Canadian communities and infrastructure are vulnerable to coastal and riverine flood hazards. The risks associated with coastal and river flooding are escalating as a result of development in river floodplains and coastal zones, and the effects of climate change on flood and erosion hazards. There is growing interest in the potential for Nature-based Solutions (NbS) to play a role in managing these risks, owing in part to Canada’s co-leadership of the Nature-based Solutions Action Track of the Global Commission on Adaptation. Despite this increasing interest in NbS for coastal and riverine flood and erosion risk management, they remain relatively underutilized in Canada. Standards and guidelines can contribute to mainstreaming NbS by clarifying the underlying concepts and principles, raising awareness, and educating practitioners, potential project proponents, and the public. This review and synthesis of published literature and interviews with stakeholders and experts was conducted to:
- Assess how NbS can be used to manage flood and erosion risks in coastal and riverine environments in Canada; and
- Determine needs and opportunities for standards to support deployment of NbS to reduce coastal and riverine flooding and erosion risks.