Making the right decisions for nature: a practical guide to implement Nature-based Solutions

This document targets policy-decision makers, public and private investors. Its ambition is to convince decision-makers to plan, implement and invest resources in NbS, with a final goal to make them more operational and systematize their uptake. It was developed thanks to the financial support of the MAVA Foundation as part of a project aiming to increase knowledge about the economic and business features of Nature-based Solutions (NbS).

It provides tools and arguments of interest for investing resources, planning, and carrying out the necessary conditions to implement NbS. Based on the study of existing literature as well as experience feedbacks in NbS assessment for operationalization, it is intended to fill the gap in guidance for the implementation of NbS.

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To this end, we urge decision-makers, project holders and services instructors to seize the tools developed in the following part and commit to induce a shift in policy and decision-making areas. For this, the major levers addressed are as the following:

• Business and economic argument to provide solid argument for project holders to pledge for NbS before decision-makers;
• Capacity building to empower project holders with tools, resources and engaged communities to create knowledge and evidence on NbS projects answering specific issues and benefiting to the public and private sectors;
• Investment solutions to guide project holders to define the most adapted funding solution and source for their project;
• NbS Public procurement guidance to give the keys to market and services instructors to favour NbS project over conventional infrastructures to answer specific issues.

This publication was released in the frame of the two years MAVA foundation project. It addressed the questions: How to operationalize the uptake of Nature-based Solutions in decision-making processes? How to assess NbS socio-economic benefits to enhance their upscale in the Mediterranean?

In this framework, Vertigo Lab, BirdLife, IUCN, MEDSEA, SEO/BirdLife received MAVA Foundation’s support for key missions, with the aim of making knowledge and NbS more concrete for decision-makers:

• TESSA Toolkit review: modules to reinforce the methodology with our knowledge and experience on ecosystem services assessment,
• Conservation practitioners support in ecosystem services, NbS assessment and Cost-benefit analysis: a continuous training for two partners managing coastal sites in Sardinia (MEDSEA) and in Spain in Bahia de Cadiz (SEO/BirdLife),
• Capitalization on the experience: guidelines and handbook establishment to draw conclusions and a concrete pledge on the economic opportunity of NbS and their economic assessment methodology.

In parallel, a series of webinars were organized in collaboration with the partners. It aimed to share experience and enhance a diversity of stakeholders in NbS assessment to support their implementation.