Involvement of stakeholders in the selection and implementation of Nature-Based Solutions for hydro-meteorological risk reduction

The evidence to date shows that hydro-meteorological risks are likely to become more extreme in the foreseeable future. The continuously changing climate has also led to increasing pressure on the environment and human society. For these reasons, effective and sustainable methods for hydro-meteorological risk management are becoming more important. As an umbrella concept, Nature-Based Solutions (NBS) have been promoted due to their potential in reducing hydro-meteorological risk, adapting to climate change, and providing a wide range of co-benefits to nature and human well-being. The procedure of efficient planning and selection of NBS is a complex process that requires the involvement of multiple stakeholders. Measures need to be evaluated taking into account their primary function for hydro-meteorological risk reduction, potential co-benefits and specific local requirements. This paper presents a methodology to select NBS measures for reducing hydro-meteorological risk and increase co-benefits at the river basin scale. This is achieved by using stakeholder opinion to identify the importance of benefits and NBS in the area under consideration. A broad range of benefits has been included, such as risk reduction, water quality, habitat structure, biodiversity, socio-economic, and human well-being. This methodology has been applied to the case study of Tamnava River Basin in Serbia from RECONECT project. The results from this case study highlight the importance of involving local stakeholders in early stages of selection and implementation of NBS as part of the wider stakeholder co-creation process. The results also indicate the potential of the new methodology to assist decision-makers in the selection and implementation of NBS.