One Health as a potential platform to rescue the neglected fruit trees in Yucatan, Mexico.

Neglected and underutilized species of plants (NUS) have been identified by the Food and Agriculture Organization as valuable resources for fighting poverty, hunger and malnutrition as they can help make agricultural production systems more sustainable and resilient. Adaptation of NUS to changing environments over several millennia has rendered most of these plants resistant to pests and climate change. In this paper, we explore the potential values of some of the Mayan fruit trees justifying conservation efforts in their native habitats. Our research was primarily based on a scoping review using Google Scholar. We considered articles published in English, Spanish and Portuguese. Our review rendered two sets of articles including those focusing on the nutritional and medicinal properties of NUS and their products, and those focusing on their uses in traditional medicine. Both sets of papers strongly support arguments for conservation of NUS. Additionally, our scoping review expands and includes a case study on the conservation of NUS, highlighting the critical role of civil society on how it can spearhead rescue efforts of botanical resources through the creation of what is possibly the first arboretum of its kind in the Americas. Among the project's key selling points was not only the rescue of an important component of Yucatan's cultural heritage but its nutritional value as well as its potential medicinal properties. Our paper is not prescriptive on how to preserve or even commercially exploit NUS. It is intended as a thought-provoking piece on the potential of a One Health approach as a multisectoral platform to support conservation efforts, while stimulating greater interest in the subject and encouraging more action from the academic and pharmaceutical sectors as well as civil society.

Natural Environments in University Campuses and Students' Well-Being.

Most recent university campuses follow the North American model, built on city limits or countryside, with large separate buildings in open green spaces. Studies suggest that the prevalence and severity of mental health issues among university students has been increasing over the past decade in most countries. University services were created to face this growing problem, however individual-based interventions have limited effects on mental health and well-being of a large population. Our aim was to verify if and how the natural environment in campuses is focused on programs to cope with the issue of mental health and well-being among students. A systematic review of literature was undertaken with search in Scopus and LILACS with the keywords "green areas" AND "well-being" AND "Campus", following PRISMA guidelines. As a result, 32 articles were selected. Research on the topic is recent, mostly in the USA, Bulgaria, and China. Most studies used objective information on campuses' greenness and/or university students' perception. Mental health was usually measured by validated scores. Findings of all the studies indicated positive association between campus greenery and well-being of students. We conclude that there is a large potential for use of university campuses in programs and as sites for students' restoration and stress relief.

Removal of enrofloxacin using Eichhornia crassipes in microcosm wetlands.

The global consumption of antibiotics leads to their possible occurrence in the environment. In this context, nature-based solutions (NBS) can be used to sustainably manage and restore natural and modified ecosystems. In this work, we studied the efficiency of the NBS free-water surface wetlands (FWSWs) using Eichhornia crassipes in microcosm for enrofloxacin removal. We also explored the behavior of enrofloxacin in the system, its accumulation and distribution in plant tissues, the detoxification mechanisms, and the possible effects on plant growth. Enrofloxacin was initially taken up by E. crassipes (first 100 h). Notably, it accumulated in the sediment at the end of the experimental time. Removal rates above 94% were obtained in systems with sediment and sediment + E. crassipes. In addition, enrofloxacin was found in leaves, petioles, and roots (8.8-23.6 µg, 11-78.3 µg, and 10.2-70.7 µg, respectively). Furthermore, enrofloxacin, the main degradation product (ciprofloxacin), and other degradation products were quantified in the tissues and chlorosis was observed on days 5 and 9. Finally, the degradation products of enrofloxacin were analyzed, and four possible metabolic pathways of enrofloxacin in E. crassipes were described.

Nature-based solutions are critical for putting Brazil on track towards net-zero emissions by 2050.

Most of the world's nations (around 130) have committed to reaching net-zero carbon dioxide or greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2050, yet robust policies rarely underpin these ambitions. To investigate whether existing and expected national policies will allow Brazil to meet its net-zero GHG emissions pledge by 2050, we applied a detailed regional integrated assessment modelling approach. This included quantifying the role of nature-based solutions, such as the protection and restoration of ecosystems, and engineered solutions, such as bioenergy with carbon capture and storage. Our results highlight ecosystem protection as the most critical cost-effective climate mitigation measure for Brazil, whereas relying heavily on costly and not-mature-yet engineered solutions will jeopardise Brazil's chances of achieving its net-zero pledge by mid-century. We show that the full implementation of Brazil's Forest Code (FC), a key policy for emission reduction in Brazil, would be enough for the country to achieve its short-term climate targets up to 2030. However, it would reduce the gap to net-zero GHG emissions by 38% by 2050. The FC, combined with zero legal deforestation and additional large-scale ecosystem restoration, would reduce this gap by 62% by mid-century, keeping Brazil on a clear path towards net-zero GHG emissions by around 2040. While some level of deployment of negative emissions technologies will be needed for Brazil to achieve and sustain its net-zero pledge, we show that the more mitigation measures from the land-use sector, the less costly engineered solutions from the energy sector will be required. Our analysis underlines the urgent need for Brazil to go beyond existing policies to help fight climate emergency, to align its short- and long-term climate targets, and to build climate resilience while curbing biodiversity loss.

Water Sowing and harvesting application for water management on the slopes of a volcano.

The present study aims to elaborate a hydrogeological characterisation in the Water Sowing and Harvesting context. The study is focused on rural parishes in the Ecuadorian Andes that, despite their proximity to snow sources (Chimborazo glaciers), need more supply of this resource, to satisfy the demand of a population of 70,466 inhabitants. The study is based on hydrology and geomorphological analysis, a geophysical exploration, and a definition of water management strategies. The application of non-destructive geophysical methods and Geographic Information Systems support the hydrogeological study and the proposal of strategies for sustainable water management on the slopes of the Chimborazo volcano. An aquifer potential was identified (sand, gravel and fractured porphyritic andesites) with resistivity values between 51.3 and 157 Ω m at an approximate depth of 30 m from the geophysical characterisation addressed. This potential saturated zone is on the southern slope of the Chimborazo volcano within the hydrographic watershed, with favourable drainage networks for water accumulation. The aquifer shows a high-water saturation level but uncontrolled losses. As a consequence of these characteristics, alternatives for managing water resources are proposed, such as wells construction, using Water Sowing and Harvesting system methods ("camellones") based on Nature-Based Solutions, dam construction and environmental education. The different proposals are associated with the four sustainability axes of Brundtland (economic, social, environmental and cultural axis) and contribute to the sixth objective of the Sustainable Development Goal 2030 Agenda.

The role of Nature-based Solutions in disaster resilience in coastal Jamaica: current and potential applications for 'building back better'.

Jamaica, like most Small Island Developing States around the world, is at high risk of coastal hazards due to its exposure to tropical storms, high levels of coastal development, vulnerable coastal communities, and the predicted impacts of climate change. Environmental degradation has been linked to increased vulnerability to disasters. Nature-based Solutions, although not formally present in the literature, are being implemented at various scales in Jamaica. This paper presents an overview of three marine and coastal Nature-based Solutions being utilised in the country: protected area management (Special Fishery Conservation Areas); mangrove restoration; and coral restoration. The paper briefly reviews their current application in Jamaica before arguing that these conservation projects that traditionally focused on biodiversity have co-benefits as Nature-based Solutions for disaster resilience. The paper closes by outlining several research objectives that should be explored in the future to further the implementation of Nature-based Solutions for disaster resilience in Jamaica.

Multi-objective forest restoration planning in Costa Rica: Balancing landscape connectivity and ecosystem service provisioning with sustainable development.

Degradation, fragmentation, and loss of tropical forests has exponentially increased in the last decades leading to unprecedented rates of species extinctions and loss of ecosystems functions and services. Forest restoration is key to recover ecosystems health and achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals. However, restoring forests at the landscape scale presents many challenges, since it requires balancing conservation goals and economic development. In this study, we used a spatial planning tool (Marxan) to identify priority areas for restoration satisfying multiple objectives across a biological corridor in Costa Rica. Biological corridors are critical conservation instruments promoting forest connectivity while acknowledging human presence. Increasing forest connectivity requires restoration initiatives that will likely conflict with other land uses, some of them of high national economic importance. Our restoration plan sought to maximize the provision of forest-related services (i.e., seed dispersal, tourism and carbon storage) while minimizing the impact on current land uses and thus avoiding potential conflicts. We quantified seed dispersal and tourism services (birdwatching potential) using species distribution models. We used the carbon sequestration model of InVEST to quantify carbon storage potential. We tested different restoration scenarios that differed in whether land opportunity costs of current uses were considered or not when identifying potential restoration areas, or how these costs were estimated. We showed how a landscape-scale forest restoration plan accounting for only forest connectivity and ecosystem service provision capacity can greatly differ from a plan that considers the potential impacts on local livelihoods. Spatial planning tools can assist at designing cost-effective landscape-scale forest restoration plans, identifying priority areas where forest restoration can maximize ecosystem provision and increase forest connectivity. Special care must be paid to the use of adequate estimates of opportunity cost, to avoid potential conflicts between restoration goals and other legitimate land uses.

Nature-based solutions for improving navigation reliability on the Madeira River, Brazil.

The Madeira River Navigation and Improvement Project provides a unique opportunity to incorporate nature-based solutions (NbS) into the built environment to promote sustainable communities and water resources infrastructure. The Madeira River has no major physical interventions (river training structures, navigation locks and dams, etc.) to improve navigation, and so is one of the world's last remaining undeveloped megarivers that exhibits natural morphological processes. The objective of this study is to create a safe, reliable, and sustainable navigation channel in the Madeira River. This is being accomplished by designing navigation improvement measures that leverage natural geomorphic processes of the river while minimizing conventional engineering practices that alter the river's morphology. To meet this objective, fluvial geomorphology analysis and hydrodynamic modeling studies have been performed to improve understanding of the morphological behavior of the system. Measures that incorporate beneficial reuse of dredged sediment within the system are being prioritized and incorporated into the study's design. Natural processes are being leveraged through the implementation of an adaptive management process to shape the navigation channel by incorporating the use of dynamic structures using natural local materials (e.g., large woody debris already in the system), a direct application of NbS in practice. This process includes extensive stakeholder collaboration and utilizing nature's energy to balance navigation, ecological, and social benefits along the Madeira River. This project demonstrates that nature-based approaches not only provide navigation benefits but can also provide ecological and social benefits in ways that are sustainable in the long term, consistent with United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the International Union for the Conservation of Nature's global standard for NbS. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2022;18:115-122. © 2021 SETAC. This article has been contributed to by US Government employees and their work is in the public domain in the USA.

Hydromorphological and socio-cultural assessment of urban rivers to promote nature-based solutions in Jarabacoa, Dominican Republic.

In Latin America and the Caribbean, river restoration projects are increasing, but many lack strategic planning and monitoring. We tested the applicability of a rapid visual social-ecological stream assessment method for restoration planning, complemented by a citizen survey on perceptions and uses of blue and green infrastructure. We applied the method at three urban streams in Jarabacoa (Dominican Republic) to identify and prioritize preferred areas for nature-based solutions. The method provides spatially explicit information for strategic river restoration planning, and its efficiency makes it suitable for use in data-poor contexts. It identifies well-preserved, moderately altered, and critically impaired areas regarding their hydromorphological and socio-cultural conditions, as well as demands on green and blue infrastructure. The transferability of the method can be improved by defining reference states for assessing the hydromorphology of tropical rivers, refining socio-cultural parameters to better address river services and widespread urban challenges, and balancing trade-offs between ecological and social restoration goals.

Co-design of experimental nature-based solutions for decentralized dry-weather runoff treatment retrofitted in a densely urbanized area in Central America.

The quality of water in many urban rivers in Latin America is increasingly degrading due to wastewater and runoff discharges from urban sprawl. Due to deficits in sanitary drainage systems, greywater is discharged to the stormwater drainage network generating a continuous dry-weather runoff that reaches rivers without treatment. One of the main challenges in the region is to achieve sustainable management of urban runoff for the recovery of rivers ecosystem integrity. However, retrofitting conventional centralized wastewater drainage networks into the existing urban grid represents important social, economic and technical challenges. This paper presents an alternative adaptive methodology for the design of Nature-based Solutions for decentralized urban runoff treatment. Through this study, technical solutions commonly used for stormwater management were adapted for dry-weather runoff treatment and co-designed for the particular conditions of a representative study area, considering space availability as the main constraining factor for retrofitting in urban areas. The application of a co-design process in a dense neighbourhood of the Great Metropolitan area of Costa Rica brought to light valuable insights about conditions that could be hindering the implementation of NBS infrastructures in Latin America.

Development and modelling of realistic retrofitted Nature-based Solution scenarios to reduce flood occurrence at the catchment scale.

Decentralized Nature-based Solutions such as Urban Green Infrastructures (UGI) are increasingly promoted to reduce flooding in urban areas. Many studies have shown the effectiveness of flood control of UGI at a plot or neighbourhood level. Modelling approaches that extrapolate their flood reducing impact to larger catchment scales are often based on a simplistic assumption of different percentages of UGI implementation. Additionally, such approaches typically do not consider the suitable space for UGI and potential implementation constraints. This study proposes a scenario development and modelling approach for a more realistic upscaling of UGI based on empirical insights from a representative neighbourhood. The results from this study, conducted in the metropolitan area of Costa Rica, show that upscaling the full potential for UGI could significantly reduce surface runoff, peak flows, and flood volumes. In particular, the permeable pavement has the highest potential for flood reducing in public space while cisterns perform best at the property level. These results can guide the formation of policies that promote UGI.