Nature-based Solutions to Adapt to Local Climate Change: Political Strategies in Brazilian Cities

This article analyzes how Nature-based Solutions are integrated into the urban agenda in Brazilian cities. We sought to understand the co-benefits of those strategies, the main facilitators, their potentials and limitations. This article fills in the gaps of the research on Nature-based Solutions through a political science approach, providing more elements to analyze climate governance in the urban context and is based on the experiences in the Brazilian context. We analyzed two cases in depth, namely the cities of Campinas and Santos. We analyzed official government documents and attended events and meetings that took place between local governments and partner institutions. The results showed that Nature-based Solutions are being integrated into urban planning and development through existing sectoral policies and the regulation of specific policies. Specific institutional arrangements directed towards the challenges of environmental change were important facilitators of the strategies in both cities, driven mainly by the participation of local governments in projects led by cooperation networks of municipalities and international cooperation agencies. We verified a potential for social innovation based on the inclusion of gender issues, the involvement of vulnerable social groups in the planning of actions and a greater understanding of ecosystem services and the co-benefits of NbS, mainly by public managers. The strategies have the potential to be replicated, which generates social learning. There are knowledge gaps regarding the co-benefits of the analyzed strategies, as well as the generated impacts.