Culturally Inclusive Nature-Based Solutions: A Bioethical Framework for Climate Resilience in Multicultural Societies

Nature-based solutions (NbS) are increasingly recognised as vital responses to climate change, yet many initiatives fail to consider the cultural and ethical contexts of affected communities. This article examines the intersection of bioethics, multiculturalism, and climate adaptation strategies, building upon Polo’s work (2025), which addressed the reconciliation of divergent cultural values for a shared ecological future. Using a qualitative methodology, the study engages in critical textual analysis of interdisciplinary literature in environmental ethics, indigenous ecological knowledge, and global climate frameworks. Case studies from Sub Saharan Africa and Latin America are also examined to understand how traditional ecological practices contribute to or challenge prevailing NbS models. Findings indicate that although NbS offer ecological benefits, they often lack cultural legitimacy where local values and knowledge systems are overlooked. The study proposes three key bioethical imperatives: cultural respect, participatory inclusion, and ecological justice, as essential to implementing effective and equitable nature-based interventions. A normative framework is presented to guide policymakers and practitioners in designing NbS that are ethically and culturally grounded. The paper concludes that integrating multicultural bioethical perspectives enhances the effectiveness, acceptance, and sustainability of climate interventions. It calls for a shift from top-down technocratic models to participatory approaches that recognise cultural diversity as a strength in the global response to climate change.