{"id":10490,"date":"2026-05-21T05:48:36","date_gmt":"2026-05-21T05:48:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/terrain.org.au\/?p=10490"},"modified":"2026-06-04T06:04:33","modified_gmt":"2026-06-04T06:04:33","slug":"nature-based-solutions-in-action","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/terrain.org.au\/nature-based-solutions-in-action\/","title":{"rendered":"Nature-Based Solutions in Action"},"content":{"rendered":"[mk_page_section bg_image=”https:\/\/terrain.org.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/drfa-pile-fields-web-banner.jpg” bg_position=”center center” bg_repeat=”no-repeat” bg_stretch=”true” enable_3d=”true” min_height=”500″ js_vertical_centered=”true” padding_top=”” padding_bottom=”” section_id=”donate” el_class=”donate-1″ sidebar=”sidebar-1″][vc_column][vc_empty_space height=”70px”][mk_fancy_title font_family=”none” align=”center”]NATURE-BASED SOLUTIONS IN ACTION[\/mk_fancy_title][mk_padding_divider size=”67″][\/vc_column][\/mk_page_section][mk_page_section section_id=”great-1″ sidebar=”sidebar-1″][vc_column width=”1\/2″ css=”.vc_custom_1563789112768{padding-right: 36px !important;padding-left: 0px !important;}” el_class=”great_header_left”][mk_padding_divider size=”100″ visibility=”hidden-nb”][mk_padding_divider size=”15″ visibility=”visible-sm”][mk_padding_divider visibility=”visible-tl”][mk_fancy_title size=”28″ letter_spacing=”4″ margin_bottom=”0″ font_family=”none” el_class=”terrain-title-2″]MOSSMAN STREAMBANK RECOVERY[\/mk_fancy_title][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1779343078102{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”]\n

Nature-based solutions work with natural systems to address environmental challenges.<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n[\/vc_column_text][mk_padding_divider size=”20″ visibility=”visible-nb”][vc_column_text el_class=”sub-head” css=”.vc_custom_1779342642864{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”]28 MAY 2026[\/vc_column_text][mk_padding_divider size=”5″][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1780553069287{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”]After severe flooding in 2019, Terrain NRM restored two erosion hotspots in the Mossman catchment\u2014Bamboo Creek and the Mossman River\u2014using nature-based solutions (NbS).<\/p>\n

Five years on, these sites show how working with natural systems\u2014not against them\u2014can stabilise riverbanks, support vegetation, and improve resilience to future floods.<\/p>\n

The two sites, one at Bamboo Creek (BC-1) and one on the Mossman River (MR-2), were restored using a combination of nature-based engineering techniques and revegetation. Thanks to funding from the Minderoo Foundation, we\u2019ve been able to revisit these sites to see how they fared after major weather events, including during Tropical Cyclone Jasper (2023), and to understand how nature-based solutions perform under real-world conditions in the Wet Tropics.<\/p>\n

Lessons learnt
\n<\/strong>
\n1. Smart design starts with the right location<\/strong>
\nNature-based solutions succeed when they match the natural behaviour of the river. At the Bamboo Creek site, revegetation has thrived because it was placed above the active channel, where it is only occasionally inundated. This reduced exposure to strong flows and erosion, allowing vegetation to establish and strengthen the bank.<\/p>\n

2. Nature-based solutions can significantly reduce erosion<\/strong>
\nAt the Mossman River site, timber pile fields reduced erosive forces dramatically – by up to 75\u201390% in smaller flows and by around 50\u201375% in larger flows. During Tropical Cyclone Jasper, the site experienced far less damage than was expected. Well-designed NbS can therefore meaningfully reduce the physical forces that drive erosion, and can protect both land and infrastructure.<\/p>\n

3. After big change, smaller floods can cause bigger damage<\/strong>
\nOne key finding from the report is that changes in site hydrology require adaptive design. Although the Mossman River site emerged from Tropical Cyclone Jasper with minimal impact, smaller flood events in 2026 caused significantly greater erosion and vegetation loss. The cumulative effects of the cyclone over the following three years fundamentally altered the Mossman River system, creating conditions that the original, site-specific nature-based design was not equipped to withstand.<\/p>\n

4. Rivers change \u2013 designs must adapt too<\/strong>
\nSediment deposited after Tropical Cyclone Jasper raised the riverbed at the Mossman River site by over one metre. This reduced channel capacity and increased flooding risk. This meant smaller floods began behaving more like larger events so NbS require adaptive management, rather than a \u201cset and forget\u201d approach to continue to protect the sites from the impacts of flooding.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”1\/2″ css=”.vc_custom_1563789122720{padding-right: 0px !important;padding-left: 34px !important;}” el_class=”great_header_right”][mk_padding_divider size=”206″ visibility=”hidden-sm”][mk_padding_divider size=”50″ visibility=”hidden-sm”][mk_padding_divider size=”50″ visibility=”hidden-sm”][mk_padding_divider size=”5″][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1779343525721{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”]\"Pile[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1779948834809{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”]5. Maintenance and monitoring are essential<\/strong>
\nLong-term success of NbS depends on ongoing maintenance including weed control, watering and infill planting, so investment is required beyond the initial installation.<\/p>\n

6. Community support makes a difference<\/strong>
\nCommunity attitudes and participation can directly affect the success of NbS. Supportive landholders lead to better outcomes so building trust, sharing evidence, and involving landholders early are essential to increase uptake and success.<\/p>\n

7. Benefits go beyond erosion control
\n<\/strong>These projects delivered multiple outcomes including:
\n\u2022 Reduced loss of productive agricultural land
\n\u2022 Protection for nearby infrastructure
\n\u2022 Jobs for Traditional Owners
\n\u2022 Improved ecosystem condition and vegetation cover<\/p>\n

What this means for future projects
\n<\/strong>
\nNbS work best when they are:<\/p>\n