Multifunctional Wetlands

This book describes how natural or constructed wetlands can be used to reduce pollution of freshwater and coastal ecosystems, while still preserving their biodiversity and ecological functions. Through a series of case histories described in 10 chapters in the monograph, the readers will gain an understanding of the opportunities, as well as the challenges associated with reducing point and non-point source pollution using natural, restored or constructed wetlands. The target audience will be water practitioners involved in projects utilizing integrated watershed management approaches to pollution abatement, as well as researchers who are designing projects focused on this topic.

Ecosystem services can be broadly defined as the aspects of ecosystems that provide benefits to people. This book provides guidance on the valuation of ecosystem services, using the case of multifunctional wetlands to illustrate and make recommendations regarding the methods and techniques that can be applied to appraise management options. It provides a review of ecosystem service valuation rationale, including its importance from both a policy and project appraisal perspective, and a useful reference when considering policy and appraisal of ecosystem management options. It shows how legal obligations and other high-level management targets should be taken into account in valuation exercises, thus giving important policy context to the management options. The authors set out what they call an Ecosystem Services Approach to the full appraisal of the role of ecosystem services in the economy and society. Although concentrating on wetlands, the approaches suggested provide an assessment framework that can be applied to other types of ecosystem assets.

Available online: https://pub.norden.org/temanord2022-543/ This report represents an awareness of the need to address the interlinkages between the various dimensions of ecosystem restoration. The aim is to contribute towards identifying and presenting relevant multifunctional case stories and their tools, methods, and guidelines. Overall, the projects were successful at implementing synergetic adaptation and increased resilience. Climate mitigation, stakeholder involvement, and socio-economic benefits are represented in the case studies, but compared to biodiversity, they represent areas of improvement. With this catalogue it is our hope that the cases and guidelines may inspire and stimulate practical projects and support policy making towards many new restoration projects in the Nordic region.

Managing Urban Rivers: From Planning to Practice captures the different facets of river management required for integrating rivers within the development landscape of cities in a sustainable manner. Sections cover the entire spectrum of urban river management, from planning to actual on-the-ground implementation, providing a one-stop destination for knowledge on urban river management. Edited by a team of four experts with practical experience in this domain, the different chapters of the book are authored by eminent scholars and practitioners with expertise in specific areas of urban river management. Urban rivers and their management is a hot topic as governments across the world are focusing on this aspect, especially since it has direct implications for SDG target 6.6, which aims to “protect and restore water-related ecosystems, including mountains, forests, wetlands, rivers, aquifers and lakes . Presents practical, global case studies in almost every chapter Provides recommendations for best practices, based on lessons from different successful case studies, as well as the expert insights of the authors Features contributions from global experts for a unique and specialized approach to the topic of urban rivers

Available online: https://pub.norden.org/temanord2024-519/ Nature-based solutions (NBS) are increasingly attracting interest in research and practice due to their potential to address climate change, while at the same time safeguarding biodiversity and improving human well-being. The effective and efficient integration of NBS into Nordic planning and action, however, is still developing. This report, based on the S-UMMATION project, investigates enabling and constraining factors for effective and efficient implementation of NBS through interpretative case study analysis of eight NBS-projects in the Nordics. The report summarises experiences, derives insights and collects lessons-learnt, relevant for the future development of NBS in the Nordics. The S-UMMATION-project was carried out under the Nordic Council of Ministers (NCM) program on Nature-based solutions (NBS).

Publisher description

This book provides in-situ phytoremediation strategies that are particularly well suited for developing nations. Its goal is to promote the use of field-tested phytoremediation methods for removing soil and water pollutants from agricultural, industrial, military, and municipal sources. These strategies include using algae and a variety of aquatic and terrestrial plants. The book subsequently discusses the use of crops and native plants for phytoremediation, and how phytoremediation efforts impact the rhizosphere. After having finished the book, readers will be able to directly adapt the strategies described here for their specific purposes.