International Guidelines on Natural and Nature-Based Features for Flood Risk Management - Overview

Jul 19, 2026

Upload by Ivy

This Overview presents selected excerpts and key framing for international guidance on using natural and nature-based features to manage flood risk. It introduces the purpose and value of NNBF for people, planet, and prosperity, highlighting innovation pathways and adaptation needs across diverse national contexts. The document outlines core principles, planning and implementation approaches, systems thinking, performance considerations, benefits and costs, and adaptive management. It also previews applications in coastal and fluvial settings, including beaches, dunes, wetlands, tidal flats, islands, reefs, and plant systems.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages81

Reading Time3 h 24 min

Foreword

Advancing Twenty-First-Century Flood Risk Management

Natural and Nature-Based Features to Deliver Value for People, Planet, and Prosperity

Using Nature’s Techniques to Deliver Adaptation and Resilience for the Future

A Natural Approach to Our Future Infrastructure Needs

Mainstreaming Nature-Based Solutions for Resilient Development

Table of Contents

Introduction to NNBF in Coastal Systems

Introduction to Fluvial Systems: Key Themes, Gaps, and Future Directions

thorized Pub lic Disclosure thr el Disclosure Authorized Pub lic Disclosure Authorized Internationa l Guide lines on Natural an Features ford Nature-Based F lood Risk Management Overview Overview: International Guidelines on Natural and Nature-Based Features for Flood Risk Management Published Sponsoring Agency Publisher DOI Report Number Citation ISBN Cover Photo 2021 Headquarters, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers 441 G Street Northwest Washington, District of Columbia 20314-1000 U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center 3909 Halls Ferry Road Vicksburg, Mississippi 39180-6199 [http://dx.doi.org/10.21079/11681/41945](http://dx.doi.org/10.21079/11681/41945) [ERDR SR-21-5](ERDR SR-21-5) Bridges, T. S., J. K. King, J. D. Simm, M. W. Beck, G. Collins, Q. Lodder, and R. K. Mohan, eds. 2021. Overview: International Guidelines on Natural and Nature-Based Features for Flood Risk Management. Vicksburg, MS: U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center. Hardcover: 978-1-7378868-0-8 Softcover: 978-1-7378868-1-5 Digital: 978-1-7378868-2-2 Georganna Collins Refer to the NNBF Guidelines for a full listing of contributing organizations or agencies. Some materials in this publication are subject to copyright restriction. For permission to reproduce, display, or distribute any part of this publication, please communicate with relevant points of contact, including those listed in the Acknowledgments. OVERVIEW International Guidelines on Natural and Nature‑Based Features for Flood Risk Management NNBF EDITED BY: Todd S. Bridges, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, United States Jeffrey K. King, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, United States Jonathan D. Simm, HR Wallingford, United Kingdom Michael W. Beck, University of California, Santa Cruz, United States Georganna Collins, Aqua Strategies, United States Quirijn Lodder, Rijkswaterstaat, the Netherlands Ram K. Mohan, Anchor QEA and Texas A&M University, United States Final document assembled, technically reviewed, copyedited, and designed by Anchor QEA, LLC, under contract to U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Jonathan Simm of HR Wallingford provided technical and quality reviews of the document, and Georganna Collins of Aqua Strategies provided consulting on graphics and layout, as subcontractors to Anchor QEA. Refer to the Acknowledgments section of this Overview for a full listing ofthe NNBF Guidelines’respective chapter lead authors and co‑authors and collaborating organizations. Foreword The following are select excerpted quotations from the International Guidelines on Natural and Nature‑Based Features for Flood Risk Management. Advancing Twenty‑First‑Century Flood Risk Management “Change takes courage, but as one starts down the path of innovation, what was once novel becomes more familiar, more established. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) is walking this path with our partners through the Engineering With Nature Initiative (EWN), integrating human engineering with natural systems.” LTGScottA. Spellmon 55th Chief of Engineers, Commanding General, USACE (United States) Natural and Nature‑Based Features to Deliver Value for People, Planet, and Prosperity “For the Netherlands, a country of which about 30% is below sea level and about 60% of its surface is flood‑prone,‘Engineering with Nature approaches’have become essential for improving our flood safety inan adaptive manner.” Michèle Blom Director General, Rijkswaterstaat (the Netherlands) Using Nature’s Techniques to Deliver Adaptation and Resilience for the Future “Natural and nature‑based features (NNBF) are increasingly important to the Environment Agency and its partners in enabling flood risk management programs that create better places for people and wildlife.” Caroline Douglas Executive Director, Flood and Coastal Risk Management, Environment Agency (United Kingdom) A Natural Approach to Our Future Infrastructure Needs “National Ocea

FAQs

What is the focus of the International Guidelines on Natural and Nature-Based Features for Flood Risk Management Overview?

It provides an overview and selected excerpts that frame how NNBF can be applied to manage flood risk, including value, implementation approaches, and key performance considerations.

Which topics are covered to support planning and implementation of NNBF?

The Overview highlights principles, frameworks and outcomes, engaging communities and stakeholders, systems-based planning, NNBF performance, and benefits and costs, together with adaptive management guidance.

Which natural system settings are previewed in the Overview?

It previews applications in coastal systems, including beaches and dunes, coastal wetlands and tidal flats, islands, reefs, and plant systems such as submerged aquatic vegetation and kelp, and it also introduces fluvial systems with themes and future directions.

Jul 19, 2026

Upload by Ivy