How to Design High-Quality NbS Field Projects: A Guide for Practitioners

This guide serves as a comprehensive resource for practitioners seeking to identify, design, and implement high-quality nature-based solutions field projects. The document establishes a framework for nature-based solutions, which are defined as interventions that sustainably use ecosystems to address major societal challenges, such as food security, climate change, and disaster risk, while providing synergistic benefits for human well-being and biodiversity. The scope includes guidance on conceptualising interventions, managing trade-offs, and ensuring inclusive governance. Methods described emphasise the importance of adhering to global standards, establishing robust indicators for measurable impact, and engaging stakeholders, particularly indigenous peoples and local communities. A core finding is that nature-based solutions must be context-appropriate, place-based, and integrated into broader conservation strategies to remain effective.