Societal challenges

Nature-based solutions (NBS) can contribute to solving a range of different challenges in society. The policies supporting solutions to challenges such as climate change or food security, can in many cases also support the use of NBS. One of the criteria for assessing nature-based solutions according to the global standard of the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN), is that the “NBS intervention must address clearly specified challenges that have significant and demonstrable impacts on society”.

The eight societal challenges listed here are very broad categories that group several different types of challenges. The categories are based on the IUCN framework on nature-based solutions and categories used in previous work as part of the Nordic programme on nature-based solutions. Read more about this and the methodology behind this handbook here (link to method section).

Nature-based solutions are by definition multi-functional, meaning that they should be able to address several challenges at the same time. This means that many of the policy advice provided in this handbook will be included in several different categories. Many nature-based solutions can provide co-benefits in addition to solutions to the main challenges they are addressing. The advice in this section is categorised according to the main challenge(s) the NBS is addressing.