Coastal management strategies require urgent transformation as traditional hard infrastructure proves ecologically harmful and increasingly inadequate under accelerating climate change. Sandy coastlines are among the world’s most economically valuable and densely populated regions and experience severe degradation due to urbanization, hard structures, and climate-driven pressures, Nature-based Solutions (NbS) offer a promising pathway to climate-resilient, multifunctional coastal landscapes. However, their potential is often undermined by static designs and widespread confusion between true NbS and superficial nature-inclusive design (NID). Current practices frequently treat vegetation as aesthetic rather than as a functional driver of dynamic ecological processes, thereby limiting adaptive capacity and long-term resilience. This policy paper advocates for mainstreaming biodiversity as a core design principle in coastal NbS. Biodiversitydriven dynamics through bio-geomorphological feedbacks and species-specific engineering traits are essential for creating regenerative, self-organizing systems that safeguard coastal communities while enhancing ecosystem integrity. We present evidence that biodiversity underpins dune formation, stability, and resilience, and outline a framework for biodiversity-led design, spatial planning, and governance. These recommendations align with EU policy frameworks, including the Nature Restoration Law, the EU Biodiversity Strategy 2030, and the Floods Directive, and aim to objectives.
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