Frontiers in planning and implementing NBS in river landscapes

Abstract

Many river landscapes around the world have been substantially transformed to enhance navigation, to produce energy and to enable agricultural production and settlement in former floodplain areas. While these changes have led to generally more uniform flow conditions, constant water tables and sharply defined embankments, they have given rise to several unintended challenges for society, for instance exacerbating floods, diminishing water quality and biodiversity loss. Rediscovery and reinventing nature-based solutions (NBS), i.e. activities inspired and supported by ecosystem processes to fulfill human and societal needs, are rapidly gaining popularity in science and policy. NBS promise to address challenges effectively and adaptively, simultaneously providing co-benefits for people and nature. However, substantial knowledge gaps still exist, particularly on planning and implementation practices, effectiveness and monitoring. Good practice examples are needed that showcase under which conditions NBS contribute to overcoming environmental, social and economic challenges and how such solutions can be successfully planned and realized in different contexts. Also, more research and practical experimentation is needed on how to integrate different disciplines and collaborate with various stakeholders and decision-makers. The aim of this session is to explore current frontiers of planning and implementing NBS in river landscapes. More specifically, we are interested in sharing insights and innovations regarding principles, barriers, and strategies for making NBS work in practice. More specifically, the session will feature contributions around three themes: i. Studies investigating the effectiveness of NBS towards ecological, social and economic outcomes. We will see contributions on ex-ante and ex-post evaluations of impacts of NBS, case studies and reviews of NBS benefits and costs, and comparisons between NBS and technical alternatives. Perspectives on distributional effects of NBS benefits across different actor groups will be addressed as well. ii. Studies exploring opportunities for successful planning and designing NBS. Which approaches have been used in inter- and transdisciplinary efforts to identify and spatially design NBS at local and regional scales? How can different knowledge systems be integrated in NBS planning processes, and how can results from NBS analyses be communicated and mainstreamed to provide useful knowledge for relevant stakeholders? iii. Studies shedding light on governance and business models for implementing NBS in different governance contexts and actor constellations. For example, how can we ensure adequate financing and funding, how can benefits and costs of NBS be distributed fairly, and how can government, civil society and business actors cooperate for NBS? The symposium is associated with two working groups. First, it relates to TWG 14 - Application of Ecosystem Services in Planning and Management. Second, the symposium will serve as an opportunity to re-launch ESP’s Biome Working Group (BWG) 2b on Rivers and Lakes.