Nature-based solutions in Alpine regions: Co-benefits for biodiversity and ecosystem services

The recent adoption of the EU Nature Restoration Law sets ambitious targets for reversing biodiversity loss and enhancing ecosystem resilience, yet its implementation faces critical knowledge gaps. One key challenge concerns the potential of Nature-based Solutions (NbS) to deliver multiple benefits for human well-being beyond ecological restoration, particularly in the context of climate change adaptation and mitigation. Addressing this gap, the EVESNAT project (www.eurac.edu/evesnat) explores how NbS can support both biodiversity conservation and ecosystem service provision in Alpine social-ecological systems. Focusing on three distinct case study sites across the European Alps, the project employs a participatory approach to co-develop spatially explicit NbS scenarios tailored to local contexts. These scenarios aim to address pressing issues identified by stakeholders, including biodiversity enhancement, climate change mitigation, and strengthening community resilience and autonomy. To evaluate NbS effectiveness, EVESNAT applies an integrative framework that quantifies provisioning (e.g., food, timber, water), regulating (e.g., climate control, hazard mitigation), and cultural services (e.g., recreation, aesthetics), while considering spatial relationships between NbS locations and beneficiaries. The assessment incorporates robust indicators across spatial and temporal scales, accounting for variability in biophysical processes and long-term sustainability to capture co-benefits of NbS. Furthermore, the project emphasizes co-development with stakeholders and engagement of civil society. By analyzing synergies and trade-offs among ecosystem services and biodiversity co-benefits, EVESNAT provides empirical evidence on how NbS can optimize ecological and social outcomes under restoration policies and changing environmental conditions. The findings will offer actionable insights for adaptive governance and sustainable landscape management, bridging science and practice to enhance resilience in mountain regions under changing environmental and societal pressures.