Bridging nature-based solutions, smart technologies, and traditional wisdom for sustainable water management: a multi-decadal evaluation of bamboo-based systems in degraded ravine landscapes

Nature-based Solutions (NbS) are increasingly recognized as sustainable approaches for addressing water insecurity, land degradation, biodiversity loss, and climate resilience. However, robust long-term field evidence quantifying their hydrological and ecological effectiveness remains limited. This study presents a multi-decadal (1985–2025) evidence synthesis evaluating bamboo-based NbS for restoring degraded ravine landscapes in India by integrating long-term field observations, experimental watershed investigations, hydrological monitoring, project datasets, and peer-reviewed literature. Results demonstrate that bamboo functions as living hydrological infrastructure by enhancing rainfall retention, increasing infiltration, reducing runoff and sediment transport, improving soil quality, and accelerating ecological recovery. Bamboo-based interventions reduced runoff by 80–90%, soil loss by 85–95%, and sediment yield by over 90%, while stabilizing gullies within 2–3 years. Infiltration increased substantially (up to ∼140 cm h−1) together with improvements in soil organic carbon and micro-ecological conditions. Economically, bamboo systems generated annual returns of ₹33,500–48,000 ha−1 with internal rates of return of 18–22%. The study proposes an integrated Nature-Based Hydrological Engineering framework, establishing bamboo as a scalable, climate-resilient solution for watershed restoration, erosion control, and sustainable water management in degraded landscapes worldwide.