Across the United States, the public and private sectors are increasingly turning to nature-based solutions to protect, sustainably manage or restore natural or modified ecosystems. The Nature Activation Hub, hosted by the Nicholas Institute for Energy, Environment and Sustainability, is working with Duke faculty and external partners to identify ways to scale up nature-inspired ideas. Recent efforts include:
- A collaboration between the Nicholas Institute and the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) to develop a comprehensive online resource to help integrate nature-based solutions into the department’s work and serve as a resource for others aiming to do the same. The DOI Nature-Based Solutions Roadmap includes a searchable database of more than 400 case studies and more than 200 tools and resources to help practitioners implement nature-based solutions.
- The Nature-Based Solutions Financing Working Group, led by the Nicholas Institute. The working provides resources to those interested in scaling up financing for nature-based solutions. The working group is building a library of case studies to show how past or ongoing projects have used a variety of financial mechanisms.
- A November 2024 working paper that explores how Florida, North Carolina and Virginia have attempted to address permitting challenges for one type of nature-based solution: living shorelines.
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Photo of nature-based shoreline. Photo by Jesse Braud/Flickr.