Ordinances and regulation are the legal mechanisms of local governments for land use and natural resource management. In many cases, both Nature-Based Solutions (NBS) and Green Infrastructures (GI) can be part of prevention and development instruments. They can preserve natural areas, reduce impervious surface cover and manage climate risks. Ordinances improve the connectivity of NBS and GI, enhance the surface they represent, avoid their deterioration. Local ordinances can protect wetlands, natural spaces, aquifers, among others. Ordinances are not only key elements to design NBS and GI, but also important instruments to maintain them. Besides, local government can map and identify natural resources to protect them under a legal umbrella.
The regulation of NBS and GI provides clusters and controls urban growth preserving natural areas. Thus, some activities can be prohibited in order to correctly maintain those spaces.
Local governments tend to tackle urban challenges building grey infrastructure, however, NBS and GI ordinances and regulations can provide more resilient solutions. Moreover, ordinances can provide new urban development towards areas that will have less impact on natural resources.
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