Nature-based solutions (NBS) are defined by the European Commission as “actions that are inspired by, supported by, or copied from nature…” and that solve societal challenges and multiple benefits. As a result, NBS are often promoted as alternative responses that solve complex societal challenges such as watershed management, while delivering a systemic approach of multiple benefits for well-being, human health, and sustainable use of resources. Despite rising interest in NBS, further identification of experiences implementing NBS could advance our understanding of the operationalization of this comprehensive concept. For this purpose, we analyzed 35 peer-reviewed articles on implementation experiences of NBS for water management in peri-urban areas, on aspects related to (i) NBS problem–solution: water challenges, ecosystem services, scales, and types; (ii) NBS governance and management. From the insights of the analysis, this paper asks what lessons are learned, and which barriers are identified, from implementing NBS for water management in peri-urban areas? As a result, this study presents a detailed analysis of each aspect. We conclude by highlighting accountancy, monitoring, and communication as potential success factors for integration and development while diminishing the overall barrier of complexity, which leads to technical, institutional, economic, and social uncertainty.

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Recent efforts to achieve social, economic, and environmental goals related to sustainability emphasize the importance of nature-based solutions (NBS), as grey infrastructure alone is insufficient to address current challenges. The majority of frameworks proposed in the literature fail to address the full potential of NBS, neglecting long-term results, unintended consequences, co-benefits, and their contribution to achieving global environmental agreements, such as the Agenda 2030, especially for water management in a peri-urban context. Here we present an innovative framework that can be applied to both NBS project planning and evaluation for several water-based challenges, giving practitioners and researchers a tool not only to evaluate ongoing projects but also to guide new ones. The framework considers three main stages of a NBS project: (1) context assessment, (2) NBS implementation and adaptation process, and (3) NBS results. This tool has the potential to be used to evaluate whether NBS projects are aligned with sustainability dimensions through a set of adaptable sustainability indicators. The framework can also highlight how the NBS targets are related to the sustainable development goals (SGD) and contribute to catalyzing the 2030 Agenda. The framework is an important tool for water management and other NBS types.

La cultura se ha utilizado como estrategia de regeneración urbana por su permeabilidad hacia otras áreas del desarrollo. Desde hace más de 30 años, el centro de Monterrey ha experimentado deterioro, pérdida de población y abandono, con lo que la estrategia del sector público ha sido realizar proyectos de regeneración urbana con fuerte implicación cultural. A pesar de la magnitud y la inversión de los proyectos, no se han logrado los objetivos esperados. En cambio, a partir del año 2013 surgen proyectos desde iniciativas bottom-up que están transformando positivamente el lugar. Se analizan los proyectos de regeneración urbana implementados en el centro mediante entrevistas a actores clave. Entre los principales resultados, destacan las iniciativas bottom-up como procesos de regeneración cultural capaces de transformar el territorio y el tejido social. La falta de diálogo entre actores es uno de los principales obstáculos para producir transformaciones más contundentes en el contexto sociourbano. Palabras clave: regeneración urbana; políticas; centro de Monterrey; regeneración cultural

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The term nature-based solutions (NBS) has gained traction in recent years and has been applied in many settings. There are few comprehensive assessment frameworks available that can guide NBS planning and implementation while at the same time capturing the short- and long-term impacts and benefits of the NBS. Here a recently presented framework, which builds on the theory of change and was developed to assess NBS at different phases of the project cycle, was applied to seven diverse case studies. The case studies addressed water quality and quantity issues in peri-urban areas across the global north and south. Framework indicators covering the sustainability dimensions (environmental, social and economic) were assessed at three stages of the framework: context, process and results. The work sought to investigate the following research objectives: (1) Can this framework be robust and yet flexible enough to be applied across a diverse selection of NBS projects that are at different phases of the project cycle and address different kinds of water challenges within varied ecological, social and economic contexts? (2) Is it possible to draw generalisations from a comparative analysis of the application of the framework to the case studies? Results showed that the framework was able to be applied to the case studies; however, their diversity showed that NBS projects designed in one context, for a specific purpose in a specific location, can not necessarily be transferred easily to another location. There were several process-based indicators that were universally significant for the case studies, including expertise, skills and knowledge of the involved actors, roles and responsibilities of involved actors and political support. The result-based indicators were case study-specific when environmental indicators were case study-specific, and important social indicators were environmental identity and recreational values. Overall, the use of the framework benefits the recognition of the implementation’s advances, such as the change in context, the processes in place and the results obtained.

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La complejidad de los desafíos sociales promueve enfoques con múltiples beneficios, como las soluciones basadas en la naturaleza (SBN). Las SBN integran aspectos ambientales, sociales y económicos a través de su enfoque exhaustivo, lo cual dificulta su operativización. Las SBN promueven una relación más dinámica de la ciudad con la naturaleza, que hace del verde urbano un área de innovación, implicando un mayor esfuerzo en la gestión urbana. Este artículo expone el caso de L’Eix Besòs en el Área Metropolitana de Barcelona desde la mirada de las SBN, analizando la transformación del Parque Fluvial del Besòs cómo una respuesta basada en aspectos medioambientales, sociales y de gestión urbanística. En las últimas décadas la transformación de L’Eix Besòs a través del frente de agua, la recreación, el pasear y la contemplación han facilitado que este paisaje de polígonos urbano y peri-urbano se convierta en un ejemplo de renaturalización. Actualmente, el encuentro del Río Besòs con el frente litoral Mediterráneo, es un paisaje en transformación que evidencia los desafíos de la metrópoli contemporánea, donde el enfoque exhaustivo de las SBN podría ser una ventaja para una transición urbana sostenible, a partir de un dialogo transdisciplinar, soportado en unas capacidades (sociales y técnicas) construidas. The complexity of societal challenges promotes multi-benefit approaches such as nature-based solutions (NBS). NBS integrate environmental, social and economic aspects through their exhaustive approach, which makes their operationalization difficult. NBS promote a more dynamic relationship between the city and nature, which makes urban green an area of innovation, implying a greater effort in urban management. This article presents the case of l’Eix Besòs in the Barcelona Metropolitan Area from the NBS perspective, analyzing the Besòs River Park intervention as a response based on environmental, social and urban management aspects. In recent decades, the l’Eix Besòs transformation through the waterfront, recreation, walking and contemplation have made this landscape of urban and peri-urban polygons an example of re-naturalization. Currently, the meeting of the Besòs River with the Mediterranean coastline is a landscape in transformation that shows the challenges of the contemporary metropolis, where the NBS exhaustive approach could be an advantage for a sustainable urban transition, based on a transdisciplinary dialogue, supported by built capacities (social and technical).