CoAct Database

Building with Nature Asia

The initiative “Building with Nature Indonesia” aims to build stable coastlines with reduced erosion risk through a unique integration of mangrove restoration, small scale hard-engineering and sustainable land use. In doing so we enhance coastal security for 70.000 vulnerable people by avoiding further coastal flooding and erosion in Central Java and provide them with a long term perspective for sustainable economic development.

Building with Nature is a comprehensive engineering approach that seeks to enhance the use of natural ecological processes to achieve efficient and sustainable hydraulic infrastructural designs. It strives for a flexible integration of land in water and water in land using interactions and materials present in nature. EcoShape members, including Wetlands International develop Building with Nature pilots, and share their concepts, knowledge and guidelines widely to stimulate replication and upscaling.

Building with Nature is now being used in the Netherlands on a large scale for managing its extensive coastal and river works. Wetlands International managed the first large-scale international pilot project in Demak in Indonesia.

Activity period	2019–2025
Last CoAct update	n/a
Web URL	https://www.wetlands.org/case-study/building-with-nature-in-asia/
Output effectiveness	0.33
Accountability Index	0.20
Inclusiveness Index	0.50
Num. actors	3
Functions	Knowledge production, Knowledge dissemination, Technical implementation
SDGs
Themes	oceans and coastal zones, water
Policy focus	Mainly adaptation
Sectors	Water supply; sewerage, waste managment and remediation activities
Implementation countries	China, Germany, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Netherlands (Kingdom of the), Philippines (the), Singapore, Thailand, Viet Nam

Target	Target type
Benefiting 30 million vulnerable people in Asia through the ’Building with Nature’ approach by 2030	People/countries affected target