Nature-Based Solutions

About the course 

Nature-based Solutions (NBS) are defined as “actions to protect, sustainably manage, and restore natural or modified ecosystems, that address societal challenges effectively and adaptively, simultaneously providing human well-being and biodiversity benefits”. NBS are thus pivotal in moving towards a more resilient, fairer, brighter future for all.

The UK Government’s goal for the UK to be net carbon neutral by 2050 and the 25-year environment plan, “A Green Future”, both articulate the need to implement NBS. 

NBS offer a pathway towards resilience for all businesses, from small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to larger corporations as well as public and third sector organisations. Understanding the benefits of NBS to ecosystem services for these businesses is key to increasing their resilience to climate change and associated risks. Through providing enhanced ecosystem services, NBS enable businesses to diversify income streams, not only increasing resilience in nature, but also in future businesses practice.

Our Nature-Based Solutions for Climate Resilience course introduces ecosystem services commonly leveraged in the UK, explores their worth both economically and environmentally and closes with a number of case studies that highlight these new concepts and how they may be applied.  

• an introduction to the concept of nature-based solutions (NBS)
• an overview of the role of NBS in climate change adaptation and resilience
• an overview of ecosystem services and their benefits – including woodland and hedgerows, wetlands and coastal
• application of NBS in an urban context e.g. Sustainable Drainage Solutions (SuDS)
• practical support to understand and identify the specific benefits that NBS can provide for their business

Here's just some of the feedback from previous participants:

"Well presented ... Excellent"

"... exceeded expectations"

"In-depth knowledge, interactive and engaging"

"Great range of lecturers on the course - all enthusiastic and passionate about their presentations. Made easy for discussions in break out sections."

"Excellent. Using most up to date information on subjects. Very thorough, good level of terminology not too wordy or jargon’y."

"Good quality content and range of training material used. Engagement encouraged and good group."

The course will be delivered by leading climate experts from the Energy and Environment Institute at the University of Hull. 

If you'd like to find out more about our Nature Based Solutions for Climate Resilience course, please email sustainable@hull.ac.uk.

You might also be interested in our other Sustainable Skills courses:

Carbon Capture

Climate Change Essentials

Hydrogen

Offshore Wind Energy

Supply Chain Risk and Resilience

What you'll study 

Day One will introduce the course outlining the topics that are going to be covered. Each attendee will have an opportunity to discuss their reason for attending, what they would like to learn and why. Day 1 will focus on developing foundational knowledge surrounding ecosystem services and NBS to better understand what ecosystem services are. Attendees will also explore the idea of ‘worth’ and how this relates to ecosystem services and NBS to identify and interpret their potential value to their business (e.g. economic, aesthetic, biodiversity). The afternoon will be spent exploring ecosystem services in their business/industry to ensure that the course is personable and attendees can relate the following days to areas within their specific business/industry.

Days Two and Three will introduce three case study NBS to leverage university expertise in 1) woodlands and hedgerows, 2) wetlands and 3) estuarine and coastal environments. These topics are explored in more detail below. Each session will follow the same structure, first to introduce the NBS and explore their benefits and provided servies, second, to understand how the management of these features have evolved throughout modern history to restore and provide ecosystem services and finally to understand how they can benefit the atendee’s business/industry.

Day Three will close with a review of the course material and provide attendees with an opportunity to provide feedback and leverage university experience relating to how they might implement NBS in their busniess/industry.

Day One

What are ecosystem services?

• Introduction to course and day
• What are ecosystem services and what are they worth?
• Identify ecosystem services in your business/industry

Day Two

Terrestrial Ecosystems

Ecosystem 1: Woodland and Hedgerow

• What service do they provide?
• How can they benefit your business/industry?

Ecosystem 2: Wetlands

• What service do they provide?
• How can they benefit your business/industry?

Day Three

Coastal and Estuarine Ecosystems

Ecosystem 3: Coastal and Estuarine

• What service do they provide?
• How can they benefit your business/industry?

Review of course

Learnings, evaluation and feedback