Perceived vs actual benefits of nature-based solutions for climate adaptation in Dessie City, Ethiopia

Nature-based Solutions (NbS) are increasingly advocated as cost-effective and sustainable strategies for boosting urban resilience to climate change. However, there is still limited empirical understanding of how communities in cities vulnerable to climate change and hazards perceive their advantages. This study evaluated the primary types of NbS implemented in Dessie City, Ethiopia, and explored the discrepancies between perceived and actual benefits of NbS across economic, social, health, and ecological dimensions. A sequential mixed methods approach was utilized, combining a household survey of 305 participants, key informant interviews, Focus Group Discussions, and field observations. The findings indicate that a variety of NbS, such as reforestation, hillside stabilization, riverbank protection, terracing, and watershed rehabilitation, are widely implemented, in hazard-prone areas of Dessie city. The actual health (mean > 4.00) and ecological (mean > 4.40) benefits of NbS were highly acknowledged by the local residents. These benefits, as perceived by the community, include improved air quality, decreased noise, increased biodiversity, and significant reductions in landslides, flooding, and soil erosion. However, the actual economic and social benefits of NbS were less aligned with community perceptions than expected. Social and Economic gains from NbS were only partially recognized, with limited impact on household income, local tourism and poverty alleviation among the list of achieved outcomes. Overall, though NbS greatly contributed to the improvement of public health and ecological resilience, the study highlights the need to enhance community engagement by integrating local livelihoods into NbS projects.