Nature Based Solutions for Puerto Rico

A symposium hosted by USACE Engineering With Nature_® and FEMA Community Planning & Capacity Building

Objective: Develop a path forward for implementation of Natural and Nature-Based Features (NNBF) for flood risk reduction and other infrastructure projects in Puerto Rico (PR). In the midst of hurricane recovery, the island is exploring natural infrastructure options to support sustainable, resilient communities.

The USACE Engineering With Nature program and global partners, who collectively authored the International Guidelines on Natural and Nature-Base Features for Flood Risk Management, are committed to sharing the collective best practice for utilizing NNBF. These features exemplify the EWN aim of aligning human purposes and natural processes for greater benefit.

What are NNBF? Natural and Nature-Based Features (NNBF) refer to the use of landscape features to produce Flood Risk Management benefits. Projects incorporating NNBF may also produce other economic, environmental, and social benefits known as co‑benefits. These landscape features may be natural (produced purely by natural processes) or nature based (produced by a combination of natural processes and human engineering). Landscape features can be used alone, in combination with each other, and in combination with conventional engineering measures such as levees, floodwalls, retention ponds, and other structures. Projects incorporating NNBF are often called nature-based solutions (NBS).