Towards Enhancing Nature‐Based Solutions in Flood Risk Management in Australia: A Review of Their Barriers, Enablers, and Future Perspectives

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🔬研究者:Provides a systematic synthesis of NbS barriers and enablers, offering a conceptual framework for future empirical studies.

🏢実務担当者:Identifies actionable enablers (e.g., policy integration, financing mechanisms) to support NbS implementation in flood-prone regions.

🏛政策担当者:Highlights institutional fragmentation and suggests multi-level coordination to integrate NbS into national adaptation strategies.

ABSTRACT Flooding remains one of the most frequent and destructive natural hazards globally, causing major economic and social losses each year. In response to increasing climate extremes, Nature‐based Solutions (NbS) have emerged as a sustainable and multifunctional approach to flood risk management (FRM), integrating ecological, social, and engineering benefits. While NbS have been widely implemented across the globe, their large‐scale adoption in Australia remains limited. This study therefore aims to identify the underlying barriers constraining NbS uptake and the enabling mechanisms that can support their mainstreaming within Australia's FRM framework. A systematic literature review (SLR) was conducted, revealing six major barrier clusters: (B1) Institutional and Governance Fragmentation, (B2) Financial, Economic, and Market Constraints, (B3) Technical, Knowledge, and Data Limitations, (B4) Socio‐Cultural and Perceptual Barriers, (B5) Physical, Environmental, and Spatial Constraints, and (B6) Conceptual, Methodological, and Epistemic Challenges. Conversely, six enabler clusters were identified: (E1) Policy, Legislation and Institutional Frameworks, (E2) Collaboration, Intermediaries and Multi‐Level Partnerships, (E3) Community Awareness, Social Licence and Co‐Design, (E4) Finance, Incentives and Business Cases, (E5) Evidence, Data, Tools and Decision Frameworks, and (E6) Design Integration, Multifunctionality and Implementation/Pilots. Building on these findings, this study provides a structured synthesis of fragmented Australian NbS literature by integrating governance, financial, technical, socio‐cultural, and environmental dimensions influencing implementation pathways for FRM. The study also proposes a conceptual relationship framework linking the six barrier and enabler clusters, illustrating how enabling mechanisms can systematically address implementation challenges. Rather than advancing a new theoretical model, the framework serves as an integrated and implementation‐oriented synthesis tool to support policymakers, planners, and practitioners in overcoming institutional fragmentation, strengthening coordination, and advancing NbS integration within Australia's future flood adaptation strategies.

• openalex https://doi.org/10.1111/jfr3.70243first seen 2026-07-23 05:21:34