Upscaling Nature-based Solutions for System-Scale Resilience
Todd S. Bridges, PhD
Professor of Practice, Resilient and Sustainable Systems
College of Engineering | University of Georgia
Athens, GA
The combination of landscape transformation, aging infrastructure, natural and human-caused hazards, and climate change presents significant challenges and opportunities for society, institutions, and practitioners across a range of professions. Nature-based Solutions provide a path for integrating and ‘rebalancing’ natural and engineered systems to reduce risks, enhance resilience, and expand the diversity of benefits produced through restoration and engineering. Organizations around the world are using Nature-based Solutions and aligned concepts and approaches to support infrastructure development, flood risk management, drought/water resilience, sustainable agriculture, climate adaption, and other purposes—leveraging the power of nature to solve problems and create sustained value. These efforts highlight the opportunity for upscaling Nature-based Solutions through new policy, public and private sector investment, and innovation in practice.
About Todd Bridges, PhD
Dr. Todd Bridges is a Professor of Practice in resilient and sustainable systems in the College of Engineering at the University of Georgia. Prior to joining UGA in 2023, he served for 17 years as the Senior Research Scientist (ST) for Environmental Science for the U.S. Army and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE). Over his 30-year career with USACE, Bridges led >$250 million in research projects and programs in environmental science and engineering and sustainable infrastructure. He founded the Corps’ Engineering with Nature® program (www.engineeringwithnature.org) in 2010, which includes a broad range of research, field-scale applications, multi-sector collaborations, and communication efforts to advance the delivery of nature-based solutions. Among his 100 publications, Bridges led a 5-year collaboration across the public and private sectors to develop and publish International Guidelines on Natural and Nature-Based Features for Flood Risk Management. Dr. Bridges received a Distinguished Presidential Rank Award from President Biden in 2021 for exceptional leadership, accomplishments, and service.
