The science, policy and practice of nature-based solutions: An interdisciplinary perspective

Carsten Nesshöver; Timo Assmuth; Katherine N Irvine; Graciela M Rusch; Kerry A Waylen; Ben Delbaere; Dagmar Haase; Lawrence Jones-Walters; Hans Keune; Eszter Kovacs; Kinga Krauze; Mart Külvik; Freddy Rey; Jiska van Dijk; Odd Inge Vistad; Mark E Wilkinson; Heidi Wittmer

doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2016.11.106

The science, policy and practice of nature-based solutions: An interdisciplinary perspective

Sci Total Environ. 2017 Feb 1:579:1215-1227. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2016.11.106. Epub 2016 Dec 2.

Authors

Carsten Nesshöver¹, Timo Assmuth², Katherine N Irvine³, Graciela M Rusch⁴, Kerry A Waylen⁵, Ben Delbaere⁶, Dagmar Haase⁷, Lawrence Jones-Walters⁸, Hans Keune⁹, Eszter Kovacs¹⁰, Kinga Krauze¹¹, Mart Külvik¹², Freddy Rey¹³, Jiska van Dijk¹⁴, Odd Inge Vistad¹⁵, Mark E Wilkinson¹⁶, Heidi Wittmer¹⁷

Affiliations

¹ UFZ-Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, Department of Conservation Biology & UFZ Science-Policy Expert Group, Permoser Str. 15, 04318 Leipzig, Germany; iDiv - German Centre for integrative Biodiversity Research Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Deutscher Platz 5e, 04103 Leipzig, Germany. Electronic address: [email protected].
² Finnish Environment Institute (SYKE) Environmental Policy Centre, PO Box 140, FI-00251 Helsinki, Finland. Electronic address: [email protected].
³ Social, Economic and Geographical Sciences, The James Hutton Institute, Craigiebuckler, Aberdeen AB15 8QH, United Kingdom. Electronic address: [email protected].
⁴ Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, Terrestrial Ecology Department, PO Box 5685, Sluppen, 7485 Trondheim, Norway. Electronic address: [email protected].
⁵ Social, Economic and Geographical Sciences, The James Hutton Institute, Craigiebuckler, Aberdeen AB15 8QH, United Kingdom. Electronic address: [email protected].
⁶ ECNC-European Centre for Nature Conservation, PO Box 90154, 5000 LG Tilburg, The Netherlands. Electronic address: [email protected].
⁷ UFZ-Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, Department of Computational Landscape Ecology, Permoser Str. 15, 04318 Leipzig, Germany; Humboldt Universität zu Berlin, Institute of Geography, Lab for Landscape Ecology, Rudower Chaussee 16, 12489 Berlin, Germany. Electronic address: [email protected].
⁸ Wageningen Environmental Research (Alterra), Wageningen UR, Wageningen Campus, PO Box 47, 6700 Wageningen, The Netherlands. Electronic address: [email protected].
⁹ INBO & Belgian Biodiversity Platform & University of Antwerp, Kliniekstraat 25, 1070 Brussels, Belgium. Electronic address: [email protected].
¹⁰ Szent István University, Institute of Nature Conservation and Landscape Management, Páter K. u. 1., H-2100 Gödöllő, Hungary; Environmental Social Science Research Group (ESSRG), Rómer Flóris u. 38, Budapest H-1024, Hungary. Electronic address: [email protected].
¹¹ European Regional Centre for Ecohydrology of the Polish Academy of Sciences, Tylna 3, 90-364 Lodz, Poland. Electronic address: [email protected].
¹² Estonian University of Life Sciences, Institute of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Kreutzwaldi 1, Tartu 51014, Estonia. Electronic address: [email protected].
¹³ Univ. Grenoble Alpes, Irstea, UR EMGR, 2 rue de la Papeterie, BP 76, 38402 Saint-Martin-d'Hères, France. Electronic address: [email protected].
¹⁴ Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, Terrestrial Ecology Department, PO Box 5685, Sluppen, 7485 Trondheim, Norway. Electronic address: [email protected].
¹⁵ Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, Human Dimension Department, Fakkelgarden, 2624 Lillehammer, Norway. Electronic address: [email protected].
¹⁶ Environmental and Biochemical Sciences, The James Hutton Institute, Craigiebuckler, Aberdeen AB15 8QH, United Kingdom. Electronic address: [email protected].
¹⁷ UFZ-Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, Department of Environmental Politics & UFZ Science-Policy Expert Group, Permoser Str. 15, 04318 Leipzig, Germany. Electronic address: [email protected].

PMID: 27919556
DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2016.11.106

Abstract

In this paper, we reflect on the implications for science, policy and practice of the recently introduced concept of Nature-Based Solutions (NBS), with a focus on the European context. First, we analyse NBS in relation to similar concepts, and reflect on its relationship to sustainability as an overarching framework. From this, we derive a set of questions to be addressed and propose a general framework for how these might be addressed in NBS projects by funders, researchers, policy-makers and practitioners. We conclude that: To realise their full potential, NBS must be developed by including the experience of all relevant stakeholders such that 'solutions' contribute to achieving all dimensions of sustainability. As NBS are developed, we must also moderate the expectations placed on them since the precedent provided by other initiatives whose aim was to manage nature sustainably demonstrates that we should not expect NBS to be cheap and easy, at least not in the short-term.

Keywords: Ecosystem management; Ecosystem services; Environmental governance; Sustainability.

MeSH terms

Conservation of Natural Resources / methods
Ecology*
Ecosystem
Environmental Policy*
Europe