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DoD Installations Nature-Based Solutions (NBS) Planning Guides

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Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Environment and Energy Resilience

NMFWA/WMI Conference

22 March 2023

UNCLASSIFIED

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Agenda

  1. Climate Resilience and Nature-Based Solutions Overview
  2. Nature-Based Solutions Guides
  3. Project Milestones
  4. Questions

Edwards AFB, California – Xeriscaping utilizing desert shrubs and low-water-use trees to conserve water. (Credit: USAF Rebecca Amber)

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DoD’s Mission for Climate Resilience

DoD Climate Adaptation Plan

Line of Effort No. 3 (Focus Areas and Outcome)

- Section 4. Deploying NBS to Tackle Climate Change and Enhance Resilience.

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Built and Natural Infrastructure Resilience

  • Necessary for successful mission preparedness and readiness
  • Built infrastructure: staging platform for the Department’s national defense and humanitarian missions.
  • Natural infrastructure: supports military combat readiness, providing realistic operational testing and combat environments and conditions. 
  • Related Programs
    • Readiness and Environmental Protection Integration (REPI) Program
    • Sentinel Landscape Program 

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Climate Hazards

Drought

Coastal Flooding

Riverine Flooding

Heat

Energy Demand

Land Degradation

Wildfire

Extreme Weather

U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado, 2012 – Rapidly spreading smoke cloud from wildfire surrounds airfield. (Credit: USAF Mike Kaplan)

Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska, 2019 – Missouri River flooding covers one-third of base. (Credit: USAF TSgt Rachelle Blake)

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NBS Terms and Definitions

  • Natural Features
  • Nature-Based Features
  • Natural Infrastructure
  • Low Impact Development (LID)
  • Green Infrastructure
  • Ecological Engineering

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  • Engineering With Nature (EWN)
  • Working with Nature (WwN)
  • Building with Nature (BwN)
  • Natural Solutions
  • Ecosystem-Based Adaptation
  • Adaptation Services

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Nature-based solutions (NBS) are actions that promote adaptation and resilience by preserving operational capability under changing conditions and enhancing and protecting the natural and man-made systems essential to the Department’s success, while conserving, sustainably managing, or restoring natural and modified ecosystems (DoD 2023).

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RELATED TERMS

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OSD Nature-Based Solutions

Objectives: Promote awareness of NBS strategies; share information and lessons from prior NBS applications; and encourage DoD agencies to adopt NBS practices where appropriate.

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  • OASD(EI&E) is preparing three new guides:
    • Informational Brochure
    • Installation Planners’ Guide (IPG)
      • Commanders’ Resource Guide (CRG)

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MacDill AFB, Florida, 2015 – Oyster reef habitat constructed to help stabilize shoreline. (Credit: USAF SrA Vernon Fowler)

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Project Milestones

Informational Brochure

  • FY23

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Installation Planners Guide

  • Feedback Listening Sessions: FY23
  • Draft Preparation: FY23
  • Final Preparation and Submittal: FY24

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Commanders Resource Guide

  • Partner/Stakeholder Outreach: FY22
  • Draft Preparation: FY 23
  • Final Preparation and Submittal: FY 24

 

Post-Guide Training – FY24 

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Any Questions?

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Ms. Emma Ross

Nature-Based Solutions Lead

Climate Preparedness and Resilience CoP

emma.b.ross@usace.army.mil

805-350-4157