Assessing the Economic and Environmental Benefits of Nature-Based Solutions for Sustainable Infrastructure. A Case of Kumasi, Ghana

Abstract

Kumasi, Ghana, and most rapidly developing cities in Sub-Saharan Africa are confronted with increasing environmental and infrastructure concerns as a result of rapid urbanization, inadequate land use planning, and climate change. Traditional grey infrastructure has been inadequate in mitigating these problems. This paper assessed the economic and environmental advantages of Nature-Based Solutions for sustainable infrastructure in Kumasi through a systematic review of peer-reviewed articles, reports, and empirical research published from 2006-2025. The paper consolidates evidence across four environmental and four economic dimensions, namely climate regulation and air quality enhancement, stormwater and flood control, biodiversity and ecosystem restoration, and soil and water quality enhancement, and cost efficiency and life-cycle savings, enhanced property values and tourism appeal, creation of jobs and green economy prospects, and savings on public health expenditure, respectively. The findings indicate that Nature-Based Solutions provide multifunctional, cost-effective, and ecologically sustainable alternatives to conventional infrastructure, with significant benefits in climate regulation, flood control, and biodiversity enhancement. This paper also proposes actionable recommendations for integrating Nature-Based Solutions into urban planning in Kumasi, with implications for other cities in Sub-Saharan Africa. The paper concludes with specific recommendations, including promoting green infrastructure in spatial plans and investing in community-led reforestation projects to enhance urban resilience.