From design to action: Service design tools for enhancing collaboration in nature-based solutions implementation

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science and Policy
• Sustainable Development
• Collaborative Governance

Background:

• Nature-based Solutions (NbS) are crucial for climate change mitigation and sustainable development.
• Implementation of NbS is often impeded by organizational, financial, and knowledge-related challenges.
• Collaboration is vital for NbS but presents complex barriers like conflicting interests and resource constraints.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose a methodological framework to facilitate collaborative processes for NbS implementation.
• To identify recurring collaboration challenges in NbS projects.
• To suggest innovative tools, inspired by Service Design, to address these challenges.

Main Methods:

• Systematic analysis of documentary evidence from 11 Horizon 2020 NbS projects.
• Application of Service Design principles, integrating behavioral sciences, technology, and design.
• Development of hybrid tools combining traditional methods with innovative instruments, including AI.

Main Results:

• Identification of diverse collaboration forms, including co-design and co-governance.
• Demonstration of stakeholder involvement (communities, policymakers, NGOs, academia) driving collaboration.
• Proposal of practical Service Design tools to overcome identified barriers.

Conclusions:

• Structured, stakeholder-centered approaches are essential for effective NbS collaboration.
• Service Design tools offer practical solutions for equitable and impactful NbS implementation.
• Further empirical research is needed to refine and adapt the framework across diverse contexts.