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Nature-based solutions can play a critical role in mitigating climate change

24 February 2023 | Story André Damons | Photo Supplied

This year has already seen severe natural disasters across the world, including devastating floods and forest fires, which serve as reminders of the planet's fragility and the importance of addressing the impacts of climate change. Nature-based solutions can play a critical role in mitigating climate change and offer a range of benefits to both people and the planet.

Prof Paul Oberholster – Director of the Centre for Environmental Management at the University of the Free State (UFS) – and his team played their part by researching nature-based solutions as an alternative to treating acid mine drainage (AMD) and domestic wastewater. Freshwater algae as a phycoremediation solution approach have the potential to help society and the environment in several ways.

Prof Oberholster, winner of the NSTF-Water Research Commission (WRC) Award for his contribution to water resource management in South Africa in 2021, says nature-based solutions also play a vital role in realising the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF), which was adopted during the United Nations Biodiversity Conference (COP15) on 19 December 2022 in Montreal, Canada. The GBF sets global targets for 2030 that aim to effectively conserve and manage at least 30% of the world's lands, inland waters, coastal areas, and oceans, prioritise ecologically representative and well-connected systems of protected areas, restore at least 30% of degraded ecosystems, reduce the loss of areas of high biodiversity importance, cut global food waste in half, and significantly reduce over-consumption and waste generation.

What are nature-based solutions?

According to Prof Oberholster, nature-based solutions are approaches that utilise natural ecosystem processes, functions, and structures to address a variety of planetary health challenges, including climate change. These solutions involve protecting, restoring, regenerating, and sustainably managing natural ecosystems, such as forests, wetlands, and oceans, to enhance their ability to store carbon, regulate water flow, reinstate ecosystem services, and provide habitat for wildlife.

The significance of nature-based solutions regarding climate change adaptation is multifaceted. Firstly, natural ecosystems are essential for regulating the earth's climate, as they absorb and store carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, which helps to mitigate the effects of greenhouse gas emissions.

Secondly, nature-based solutions can help to reduce the vulnerability of human communities to the impact of climate change, such as flooding, drought, and extreme weather events. Thirdly, nature-based solutions can provide multiple benefits beyond climate change adaptation, such as enhancing biodiversity, supporting sustainable livelihoods, and improving human health and well-being.

Prof Oberholster’s work

Algae-based treatment systems use bio-stimulation applications and natural processes to remove pollutants from water, which can be more cost-effective and produce less waste. Traditional treatment methods for AMD and domestic wastewater often rely on using chemicals or energy-intensive processes, which can be expensive and have negative environmental impacts.

"Algae-based treatment systems can help mitigate the environmental impacts of AMD and domestic wastewater by removing pollutants such as heavy metals and reducing the acidity of the water. This can help restore the ecosystem and protect public health. Similarly, algae-based treatment systems can remove nutrients from domestic wastewater, reducing its environmental impact and preventing eutrophication, which can harm aquatic life," says Prof Oberholster.

Clean water and sanitation, forestry (plant life and agriculture), and climate change are part of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) making Prof Oberholster's research much more important.

Meet a Limnologist, Paul Oberholster (NSTF-South32 Award Winner):

Significance of nature-based solutions

According to him, there are several reasons why we should make more use of nature-based solutions. It can help reduce our carbon footprint and mitigate the impact of climate change. It can help protect the environment and promote biodiversity. By reducing waste and pollution, we can preserve natural resources and ecosystems and ensure they remain healthy and vibrant for future generations.

Dr Yolandi Schoeman , a postdoc student of Prof Oberholster, says the significance of nature-based solutions is multifaceted and includes environmental, social, and economic benefits. Nature-based solutions can play a critical role in mitigating climate change by sequestering carbon, enhancing carbon sinks, and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. By protecting and restoring natural ecosystems, we can enhance their ability to store carbon, which in turn helps to mitigate the effects of climate change.

"These solutions are also important for climate change adaptation. Nature-based solutions can also help to reduce the vulnerability of human communities to the impact of climate change, such as flooding, drought, and extreme weather events. By regenerating natural wetlands and floodplains, for example, we can help to reduce the risk of flooding, while reforestation can help to prevent soil erosion and landslides,'' says Dr Schoeman.

According to her, rewilding is another key reason why nature-based solutions are critical in the process of regenerating natural ecosystems. Through rewilding, habitat can be reinstated for a wide range of plant and animal species, lost species guilds can be restored by giving them space to thrive, population enhancement can be enabled, and key native species can be reintroduced as essential ecosystem builders. By protecting, regenerating, and restoring these ecosystems, we can help conserve biodiversity and prevent species loss, ultimately securing our own survival on earth.

UFS research initiative relating to nature-based solutions

The UFS has a number of ongoing research initiatives and projects focused on nature-based technology solutions, including projects focused on climate adaptation in water resource management, establishing the water-climate-food-rewilding-land nexus as a planetary health ‘stock-take’ of ecosystems, reducing water usage, reinstating connections as coupled human and natural systems, enabling rewilding, and increasing water efficiency.

The UFS is also involved in research that addresses water pollution through developing and implementing nature-based systems such as hybrid constructed wetlands, phytoremediation and phycoremediation, regenerating natural wetland systems and riparian buffer zones, bio-remediation, design of bio-intelligent systems, integrating grey and green infrastructure, and the use of big data and analytics in the design and management of nature-based solutions for water, according to Dr Schoeman.

Ecological Engineering Institute of Africa

Prof Oberholster is leading a globally significant initiative that has recently been established at the UFS – the Ecological Engineering Institute of Africa (EEIA). The EEIA's managing members include scientists and engineers from across the world, including Egypt, Ghana, Greece, and the United States of America (USA).

Prof William Mitsch, an original co-founder of the EEIA, is also a managing member. Prof Mitsch, regarded as the best wetland scientist in the world, is also known for his positions as director of the Everglades Wetland Research Park, United States National Ramsar committee chair (to name but a few), and is an ecological engineer who was the co-laureate of the 2004 Stockholm Water Prize.

The EEIA intends to promote interdisciplinary collaboration in advancing the field of ecological engineering in Africa and globally, and to encourage research in this innovative field. The EEIA's goal is also to establish a fully functional research and training facility, to develop various undergraduate and postgraduate curricula, and to provide international accreditation to ecological engineers.

Evaluating on-site performance of Africa’s first ecologically engineered wetland treating a cocktail of anthropogenically impacted water from the agricultural, mining, and industrial sectors in Emalahleni, South Africa.

Phycoremediation integrated with phytoremediation in an ecologically engineered wetland to treat mine and industrial-impacted water.

Dr Yolandi Schoeman (UFS), together with Mr Pieter Nel from North West Parks Board. Her nexus research project covers an area of more than 20 000 km² in South Africa to develop a water-climate-food-rewilding-land nexus as a novel approach to determining the planetary health status quo and boundaries of ecosystems as coupled human-natural systems.

News Archive

UFS Winter Graduation Ceremony

2012-06-18

UFS awards record number of master’s degrees and doctorates

The University of the Free State (UFS) celebrated an increase in postgraduate successes with a record number of master’s degrees and doctorates that were awarded during the winter graduation ceremony at the Bloemfontein campus on Thursday 14 June 2012.

A total of 481 master’s degrees and 82 doctorates were awarded in two ceremonies in the Callie Human Centre on the Bloemfontein Campus. This is the most postgraduate qualifications to be awarded at a single graduation ceremony.

DiMTEC has reason to celebrate

Dr Andries Jordaan (second from right) with some of the people who received their master's degrees. From the left are Kehinde Balogun, the couple Olive Chisola-Darris en Clement West Darris, and the couple Everson Ndlovu en Patience Sibongile Ndlovu.
Photo: Leatitia Pienaar
18 June 2012

DiMTEC had reason to celebrate at the winter graduation ceremony. The Disaster Management Training and Education Centre for Africa delivered a healthy crop of 32 master’s degrees and one doctorate.

This was the most master’s degrees that the centre has been awarded at one opportunity. The doctorate, however, was not at DiMTEC – Andries Jordaan, the director of the centre, obtained his Ph.D. in Agricultural Economy.

It was also the first time that two couples received their master’s degrees at the centre at the same time.

Speaking at the event, Dr Jordaan said former students of the centre were using their expertise worldwide. Some of them are in senior positions at the United Nations, in African countries, Afghanistan, and elsewhere. DiMTEC’s students hail from 17 African countries, including French-speaking countries.

“I am proud that we have a footprint right across Africa,” he said.

Three travel all the way from Europe for their MBAs

Smiles on an important day. From the left are: Kasina Baker, Friederike Hackelberg, and Johanna Kössler and her parents and sister.
Photo: Stephen Collett
18 June 2012

No distance, time or money could prevent three MBA graduates from Europe from attending the winter graduation ceremony in Bloemfontein. Two of them were exchange students who were so captivated by the university and the country that they undertook their MBA studies at the Business School.

Friederike Hackelberg of Bremen, Germany, was an exchange student in 2008 and extended her stay to do an MBA. Johanna Kössler of Bolzano, Italy, was also an exchange student who succumbed to the charms of the UFS and South Africa. She brought her parents, George and Nannie, and her sister, Magdalena, with her to attend the graduation ceremony.

Kasina Baker of Warsaw, Poland, began her studies while her husband was working in Kenya. She wanted to study at a quality institution and thus chose the UFS's Business School.

Jessica gets three prestigious medals

Jessica Potgieter (right) was the first student in almost three decades to receive three prestigious medals at the Winter Graduation Ceremony. She received the Dean's medal as best Master's student in the Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, the Senate Medal as best Master's student at the university and the Award for Scientific Achievement by the South African Association for the Advancement of Science. She is seen here with her mother, Mrs Ilse van Rhyn, and Dr Khotso Mokhele, Chancellor.
Photo: Johan Roux
18 June 2012

Three daughters, three degrees for proud Kovsie mom

Liezel Alsemgeest and Adri Kotzé.
Photo: Leonie Bolleurs
18 June 2012

Adri Kotzé, Faculty Manager in the Faculty of Law, is a very proud parent. In the course of one year, all three her daughters will receive degrees from the University of the Free State (UFS). First in line is the eldest, who received her Ph.D. in Business Management at the Winter Graduation Ceremony.

Liezel is a lecturer in the Department of Business Management at the UFS, where she lectures, publishes and hopes to further her research in finance. “I enjoy working at the university because you have the freedom to do your own thing and focus on whatever you like,” she says.

The title of Liezel’s thesis is Customers’ perception of business units within an agricultural business in South Africa. Her focus is on the subjects of customer satisfaction and financial management, with a specific focus on the management of agricultural businesses.

Middle sister Corné will be graduating with a master’s degree in Occupational Therapy in December, while the youngest, Adéle, will receive her B.A. in Media Studies and Journalism at the Autumn Graduation Ceremony in 2013.

“I am very proud of all three my daughters,” says Adri.

Sasolburg minister receives Dean's Medal for best master's degree in Theology

Rev. Frans Redelinghuys.
18 June 2012

Rev. Frans Redelinghuys of the Reformed Church in Sasolburg received his master’s degree in Theology at the University of the Free State’s Winter Graduation Ceremony. Rev. Redelinghuys was also awarded the Dean’s Medal as the best master’s degree student in the Faculty of Theology.

The focus of his dissertation is Spirituality. “My lecturers are all people who practice what they preach and they have shared their knowledge with me.,” he says.

“My studies also contributed to my personal development,” says Rev. Redelinghuys.

Student from the Netherlands receives degree at UFS Winter Graduation Ceremony

Deborah Van den Bosch-Heij.
Photo: Leonie Bolleurs
18 June 2012

Deborah Van den Bosch-Heij from the Netherlands was awarded a Ph.D. at the Winter Graduation Ceremony by the Faculty of Theology of the University of the Free State (UFS). Her thesis, Spirit and healing in Africa: A reformed pneumatological perspective, is an interdisciplinary investigation of the relationship between the Holy Spirit and healing in Southern Africa. The research addresses the need for a reviewed and contextually reformed approached to healing.

Deborah started her career as a minister at the Valkenburg Congregation of the Protestant Church in the Netherlands in 2001. She was appointed by the missionary department of her church to lecture at the Justo Mwale Theological University College in Lusaka, Zambia in 2005. It was here that she decided on the topic of her thesis. Prof. Rian Venter from the Department of Systematic Theology at the UFS, who is also involved at the Justo Mwale College, is Deborah’s promoter and assisted her in her studies whilst she was in the Netherlands. It was also Prof. Venter who made Deborah aware of the importance of interdisciplinary research.

Well-known judge's granddaughter receives degree

Judge Joos Hefer and Annelie de Man.
Photo: Leonie Bolleurs

Annelie de Man, a law researcher at the Supreme Court of Appeal in Bloemfontein received her master’s degree at the Winter Graduation Ceremony of the University of the Free State (UFS). She is Judge Joos Hefer’s granddaughter. Annelie was also awarded the Dean’s Medal as the best master’s degree student in the Faculty of Law.

“Today is one of the biggest highlights in my career,” says Annelie, who received exposure to the field of law from a young age.

In September, she will be leaving for Italy to study for a master’s degree in European Human Rights at the European Inter University.

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