Welcome to the nature-based solutions knowledge hub

An integrated one-stop resource to guide users through the process of governance, designing and funding Nature-based Solutions (NbS), and monitoring the outcomes. The hub is aimed at those involved with NbS in the UK, though much of the guidance would also be applicable in other locations.

The NbS Hub is a living resource and will continue to evolve, in partnership with the Nature-based Solutions Initiative and the Leverhulme Centre for Nature Recovery.

What are Nature-based Solutions?

NbS involve working with nature to address societal challenges, with benefits for both biodiversity and people. This includes protecting and restoring a wide range of ecosystems, from native woodland, grassland, heathland and wetlands through to coastal and marine ecosystems such as saltmarshes and seagrass beds. On farmland it covers the use of agroforestry, hedgerows and other agro-ecological methods. And in urban areas it includes parks, street trees, green roofs and sustainable drainage systems of ponds, swales and wetlands.

Well-designed NbS can help to protect against flooding, soil erosion and heatwaves while also storing carbon in soils and vegetation, improving air and water quality, supporting biodiversity and providing green space for recreation and wellbeing.

Who is this hub for?

Anyone involved in or interested in the design or delivery of NbS, from small groups working on single projects to large national-scale organisations overseeing many projects, to national and local government. The guidance in this hub is relevant and useful for practitioners and policymakers working in a range of different roles, including the ‘on-the-ground’ delivery or implementation of NbS, strategic support, advisory or consultancy roles, policy and decision-making, or a combination of these.

How was it created?

The hub is designed to address challenges and barriers to scaling up high quality NbS in the UK, as part of the Agile Initiative NbS Sprint.  To ensure that the outputs are relevant and practical, they have been co-designed with a diverse group of practitioners and experts involved in designing and implementing NbS in government departments, non-governmental bodies, private industries, scientific and educational establishments, charities, and community organisations.

An integrated approach to NbS policy, planning and delivery

The NbS knowledge hub has been developed by an interdisciplinary team of stakeholders and researchers from the social and natural sciences (see the Sprint page for details). It aims to provide support for planning, designing, funding, governing and evaluating NbS across various economic, social, cultural and ecological contexts, enabling the user to deliver well-designed and equitably governed NbS with multiple ecological and socio-economic benefits.

See how the different parts of this website support an integrated approach to scaling-up NbS.