WHEN people mention the phrase “nature-based solutions,” usually, they are talking about fighting/mitigating climate change, reducing flood risk, improving water quality, and/or protecting coastal property.
Similarly, they could be discussing how to restore and protect wetlands, how to stabilize shorelines, reduce urban heat, or how to add a recreational space that will not destroy the immediate environs.
It basically talks about sustainable planning, design, environmental management, and engineering practices that weave natural features or processes into the built environment to promote adaptation and resilience.
But what about us? Those of us who are not engineers or scientists, can’t we provide solutions? While we may not have so much knowledge about nature-based answers, however, as ordinary citizens, I think we are capable of handing out solutions to everyday problems that aren’t complicated, simple solutions and solutions that don’t need expensive machinery or expertise.
It means we don’t need to have a Ph.D. to be able to solve a certain problem. All we need is a little common sense, some effort, and adequate commitment to be able to see our solutions through.
For instance, the problem of garbage and proper waste disposal. If only we, the residents of this city, can take the time to make our own compost pit then we wouldn’t have tons and tons of garbage every day. In making a compost pit, we don’t even need a college degree or sufficient knowledge of science. All we need is our set of arms/hands and a shovel. If we have this compost pit, we are assured that our wastes are appropriately disposed and what’s more, we have enriched the soil in our backyards because the waste buried in there will become a natural fertilizer for the plants in the vicinity.
The problem of traffic. If only the Sidewalk Ordinance is implemented properly that would help a lot. As citizens, we can help ease traffic by not parking our cars wherever we want to. By doing this, we can decongest the streets. If we own two or three vehicles, we shouldn’t use all of them, that way, we can help reduce pollution.
The issue of food shortage. We all know that even onions are very expensive, so how much more the basic staple? So, why don’t we grow our own food? If we have vegetables and spices in our backyard, we won’t have to worry about buying these since we have them right on our doorstep.
What about health problems? Well, we wouldn’t have high blood pressure and cardiac issues if we had been prudent in our lifestyles before when we were still younger. If we had daily exercise before, then we wouldn’t have all these ailments that we have now.
What about losing our forests? If I’m not mistaken, in Thailand and Vietnam, they have this campaign wherein people are told that after they have eaten fruit, they shouldn’t throw the seeds or whatever is left of the fruit in the trash can. They are told to find idle lots or land spaces and throw their seeds or the leftover fruit because with the passage of time, whatever was thrown will become a tree. So, it’s like making a new forest without any effort.
As to old age, that is not a problem, so I won’t talk about that. That is a natural process in life that we all need to accept.
My point in saying all these things is that the most “complicated” problems in the world actually have simple solutions. The problem is, we don’t want those solutions. We always want the ones that call for machines, for higher learning, or people with expertise.
Perhaps, we should go back to being simple. Let us not complicate life too much.
