Integration

Nature-based solutions have emerged as a powerful approach to address multiple pressing environmental and societal challenges such as climate change, biodiversity loss, and sustainable development. NbS encompass a wide range of practices and strategies, from restoration of native ecosystems to creation of urban green infrastructure, adoption of sustainable agriculture, and more. A key benefit of NbS is the ability to harness natural processes to promote resilience and adaptability in the face of environmental changes.

Integration, both within and across sectors, is critical to the effective implementation of NbS, ensuring that they deliver maximum benefits for people and the planet while minimising any trade-offs between goals. Integration refers to the harmonious blending of ecological, social, and economic considerations in the planning and execution of NbS. At its core, integration recognizes that nature is not isolated from human society but intricately linked to it.

The NbS knowledge hub aims to support users through the steps needed for planning, designing, funding, governing and evaluating NbS across various economic, social, cultural and ecological contexts. We aim to show how well-designed and equitably governed NbS can deliver multiple ecological and socio-economic benefits while avoiding or reducing trade-offs. It is hoped that this integrated approach will facilitate more interconnected thinking among decision-makers concerning links between different projects and sectors, and more joined-up policy support and implementation at local, regional and national scales.

NbS Hub Guidance Financing £ Monitoring Mapping Supportive policy framework Participatory engagement and governance Case studies Case studies Multiple benefits for human wellbeing and biodiversity

The diagram shows how the different parts of this website can support users through the stages of implementing NbS projects, as well as signposting information for policy-makers.

Nbs must be underpinned by a supportive policy framework, including effective regulation to protect environmental quality as well as effective mechanisms for funding and research. This is shown by the link to our policy briefs at the base of the diagram.

Effective engagement and participatory governance at all stages of planning and implementation is crucial to the success of NbS, enabling delivery of multiple benefits for people and nature. This is shown by the arc at the top of the diagram, which links to our Governance page and our Recipe for Engagement.

At the centre of the diagram are links to pages that offer support for practitioners on mapping, designing, financing and monitoring NbS.

  • Mapping. Open source code for generating NbS and Nature Recovery opportunity maps that can identify potential suitable locations for different types of NbS, to be used as part of a participatory process.
  • Guidance. A library of links to existing guidance documents covering the planning, design, implementation, management and monitoring of different types of NbS.
  • Financing. An interactive Funding Finder tool for UK NbS.
  • Monitoring. Guidance on monitoring NbS outcomes for nature and people, including an interactive tool for selecting suitable metrics to monitor outcomes for biodiversity and soil health.

Finally, at each side of the diagram are links to our map of NbS case studies in the UK. These case studies serve as inspiring examples of how NbS can be levers for change towards a sustainable circular economy. They provide valuable learning for both policymakers and practitioners. Further examples will be added to the case study map on an ongoing basis.