Natural Asset Management: Advancing Policy Innovation and Municipal Leadership

Many municipalities are turning to nature-based solutions to help address significant challenges of providing services to a growing population, managing aging infrastructure and strained budgets, and protecting communities by mitigating risks associated with climate change.

Natural asset management (NAM) is the practice of identifying, valuing and managing natural assets to provide critical municipal services. Maintaining and enhancing these services makes economic sense as nature-based infrastructure can be significantly cheaper than traditional grey infrastructure and provide the same or enhanced levels of service.

This report was created by the Greenbelt Foundation in collaboration with Asset Management Ontario (AMONTario) as a guide for municipal councillors and senior staff to advance natural asset management within their jurisdictions, no matter their level of experience with NAM.

The report contains 24 actions councillors can take along with rationales for each action and Ontario examples demonstrating where they have been successfully implemented.

Key Actions for Municipal Councils:

During relevant plan presentations, ask staff how natural assets have been considered and incorporated. 
Direct staff to include natural assets in any updates to the corporate Asset Management Policy. 
Request to participate in asset management committees, workshops, and training sessions, including those focused on natural assets. 
Through the budget process, ask staff if they are investing the right amount in the management of natural assets.

Webinar: Advancing Natural Asset Management