Co-producing Nature Based Solutions for Mountain Socio-ecosystems: Insights from the VIVALP Living Lab

Transformative change and the adoption of nature-based solutions (NbS) are essential strategies for adapting to global change. However, their implementation is often hindered by the absence of a collective territorial process. To address this, Living Labs have emerged as transdisciplinary frameworks that facilitate the co-production and deployment of NbS.

Launched in 2023, the VIVALP Living Lab supports the implementation of NbS in Alpine protected areas to enhance the resilience of regions particularly vulnerable to climate change. Adopting a strong co-production approach, VIVALP brings together researchers from diverse disciplinary backgrounds, local and regional stakeholders to co-design and experiment NbS tailored to local challenges at three mountain sites, focusing on the interface between nature protection, agroecological practices in livestock production landscapes, and restoration interventions in ski resorts. This presentation shares insights from VIVALP’s transdisciplinary framework aiming at co-producing a vision, common objectives and adaptation targets, and co-experimenting NbS in mountain socioecosystems. This analysis was facilitated by a monitoring and evaluation framework focusing on the co-production process.

Through multiple workshop rounds, stakeholders and researchers identified adaptation objectives to enhance territorial resilience, criteria to prioritise and assess NbS and steps to their implementation. While biodiversity conservation serves as a shared goal, we hypothesized that the specific NbS and experimental approaches envisioned with local stakeholders are shaped by their distinct landscapes, social, technical and governance contexts. Our analyses highlight the diversity of stakeholder positions in the co-production, experiment and implementation process. We specifically reflect on the role of ecological experiments and scenario modelling as co-production arenas.

VIVALP demonstrates the critical role of Living Labs as transdisciplinary and participatory frameworks for co-producing context-specific adaptation pathways, particularly through NbS. While a common vision like sustainable agricultural practices may emerge, successful NbS implementation requires adaptation to specific contextual factors, as highlighted by the contrasting case studies. This approach is crucial for ensuring relevant, effective, and sustainable climate adaptation in mountain socioecosystems.