How Do We Build With Nature – Not Against It?
Here you’ll find highlights and a video recording from the I Hardt Vær breakfast seminar “Practical Implementation of Nature-Based Solutions for Climate Adaptation”, held on 22 May 2025.
Panel discussion with Amy Oen, Leonard Sandin, Andreas Harstad, and Erlend Moster Knudsen. ( NGI)
Together with Skanska, the Norwegian Geotechnical Institute (NGI) invited some of Norway’s leading experts to share insights and experiences on how nature can be an active part of the solution – not just something to protect.
Nature-based solutions (NbS) are measures that use nature’s own processes and ecosystems to address societal challenges such as climate change, flooding, biodiversity loss, and pollution. They combine sustainable land use with ecological principles to create environmental, social, and economic benefits.
The next I Hardt Vær breakfast seminar will take place on Tuesday, 14 October 2025, hosted by Oslo Municipality, the Norwegian Meteorological Institute, and SINTEF. The theme is urban flooding – how we can prevent, plan for, and manage heavy rainfall in cities, and what both authorities and citizens can do to reduce damage.
Highlights:
Amy Oen, technical expert at NGI, presented a new handbook for nature-based solutions. The handbook is structured around six ecosystems within a watershed. For each ecosystem, it provides examples of natural hazards, relevant solutions, and the benefits these bring – both for nature and society. It offers a practical framework for applying NbS in climate adaptation.
Leonard Sandin, Research Director at NINA, showed how global challenges are also highly relevant in the Nordic region. He addressed three key questions: How do we slow down climate change? How do we protect biodiversity? And how do we improve human health and well-being? Using Nordic examples, he demonstrated how NbS can contribute to all of these areas.
Andreas Harstad, Senior Advisor for Sustainability and Environment at Skanska, shared practical advice for successfully implementing NbS. He emphasized the importance of understanding both the project’s impact and the role of nature in the area. We must map what we can’t control, use local and forward-looking data, and find good compromises where there are conflicting goals. Most importantly: we must create engagement and work with – not against – nature.
I Hardt Vær Frokostmøte - Praktisk gjennomføring av naturbaserte løsninger for klimatilpasning
