COLLABORATIVE LIVING LABORATORIES TO INFORM CANADIAN DESIGN GUIDANCE FOR COASTAL NATURE-BASED SOLUTIONS

Abstract

Nature-based solutions (NbS) have been widely applied for managing coastal flood and erosion risk (Bridges et al. 2021). However, they are underutilized in Canada, owing to a variety of factors including, e.g.: (i) uncertainty surrounding the performance of different nature-based solutions across Canada’s diverse coastal climates, geographies, and land uses; and (ii) the lack of authoritative, regionally appropriate design guidance (Vouk et al. 2021). The Nature-based Infrastructure for Coastal Resilience and Risk Reduction project is bringing together a multi-disciplinary team of Canadian researchers, practitioners, and community leaders to develop an improved understanding of the performance of nature-based shore protection systems in diverse Canadian coastal environments. The project involves conducting synchronized and coordinated parallel research activities – laboratory experiments, field monitoring, and numerical modelling – centered on multiple pilot sites along Canada’s Pacific and Atlantic coasts.