Composite image of Earth and nature elements.

Nature-based climate change solutions, despite their challenges, can offer cost-effective solutions to the effects of climate change. (Composite: Letty Avila; Image source: iStock.)

USC Dornsife Public Exchange and the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) work together to advance use of nature-based solutions to tackle climate change

At USC’s Capital Campus in Washington, D.C., policymakers, researchers and practitioners from across the country explored how nature can be used to address increasingly frequent climate-associated risks, such as floods, heatwaves and fires.

ByUSC Dornsife News Staff August 1, 2024

Los Angeles epitomizes the many climate-driven hazards that confront cities today — wildfires, air pollution, heat waves, coastal erosion, flooding, and drought. As the effects of climate change intensify, cities worldwide are increasingly investing in infrastructure projects to safeguard their communities from escalating risks.

Urban infrastructure projects often rely on engineered designs and components, such as the cement walls lining the L.A. River, to reduce flooding risks. However, a new focus on integrating built and natural infrastructure promises better environmental, social and economic outcomes. In Los Angeles, one example is the USC Public Exchange Urban Trees Initiative, which aims to enhance resilience to rising temperatures by expanding tree coverage, particularly in vulnerable communities.