Get to know N-EWN
A community of researchers, practitioners, and educators working together to advance the practice of natural infrastructure.
We work across four main branches
In order to help facilitate the widespread adoption of natural infrastructure practices across the United States, we’ve identified four main areas that need additional work:
Developing methods and standards
New tools, techniques and guidance are needed to effectively plan, design, construct and operate natural infrastructure at different scales
Assessing benefits and costs
Natural infrastructure provides communities with a broad array of economic, environmental and social benefits. Improved approaches are needed to evaluate, quantify and forecast these benefits to support planning and decision making
Monitoring performance and outcomes
Technically sound, efficient and applicable methods are needed to track natural infrastructure performance over time, develop the evidence base for future designs, ensure compliance with policy and inform project operations and adaptive management
Integrating people and policy
Providing infrastructure that supports human wellbeing and equitably meets the needs of diverse communities requires integration of human values, attitudes, beliefs, perceptions and policies with modern communication and collaboration practices
Combining a diversity of on-the-ground experience with interdisciplinary teams.
The N-EWN community is made up of over 30 partners from industry, academia and the non-profit sector.
What N-EWN’s been up to:
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An Overview Of Natural Infrastructure – An ASCE Webinar
Nature-based solutions (NbS) hold great promise as techniques for addressing multiple crises related to aging infrastructure, biodiversity decline, and climate adaptation. Generally speaking, these solutions use natural processes to provide infrastructure outcomes while also including environmental and social co-benefits. The Fifth session of the United Nations Environment Assembly of the United Nations Environment Programme adopted…
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EWN Podcast: S6 E2 Nature-Based Coastal Resilience In Urban Settings
The City of Boston is experiencing climate change and taking action to build urban resiliency through their Climate Ready Boston initiative. In Season 6, Episode 2 of the EWN® Podcast, Host Sarah Thorne is joined by Co-host Andrew McQueen, Research Biologist in the Environmental Laboratory of the Engineer Research and Development Center, USACE, and Joe Christo, Managing Director of the…
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A Capstone Report: New Methods to Assess the Full Spectrum of Benefits Associated with Nature-Based Solutions
In collaboration with The Water Institute, we have conducted extensive policy research to evaluate the benefits of Engineering With Nature® (EWN) principles and nature-based solutions for USACE projects. This final report represents a significant milestone in our journey to advance nature-based solutions for navigation, flood risk management, water operations, and ecosystem restoration. Throughout the research…
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