What Are Nature-Based Solutions (NbS)?
Nature-Based Solutions (NbS) are innovative, environmentally focused approaches that use natural systems to address pressing societal challenges - including climate change, biodiversity loss, urban heat, and flood risk.
NbS go beyond conservation. They are practical, science-backed solutions being embedded into climate and planning policies across the UK. According to the IUCN, they offer benefits for people and the environment through the protection, sustainable management, and restoration of natural ecosystems.
Examples of NbS in Action
Nature-based approaches are being integrated into both rural and urban landscapes:
- Restoring peatlands to store carbon and reduce flood risk
- Rewilding floodplains to absorb storm surges and improve water quality
- Planting urban trees and green roofs to cool cities and improve air quality
- Seagrass meadow restoration to protect coastlines and marine biodiversity
- Constructed wetlands to naturally filter wastewater
- Living walls and vertical gardens for air purification and thermal insulation
Projects like The Great North Bog and Thames21’s Natural Flood Management work are leading the way in UK-based NbS.
Why Nature-Based Solutions Matter
Nature-based strategies are vital for building resilient communities, supporting net-zero targets, and addressing interlinked environmental and social challenges.
The UK government has embedded NbS into key policies, such as:
- The Environment Act 2021
- The 25 Year Environment Plan
- Local authority Local Nature Recovery Strategies (LNRS)
With climate adaptation now a legal and policy priority, demand is surging for professionals who can design, implement, and manage these solutions.
What Jobs Are Emerging from NbS?
This boom in green interventions is creating a wide range of job roles across the public, private, and non-profit sectors. Key emerging roles include:
1. Ecological Restoration Specialist
- Restoring degraded habitats, planting native species, or managing invasive species
- Often works in nature reserves, rewilding sites, or degraded landscapes
2. Natural Flood Management (NFM) Advisor
- Designs nature-based interventions to manage water flow - like swales, leaky dams, and wetland buffers
- Strong overlap with catchment-based approaches
3. Urban Greening & Green Infrastructure Consultant
- Works on integrating NbS into cities through green roofs, living walls, bioswales, and sustainable drainage (SuDS)
4. Landscape Ecologist or Land Use Planner
- Models and maps large-scale land changes, habitat corridors, and ecosystem services
- Works closely with planning teams, councils, and conservation NGOs
5. Community Engagement & Project Delivery Officer
- Coordinates stakeholders, landowners, volunteers, and contractors
- Essential for the success and longevity of nature-based interventions
Who’s Hiring?
Nature-based work spans across sectors. Key employers and collaborators include:
What Skills Do You Need?
To work in NbS-focused roles, you’ll need a blend of technical knowledge, fieldwork experience, and project skills. Key areas include:
- Habitat creation and ecological restoration techniques
- UK plant ID, soils, and wetland ecology
- Understanding catchment hydrology and natural flood processes
- GIS mapping and spatial planning tools
- Community/stakeholder engagement
- Project design and environmental assessment
Many employers seek qualifications or CPD in:
- Green Infrastructure (CIEEM or CIRIA training)
- River Restoration (via River Restoration Centre)
- Urban Ecology or Landscape Management (via FSC or university MSc programmes
How to Get Started
Want to break into this fast-growing sector? Here’s how:
- Study environmental science, planning, or ecology (or take conversion courses)
- Volunteer with rewilding or local habitat restoration groups (e.g. TCV, Wild Ennerdale)
- Join relevant professional bodies like CIEEM, IEMA, or Landscape Institute
- Attend events on green infrastructure, NbS, and ecological restoration
- Build GIS and mapping skills (e.g. ArcGIS, QGIS)
Final Thoughts: NbS Jobs Are the Future of Ecology in the UK
As climate action ramps up and policy shifts toward nature-led solutions, the ecology sector is expanding in new, interdisciplinary ways.
If you're looking for a career that blends science, sustainability, and social value - Nature-Based Solutions are your gateway. Whether you're working in cities, wetlands, uplands, or coasts, these jobs are creating real impact and long-term change.
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