The Multiple Benefits of Nature-Based Solutions: Evidence, Methods, and Governance

Nature Based Solutions (NbS) are increasingly recognised as essential strategies for addressing global environmental and societal challenges. By working with and enhancing natural processes, Nature Based Solutions provide multiple benefits for climate change mitigation, climate adaptation, biodiversity restoration, and disaster risk reduction. As international frameworks and national policies expand their commitments to Nature Based Solutions, there is a growing need for robust evidence demonstrating how these solutions perform across different ecosystems and social contexts. Despite their promise, significant gaps remain in evaluating the full range of Nature Based Solutions outcomes, identifying trade offs, and ensuring inclusive and effective governance. This Research Topic aims to advance interdisciplinary understanding of Nature Based Solutions by strengthening assessment methods, improving empirical evidence, and supporting policies and practices that scale up equitable, resilient, and high integrity Nature based Solutions interventions.The aim of this Research Topic is to address the critical need for robust, interdisciplinary evidence on the multiple benefits and challenges associated with Nature Based Solutions (NbS). Although Nature Based Solutions are widely promoted for climate mitigation, climate adaptation, biodiversity recovery, and disaster risk reduction, significant gaps remain in how their outcomes are assessed, compared, and governed. Current evaluations of Nature Based Solutions often rely on narrow indicators, overlook social and economic dimensions, or fail to capture trade offs that arise across different stakeholder groups and ecosystems.To address this problem, the Research Topic seeks contributions that develop and apply rigorous methods quantitative, qualitative, economic, and participatory for assessing the full suite of Nature Based Solutions outcomes. It also aims to explore governance frameworks that ensure Nature Based Solutions are equitable, locally grounded, and evidence based. By integrating insights from science, policy, and practice, this collection will support the design, implementation, and scaling of Nature Based Solutions that deliver durable, socially just, and ecologically sound benefits. This Research Topic investigates the potential of Nature Based Solutions (NbS) to provide low carbon cooling and enhanced heat resilience across urban, peri urban, and rural contexts. We welcome interdisciplinary studies evaluating how green and blue infrastructure such as urban forests, wetlands, green roofs and walls, and blue green corridors mitigate heat stress, regulate microclimates, improve thermal comfort, and reduce energy and water footprints.Themes of interest include:•Urban forests, green roofs/walls, wetlands, and blue green corridors for cooling• Microclimate regulation and heat island mitigation• Building and city scale thermal comfort and energy efficiency• Carbon and water footprint reduction• GIS based analysis, modelling, and scenario assessment• Co benefits: pollutant removal, biodiversity, disaster risk reduction• Policy, governance, and implementation frameworks for Nature based SolutionsManuscript types invited include Original Research, Reviews, Systematic Reviews, Methods papers, Perspectives, Policy Briefs, Mini Reviews, Community Case Studies, and Technology or Code submissions. All contributions should advance Nature based Solution science and support SDGs 6, 7, 11, 12, and 13. Topic editors: Wan-Yu Liu, Hsing-Hao Wu, Sayeed Mehmood, Michael C. Huang Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/81668/the-multiple-benefits-of-nature-based-solutions-evidence-methods-and-governance