NBRACER at ESP 11 World Conference

From global to local ecosystem services: pathways to Nature-based Solutions inspired from Down Under

SESSION DESCRIPTION

T18 Promoting Nature-Based Solutions for climate resilience: Identifying and overcoming social, institutional, cultural and financial barriers

Abstract:
Nature-based solutions (NBS) are increasingly recognized critical for addressing climate resilience and improving biodiversity. However, their successful implementation often encounters significant social, institutional, and cultural barriers. Based on work and experiences from Australia and from Europe, this workshop aims to foster an interactive dialogue on these barriers and build the capacity of participants to identify and overcome them effectively.

The session is divided into three interconnected parts:

Barriers to nature-based solutions development – introduced by Russ Wise – CSIRO
In this segment, we introduce the VRK (Values-Rules-Knowledge) diagnostic tool, which provides a structured framework for analyzing the multifaceted barriers hindering the promotion and implementation of NBS. This tool enables participants to explore how competing values, conflicting institutional rules, and gaps in knowledge can impede progress. Practical examples will illustrate how the VRK model has been applied in real-world contexts to uncover hidden dynamics and inform strategic actions. Participants will jointly work on some practical cases to test and learn to work with the VRK tool.

Enablers for Nature-Based Solutions Development – introduced by Ingrid Coninx, Wageningen University & Research
Drawing on insights from the EU-funded NBRACER project, this segment showcases collaborative approaches between scientists and public officers to facilitate the adoption of NBS. By focusing on real-life case studies, participants will gain a deeper understanding of how partnerships across disciplines and sectors can build the institutional capacity and community support needed to address barriers. Specific strategies, such as co-design processes, governance innovations, and community engagement practices, will be highlighted to inspire actionable pathways forward.

Financial barriers and enablers for nature-based solutions in rural areas – Ebony Greaves CEO of SEAOAK Consulting. This session will discuss how finance and access to capital can be a barrier for nature-based solutions development in rural areas and the role of the agricultural industry in moving large-scale NBS forwards, as part of their agricultural business.

This workshop offers a unique opportunity for practitioners, policymakers, and researchers to exchange experiences, explore ways forward and gain practical tools to advance NBS in the regions that they are working on. By equipping participants with the skills to identify and address these so-called intangible barriers, the session aims to empower the participants to be more equipped to drive transformative change towards a more climate-resilient and equitable future, when they are working with or in regions.

Goals and objectives of the session: This workshop offers a unique opportunity for practitioners, policymakers, and researchers to exchange experiences, explore ways forward and gain practical tools to advance NBS in the regions that they are working on. They will immediately practice to work with these tools during the workshop, to enable a certain level of capacity building during the conference itself.

Planned output / Deliverables: Wrap-up of the practical tools to overcome barriers and summary of the reflections from the workshop participants – written in a longread that will be shared on the websites of CSIRO, WUR and SEAOAK.