Establish a common NBS resource platform
Gathering knowledge and inspiration can be time-consuming. A common online NBS resource platform can support civil servants, planners and decision-makers when scoping, planning, and implementing NBS.
Specific Advice
Collecting and disseminating all relevant NBS resources in one place can be an effective way of enabling upscaling and mainstreaming of NBS. A national website can be established to share knowledge about NBS, its effectiveness, relevant policies, examples and other resources. The website can function as inspiration for civil servants, planners, and decision-makers when searching for advice on how to implement NBS.
Such a platform can provide guidance on overall NBS principles and guidelines, specific tips to planning, implementation, and operation, as well as case studies and concrete examples. It can be beneficial to gather many resources in one place, making it easy to access for relevant personnel.
Good to Know
There needs to be clear division of responsibility for creating, maintaining, and updating a resource platform. Additionally, there should be a procedure for quality assurance of content.
Consider on what scale the knowledge would have most leverage. Are most projects successfully implemented on local or regional scale?
Establish the knowledge resource platform in connection to information sources that are already commonly used among decision makers and public personnel. Providing quality assured and updated information on a national or regional level can reduce some of the uncertainty and perceived lack of knowledge that hinders implementation of nature-based solutions locally.
Creating robust platforms for collaboration allows stakeholders (practitioners, policymakers, researchers, and communities) to exchange best practices, lessons, and innovations, which strengthens NBS implementation.
Context
There is a lot of knowledge how to support and implement NBS, however the knowledge is often not easily accessible for decision-makers and planners when needed. Information is available at many different sources, making it a tedious job to gather and compare best practices. Another challenge is that available information tends to become outdated.
Accessible and comprehensive knowledge platforms has been requested by several interviewees in the A-DVICE project, along with a wish for a collection of best practice examples. It is identified as a barrier to uptake of NBS that relevant information is spread across many different places, and it can be challenge to navigate and find the most updated knowledge. Moreover, it is a finding from several cross-Nordic projects, that there is a need for support arenas for exchanging knowledge and experiences about NBS, especially across country borders. A common knowledge platform could also be established on regional scale.
Robust knowledge-sharing platforms and collaborative networks can facilitate the exchange of best practices, ideas, and lessons learned among key stakeholders, including practitioners, policymakers, researchers, and community leaders. By fostering communication and collaboration across these groups, the implementation of NBS can be strengthened and optimized. These networks also provide a space to address challenges, share innovative approaches, and spread successful models that can be replicated or adapted to different contexts.
Accessible and comprehensive knowledge platforms has been requested by several interviewees in the A-DVICE project, along with a wish for a collection of best practice examples. It is identified as a barrier to uptake of NBS that relevant information is spread across many different places, and it can be challenge to navigate and find the most updated knowledge. Moreover, it is a finding from several cross-Nordic projects, that there is a need for support arenas for exchanging knowledge and experiences about NBS, especially across country borders. A common knowledge platform could also be established on regional scale.
Robust knowledge-sharing platforms and collaborative networks can facilitate the exchange of best practices, ideas, and lessons learned among key stakeholders, including practitioners, policymakers, researchers, and community leaders. By fostering communication and collaboration across these groups, the implementation of NBS can be strengthened and optimized. These networks also provide a space to address challenges, share innovative approaches, and spread successful models that can be replicated or adapted to different contexts.
Examples and Cases
#DENMARK– A common, public portal on climate adaptation
Klimatilpasning.dk is a commonly used website for local authorities in Denmark, issued by the Danish Environmental Agency in collaboration with a range of ministries, agencies and organisations, including the association of Danish municipalities (Kommunenes Landsforening) and the regional authorities (Danske Regioner). The portal has gotten a new, user-based layout in the fall of 2024. It provides overview of relevant policy, guidelines for climate adaptation, data and tools relevant for the local authorities, including a catalogue of example projects. It is argued that ”since climate adaptation takes a societal effort, Denmark has established a shared public portal where all relevant knowledge is gathered in one place”. The website can be used as inspiration for a user focused approach on guidelines regarding climate adaptation.
More information about Klimatilpasning.dk can be found here:
Klimatilpasning. https://klimatilpasning.dk/ [Danish version]
https://eng.klimatilpasning.dk/ [English version]
About the portal: https://eng.klimatilpasning.dk/about-the-portal
#NORDIC– Networknature - a European knowledge hub on NBS
Networknature is a knowledge hub and collaboration program for NBS in Europe. It provides knowledge resources, case studies and databases that underpin development of NBS. Networknature also supports a number of Hubs - local departments of Networknature. One of them is a collaborative hub between the Nordic countries, which facilitates cross-Nordic collaboration, webinars and conferences.
More information about Networknature can be found here:
#SWEDEN – Sustainable city (hållbarstad.se)
Hållbarstad.se is a platform led by Council for Sustainable Cities, created to support municipalities in Sweden in their efforts to meet
Goal 11
of the UN Agenda 2030
. This goal focuses on promoting sustainable, inclusive, and resilient urban development. The platform provides resources and guidance for municipalities to implement Nature-Based Solutions (NBS) in urban planning and development, supporting the long-term sustainability of cities and communities.A key aspect of this initiative is applying assessment frameworks for NBS to evaluate their impact on urban resilience, sustainability, and social well-being. These frameworks allow municipalities to measure the ecological, social, and economic outcomes of NBS projects, ensuring that they contribute to broader sustainability goals. By providing tools, best practices, and collaborative knowledge from various authorities, Hållbarstad.se helps municipalities systematically assess the benefits of NBS in relation to more traditional urban planning solutions.
More information about hållbarstad.se can be found here:
#ÅLAND – The wetland web (Våtmarkswebben)
The wetland web (Våtmarkswebben) is an online knowledge database on solutions for improved water quality and biodiversity such as wetlands, irrigation dams and sedimentation ponds in Åland. It is provided by the publicly owned drinking water company Ålands Vatten Ab. The website was established to provide accessible information on wetland construction and restoration projects in Åland. It aims to show examplpes and give inspiration, and explains how nature-based solutions such as construction of wetlands can provide multiple benefits to humans and nature.
More information about the wetland web can be found here:https://vattenskydd.ax/vatmarkswebben/
#FINLAND – Climate guide (Ilmasto-opas)
Climate guide (Ilmasto-opas) a national, publicly available service about climate information in a single access point which is developed and maintained by Finnish Meteorological Institute, Finnish Environment Institute (SYKE) and Natural Resources Institute Finland (LUKE). The guide provides information about climate change in Finland and information for sectors including forestry, fishing, land used construction, industry and energy production, water supply and sewerage as well as education, culture and health. It also contains other topical information such as projects outcomes, summaries, tools and materials and resources from international assessments (e.g., IPCC). Climate guide aims to support decision making and risk management in Finland.
More information about the climate guide web can be found here:
Ilmasto-opas:https://ilmasto-opas.fi/etusivu (available in English and Swedish)
Learn more
GuideNBS
: As part of the Nordic Council of Ministers vision program on NBS (2021-2024) GuideNBS was developed as an online toolbox for NBS practitioners, containing guidance for the practical implementation of NBS across six specific ecosystems: coastal areas, cultural landscapes, forests, mountains, urban areas, and wetlands. The toolbox presents case studies based on pilot projects in the Nordic countries, and contains guidance on the planning, design, implementation, and operation of NBS. www.
NBSguide.org International Obligations
Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, target 21, Ensure That Knowledge Is Available and Accessible To Guide Biodiversity Action “
Ensure that the best available data, information and knowledge, are accessible to decision makers, practitioners and the public to guide effective and equitable governance, integrated and participatory management of biodiversity, and to strengthen communication, awareness-raising, education, monitoring, research and knowledge management and, also in this context, traditional knowledge, innovations, practices and technologies of indigenous peoples and local communities should only be accessed with their free, prior and informed consent, in accordance with national legislation”