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Nature-Based Solutions are our method for acting together for our interconnected planetary well-being.

UNEA resolution that was adopted 2022 of what an NBS is:

NBS are actions to protect, conserve, restore, sustainably use and manage natural or modified terrestrial, freshwater, coastal and marine ecosystems, which address social, economic and environmental challenges effectively and adaptively, while simultaneously providing human well-being, ecosystem services and resilience and biodiversity benefits. The resolution further states that nature-based solutions respect social and environmental safeguards.’’

Roisin Byrne is the coordinator of the first Connecting Nature Enterprise Platform CPD on Nature-Based Solutions for Climate Leadership. The module is ILI accredited. We wanted to give practitioners the benefit of the Connecting Nature Framework – a tool to help embrace the complexity of delivering NBS in a meaningful way for Climate Leadership.

Connecting Nature, was, between 2018-22, a Trinity College Dublin coordinated consortium of 30 global partners collaborating to scale NBS across a five-year project. During that time, Connecting Nature was a hive of shared learnings, developing research, policy documents, tools and innovations which are still available on their web platform. Most importantly, we developed new processes for working together. For NBS to be effective, we simply have got to work with communities in a partnership relationship. We need to plan our cities as though their interconnected systems are alive. We aim to make them as beautiful and vibrant for nature and ourselves as possible.

We also need to get into a restorative mindset when it comes to nature. The Nature Restoration Law is an important mechanism to bend the curve on biodiversity loss towards healthy.

We believe there’s nothing more beautiful or healing than being in a natural place that is bursting with birdsong and life. All the more special if we know we have helped restore it together. Given the smallest of chances, nature will bounce back as many of the Rewilding Europe work is demonstrating.

Roisin Byrne Nature-Based Landscape Architecture is a Connecting Nature Partner. She is current ambassador for Urban Landscapes on the Connecting Nature Enterprise Platform.

We are starting to see the phrase – ‘Do no Future Harm’ come into the NBS and place-making narrative. 

The future we can and must choose: nature-based solutions

This video gives us an animated view of good, complex NBS. – This is a creative product of the Nature-based Solutions Initiative at the University of Oxford (www.naturebasedsolutionsinitiative.org). Illustrations by Cécile Girardin and Isabel Key; animation by Matthew Mullholland.

Video resources from UEL SRI 

Connecting Nature Framework video 

The Connecting Nature Framework was co-created with cities to support them in mainstreaming nature-based solutions. Made up of a series of elements, each including supporting tools, case studies, and ideas, the Connecting Nature framework could help you in mainstreaming nature-based solutions in your city. To find out more, visit https://connectingnature.eu/ or https://connectingnature.oppla.eu/

Measuring Impact  Did you know that, if your nature-based solution does not deliver for biodiversity, it might not be a nature-based solution at all? In partnership with a European Commission Task Force, the Connecting Nature project helped to develop a handbook to support practitioners in evaluating the impact of their nature-based solutions (an important part of unlocking mainstreaming). We also developed an app to help you in deciding which benefits and impacts to evaluate. Find more details on the Connecting Nature website: https://connectingnature.oppla.eu/pro… or on Oppla: https://connectingnature.oppla.eu/ Find the EU handbook here: https://research-and-innovation.ec.eu… And find information on the co-impact app and how to access it here: https://connectingnature.oppla.eu/pro…

Technical Solutions  The Connecting Nature Framework comprises a series of elements that represent the interrelated challenges of mainstreaming nature-based solutions in cities. One of these elements is Technical Solutions. The Technical Solutions element encourages practitioners to consider the technical challenges to scaling nature-based solutions, including balancing local, regional, and national needs, and how to make sure that your nature-based solution is in tune with local biodiversity through ecomimicry. Find out more here: https://connectingnature.eu/innovatio… or here: https://connectingnature.oppla.eu/pro…