and Global South. Nature Sustainability, 2(10), 976–983. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41893-019-0383-z
  25. Kotharkar, R., & Ramesh, A. (2022). Quantifying the impact of green infrastructure on urban heat mitigation. Sustainable Cities and Society, 80, 103784. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scs.2022.103784
  26. Li, D., Bou-Zeid, E., & Oppenheimer, M. (2014). The effectiveness of cool and green roofs as urban heat island mitigation strategies. Environmental Research Letters, 9(5), 055002. https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/9/5/055002
  27. Liao, K. H. (2019). The sponge city as a nature-based solution to urban flooding. Sustainability, 11(4), 1099. https://doi.org/10.3390/su11041099
  28. Maes, J., & Jacobs, S. (2017). Nature-based solutions for Europe's sustainable development. Conservation Letters, 10(1), 121–124. https://doi.org/10.1111/conl.12216
  29. Manoli, G., Fatichi, S., Schlapfer, M., Yu, K., Crowther, T. W., Meili, N., Burlando, P., Katul, G. G., & Bou-Zeid, E. (2019). Magnitude of urban heat islands largely explained by climate and population. Nature, 573(7772), 55–60. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-019-1512-9
  30. Narayan, S., Beck, M. W., Wilson, B. P., Thomas, C. J., Guerrero, A., Shepard, C. C., Reguero, B. G., Franco, G., Ingram, J. C., & Trespalacios, D. (2016). The effectiveness of mangroves in attenuating storm surges. Scientific Reports, 6, 32537. https://doi.org/10.1038/srep32537
  31. Nowak, D. J., Hirabayashi, S., Bodine, A., & Greenfield, E. (2014). Tree and forest effects on air quality and human health in the United States. Environmental Pollution, 193, 119–129. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2014.05.028
  32. Oke, T. R., Mills, G., Christen, A., & Voogt, J. A. (2017). Urban climates. Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/9781139016476
  33. Page, M. J., McKenzie, J. E., Bossuyt, P. M., Boutron, I., Hoffmann, T. C., Mulrow, C. D., Shamseer, L., Tetzlaff, J. M., Akl, E. A., Brennan, S. E., Chou, R., Glanville, J., Grimshaw, J. M., Hrobjartsson, A., Lalu, M. M., Li, T., Loder, E. W., Mayo-Wilson, E., McDonald, S., … Moher, D. (2021). The PRISMA 2020 statement: An updated guideline for reporting systematic reviews. BMJ, 372, n71. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.n71
  34. Pearsall, H., & Eller, J. K. (2020). Locating the green space paradox: A study of gentrification and public green space accessibility in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Landscape and Urban Planning, 195, 103708. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landurbplan.2019.103708
  35. Portner, H. O., Roberts, D. C., Adams, H., Adler, C., Aldunce, P., Ali, E., Begum, R. A., Betts, R., Kerr, R. B., Biesbroek, R., Birkmann, J., Bowen, K., Caretta, M. A., Carnwine, E., Castellanos, E., Cheong, T. S., Chow, W., Cisse, G., Constable, D., … Ibrahim, Z. Z. (2022). Climate change 2022: Impacts, adaptation and vulnerability. Contribution of Working Group II to the Sixth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009325844
  36. Raymond, C. M., Frantzeskaki, N., Kabisch, N., Berry, P., Breil, M., Nita, M. R., Genelletti, D., & Calfapietra, C. (2017). A framework for assessing and implementing the co-benefits of nature-based solutions in urban areas. Environmental Science & Policy, 77, 15–24. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envsci.2017.07.008
  37. Ruangpan, L., Vojinovic, Z., Di Sabatino, S., Leo, L. S., Capobianco, V., Oen, A. M. P., McClain, M. E., & Lopez-Gunn, E. (2020). Nature-based solutions for hydro-meteorological risk reduction: A state-of-the-art review of the research area. Natural Hazards and Earth System Sciences, 20(1), 243–270. https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-20-243-2020
  38. Salmond, J. A., Tadaki, M., Vardoulakis, S., Arbuthnott, K., Coutts, A., Demuzere, M., Dirks, K. N., Heaviside, C., Lim, S., Macintyre, H., McInnes, R. N., & Wheeler, B. W. (2016). Health and climate related ecosystem services provided by street trees in the urban environment. Environmental Health, 15, S95–S108. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12940-016-0103-6
  39. Santamouris, M. (2014). Cooling the cities: A review of reflective and green roof mitigation technologies. Solar Energy, 103, 682–703. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.solener.2012.07.003
  40. Seddon, N., Chausson, A., Berry, P., Girardin, C. A. J., Smith, A., & Turner, B. (2020). Getting the message right on nature-based solutions to climate change. Global Change Biology, 26(5), 2135–2136. https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.15031
  41. Sharma, R., Pradhan, R., & Kumar, P. (2021). Green infrastructure for heat mitigation in Indian cities. Sustainable Cities and Society, 70, 102934. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scs.2021.102934
  42. Sowinska-Swierkosz, B., & Garcia, J. (2022). A new evaluation framework for nature-based solutions (NbS) implementation based on the application of performance questions and indicators approach. Science of the Total Environment, 831, 154959. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.154959
  43. Spalding, M. D., Ruffo, S., Lacambra, C., Meliane, I., Hale, L. Z., Shepard, C. C., & Beck, M. W. (2014). The role of ecosystems in coastal protection: Adapting to climate change and coastal hazards. Ocean & Coastal Management, 90, 50–57. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ocecoaman.2013.09.007
  44. Stewart, I. D., & Oke, T. R. (2012). Local climate zones for urban temperature studies. Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society, 93(12), 1879–1900. https://doi.org/10.1175/BAMS-D-11-00019.1
  45. Tan, P. Y., Zhang, J., Masoudi, M., Alemu, J. B., Edwards, P. J., Gret-Regamey, A., Richards, D. R., Saunders, J., Sun, G. F., Wong, T. W., & Chong, K. Y. (2021). The role of urban green infrastructure in promoting human health and well-being. Urban Forestry & Urban Greening, 60, 127034. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ufug.2021.127034
  46. Temmerman, S., Meire, P., Bouma, T. J., Herman, P. M. J., Ysebaert, T., & De Vriend, H. J. (2013). Ecosystem-based coastal defence for a safer shore. Nature, 504(7478), 79–83. https://doi.org/10.1038/nature12847
  47. United Nations. (2019). World urbanization prospects: The 2018 revision. United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division.
  48. United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction. (2022). Global assessment report on disaster risk reduction 2022: Our world at risk. UNDRR.
  49. Wamsler, C., Niven, L., Bily, M., & Branis, M. (2016). Operationalizing ecosystem-based adaptation: Opportunities and barriers. Sustainability Science, 11(5), 763–778. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11625-016-0369-7
  50. Wolch, J. R., Byrne, J., & Newell, J. P. (2014). Urban green space, public health, and environmental justice: The wolf of green gentrification. Health & Place, 25, 234–244. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.healthplace.2013.12.002
  51. Wolf, T., & McGregor, G. (2013). The development of a heat wave vulnerability index for London, United Kingdom. Weather and Climate Extremes, 1, 59–68. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wace.2013.07.004
  52. Zhou, D., Zhao, S., Liu, S., Zhang, L., & Zhu, C. (2014). Surface urban heat island in China's 32 major cities: Spatial characteristics and corresponding drivers. Remote Sensing of Environment, 152, 51–61. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rse.2014.05.015
  53. Zolch, T., Maderspacher, J., Wamsler, C., & Pauleit, S. (2016). Using green infrastructure for urban climate-proofing: An evaluation of eight heat and drought extreme event scenarios. Urban Ecosystems, 19(3), 1247–1265. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11252-016-0539-4

In urban areas, a range of hazards are being exacerbated by climate change, such as extreme heat, flooding, drought and air pollution. Spatial solutions like NbS (Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems, green spaces, urban forests and wetlands) provide effective solutions to mitigate these risks with multiple functions and low costs. But knowledge of where and when, and who, such interventions work best is still incomplete. This review is a systematic review of the literature that followed the PRISMA 2020 guidelines and included peer-reviewed studies published between January 2010 and December 2024. The systematic search in the Scopus, Web of Science, ScienceDirect, MDPI and Google Scholar databases resulted in a total of 4,827 articles, with 102 articles found to be eligible.

Keywords : Climate Adaptation; Ecosystem-Based Adaptation; Geographic Information Systems; Nature-Based Solutions; Spatial Targeting; Urban Resilience; Vulnerability Mapping.

Paper Submission Last Date
31 - October - 2026

SUBMIT YOUR PAPER CALL FOR PAPERS
Video Explanation for Published paper

Never miss an update from Papermashup

Get notified about the latest tutorials and downloads.

Subscribe by Email

Get alerts directly into your inbox after each post and stay updated.
Subscribe
OR

Subscribe by RSS

Add our RSS to your feedreader to get regular updates from us.
Subscribe