Publication
Nature-Based Solutions for Water Management in Europe: What Works, What Does Not, and What’s Next?
| datacite.subject.fos | Ciências Sociais | |
| datacite.subject.sdg | 08:Trabalho Digno e Crescimento Económico | |
| datacite.subject.sdg | 10:Reduzir as Desigualdades | |
| datacite.subject.sdg | 12:Produção e Consumo Sustentáveis | |
| dc.contributor.author | Santos, Eleonora | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2025-08-04T11:40:54Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2025-08-04T11:40:54Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2025-07-23 | |
| dc.description | Article number - 2193 | |
| dc.description.abstract | Nature-based solutions (NbS) are increasingly recognized as strategic alternatives and complements to grey infrastructure for addressing water-related challenges in the context of climate change, urbanization, and biodiversity decline. This article presents a critical, theory-informed review of the state of NbS implementation in European water management, drawing on a structured synthesis of empirical evidence from regional case studies and policy frameworks. The analysis found that while NbS are effective in reducing surface runoff, mitigating floods, and improving water quality under low- to moderate-intensity events, their performance remains uncertain under extreme climate scenarios. Key gaps identified include the lack of long-term monitoring data, limited assessment of NbS under future climate conditions, and weak integration into mainstream planning and financing systems. Existing evaluation frameworks are critiqued for treating NbS as static interventions, overlooking their ecological dynamics and temporal variability. In response, a dynamic, climate-resilient assessment model is proposed—grounded in systems thinking, backcasting, and participatory scenario planning—to evaluate NbS adaptively. Emerging innovations, such as hybrid green–grey infrastructure, adaptive governance models, and novel financing mechanisms, are highlighted as key enablers for scaling NbS. The article contributes to the scientific literature by bridging theoretical and empirical insights, offering region-specific findings and recommendations based on a comparative analysis across diverse European contexts. These findings provide conceptual and methodological tools to better design, evaluate, and scale NbS for transformative, equitable, and climate-resilient water governance. | eng |
| dc.description.sponsorship | This research is financed by National Funds of the FCT—Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology within the project «UIDB/04928/2020» and under the Scientific Employment Stimulus-Institutional Call CEECINST/00051/2018. | |
| dc.identifier.citation | Santos, E. Nature-Based Solutions forWater Management in Europe: WhatWorks, What Does Not, and What’s Next? Water 2025, 17, 2193. https://doi.org/10.3390/w17152193 | |
| dc.identifier.doi | 10.3390/w17152193 | |
| dc.identifier.issn | 2073-4441 | |
| dc.identifier.uri | http://hdl.handle.net/10400.8/13857 | |
| dc.language.iso | eng | |
| dc.peerreviewed | yes | |
| dc.publisher | MDPI | |
| dc.relation | Centre of Applied Research in Management and Economics | |
| dc.relation.hasversion | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4441/17/15/2193 | |
| dc.relation.ispartof | Water | |
| dc.rights.uri | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ | |
| dc.subject | Nature-based solutions | |
| dc.subject | Water management | |
| dc.subject | Climate adaptation | |
| dc.title | Nature-Based Solutions for Water Management in Europe: What Works, What Does Not, and What’s Next? | eng |
| dc.type | journal article | |
| dspace.entity.type | Publication | |
| oaire.awardTitle | Centre of Applied Research in Management and Economics | |
| oaire.awardURI | info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/FCT/6817 - DCRRNI ID/UIDB%2F04928%2F2020/PT | |
| oaire.citation.issue | 15 | |
| oaire.citation.title | Water | |
| oaire.citation.volume | 17 | |
| oaire.fundingStream | 6817 - DCRRNI ID | |
| oaire.version | http://purl.org/coar/version/c_970fb48d4fbd8a85 | |
| person.familyName | Santos | |
| person.givenName | Eleonora | |
| person.identifier.ciencia-id | 321B-D068-1CB4 | |
| person.identifier.orcid | 0000-0003-4693-0804 | |
| person.identifier.scopus-author-id | 56903606100 | |
| project.funder.identifier | http://doi.org/10.13039/501100001871 | |
| project.funder.name | Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia | |
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