Innovating through Nature-Positive Engineering: How Can We Move Forward?

Abstract

Nature-based solutions - approaches that take advantage of existing aspects of the natural landscape and/or imitate natural processes through engineering and design to produce environmental and societal value - will be key to actively restoring the ocean's ability to sustain human societies. Nature-based solutions upend the dominant paradigm informing engineering decision-making, which is ultimately founded upon the idea that humans can use hard, structural approaches to control nature and that degradation of natural functions can be offset. In the United States, the current legal tools and policy regimes to protect the environment and manage land use decisions were designed for the traditional engineering era. Pointing to the US Clean Water Act as an example, the article draws lessons learned from its successes and limitations, emphasising that future policy frameworks should clearly identify that encompassing nature as a way to enhance functioning and design is a high priority.