River-Floodplain Connectivity as a Nature-Based Solution to Provide Multiple Benefits for People and Biodiversity

Floodplains support rich ecosystems and provide critically important benefits to people. Despite their diverse benefits, floodplains rise to the attention of decision makers and the public most frequently during times of disaster, such as large flood events that displace people and cause losses of life and property. Due to levees and water regulation from dams, floodplains are among the most converted and threatened ecosystems on Earth. In this article, we review how maintaining or restoring river-floodplain connectivity can serve as a Nature-based Solution (NbS) to promote the full spectrum of societal benefits from floodplains, including increasing resilience to climate change. Floodplains support the largest freshwater fisheries in the world and provide the primary source of protein to hundreds of millions of people worldwide. Particularly in arid or semi-arid regions, floodplains are important sites for agriculture with crops planted in floodplain soils as floodwaters recede. By storing and conveying floodwaters, floodplains can also reduce flood risk for other areas.