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1. Introduction

We are currently facing a biodiversity and climate crisis, which are globally interlinked. Nature-based solutions (NBS) are increasingly put forward as part of the solution as we move towards more climate adapted, ecologically viable and socially inclusive societies (Albert et al., 2021; Seddon et al., 2020) and Nature-based solutions are highlighted by both the IPBES – The Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) and Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) as a cost-effective way of meeting the Sustainable Development Goals. The importance of NBS for providing cost-effective solutions to flooding and climate change is recognised in several international and national strategies (Seddon et al., 2021; Wamsler et al., 2020).
In order to address this important topic, the Nordic Council of Ministers (NCM) has initiated the S-UMMATION project to compile and synthesize experiences from eight NCM funded NBS pilot projects across the Nordic countries.
S-UMMATION aims to give recommendations/​lessons targeting both 1) those who implement NBS or lead NBS projects and 2) those who enable such projects and solutions to take place through policies and incentives at various governance levels. The project is part of the Nordic Council of Ministers’ four-year programme on NBS (2021-2024) that aims to promote cooperation, knowledge exchange and efficient and effective implementation of NBS across the Nordic countries.
Nature-based solutions (NBS) are defined by the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA) on 2 March 2022 as “actions to protect, conserve, restore, sustainably use and manage natural or modified terrestrial, freshwater, coastal and marine ecosystems which address social, economic and environmental challenges effectively and adaptively, while simultaneously providing human wellbeing, ecosystem services, resilience and biodiversity benefits.”
The recent Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework adopted at CBD COP-15 19th of December 2022, emphasises that climate mitigation and adaptation should not come at the cost of biodiversity. The agreement was signed by 188 countries, that have agreed to stop the degradation of biodiversity by 2030. The agreement also states that sufficient funds for financing “measures in nature” need to be in place. NBS are mentioned specifically in the targets 8 and 11 of the agreement:
  • Target 8: Minimize the impact of climate change and ocean acidification on biodiversity and increase its resilience through mitigation, adaptation, and disaster risk reduction actions, including through nature-based solution and/or ecosystem-based approaches, while minimizing negative and fostering positive impacts of climate action on biodiversity.
  • Target 11: Restore, maintain, and enhance nature’s contributions to people, including ecosystem functions and services, such as regulation of air, water, and climate, soil health, pollination and reduction of disease risk, as well as protection from natural hazards and disasters, through nature-based solutions and/or ecosystem-based approaches for the benefit of all people and nature.

1.1 Challenges and opportunities for mainstreaming nature-based solutions in the Nordics

An important backdrop for this report is the recent studies that have mapped the current challenges and opportunities for nature-based solutions (NBS) in the Nordics (Sandin et al., 2022; Hansen et al., 2023). The interplay between climate, biodiversity and NBS points to the importance of addressing these areas jointly, and including their synergies in relevant laws, policies and management practices. In the EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030 the Commission will “make the bridge between science, policy and practice and make nature-based solutions a reality on the ground”.
 However, the existing initiatives are not enough, and there are still a number of conflicting interests, lack of financing, sectoral fragmentation, and other challenges that act as barriers to these efforts (Hansen et al., 2023). The current revision of National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plans (NBSAP) is potentially one way to handle some of these challenges.
In the S-ITUATION project current challenges in the Nordics regarding NBS implementation were identified (Sandin et al., 2022): 
  1. Natural-scientific and technical knowledge gaps
  2. Shortcomings of long-term monitoring and evaluation of NBS
  3. Lack of a clear definition of biodiversity net-gain
  4. Technical and ecological knowledge gaps of practitioners
  5. Economic shortcomings
  6. Regulatory, governance and policy challenges
  7. Weak stakeholder collaboration
This led to the following key messages and recommendations (Sandin et al., 2022): 
  • Clear political prioritization needed to mainstream NBS into policy and practice,
  • Appropriate institutional structures, procedures and policy instruments at all governance levels essential to facilitate the implementation of NBS,
  • Better funding structures for NBS needed,
  • Common standards and guidelines needed to support increased adoption of NBS including setting clear biodiversity targets,
  • Long-term monitoring and more comprehensive cost-benefit evaluation of NBS required.

1.2 Eight nature-based solutions pilot projects in the Nordics

The eight national pilot projects forming the core of this study were selected by the Nordic Council of Ministers in 2021 in their open tender for nature-based solutions (NBS) pilot projects in the Nordics. The S-UMMATION project was funded under the same call for a project to follow and learn from the pilot projects. The projects offer a diverse range of NBS types, societal problems addressed, and climatic and landscape variations across the Nordics. The eight pilots are located in Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden and Åland, providing a geographical span within the Nordic region and covering various habitats and contexts.
The pilot projects are:
  • Pilot 1: More Nature - Less Waste (Denmark)
  • Pilot 2: Planning for multifunctional land consolidation (Denmark)
  • Pilot 3: Land restoration initiative (Faroe Islands)
  • Pilot 4: Stream and watershed restoration in peatland and unproductive forest areas (Finland)
  • Pilot 5: Crop wild relative biodiversity in urban green and coastal areas in Reykjavik (Iceland)
  • Pilot 6: Protecting stream banks against erosion (Norway)
  • Pilot 7: Floating wetland raft system for treating sea waters (Sweden)
  • Pilot 8: Establishing multifunctional wetlands in agricultural areas (Åland)
The pilot projects are further described in Chapter 4.

1.3 Objective of this report

In this report we study the topics referred to above in a place- and context-specific setting through a case-study-based approach, following the eight nature-based solutions (NBS) pilot projects in the Nordics funded under the same program of the Nordic Council of Ministers.
Even with a growing international and national emphasis on NBS, there is also the recognition that we still need more knowledge about what works in practice “on the ground”, in order to scale-up the use of NBS and to promote effective and efficient implementation of NBS. Understanding the factors that characterize the successful implementation of NBS, as well as gaps and barriers, is essential for successful NBS implementation and up-scaling. Despite this, research on real-life experiences of NBS implementation is still sparse and the existing examples are mainly urban. Even with a growing body of knowledge, there is still only modest empirical research conducted on the factors required for successful NBS planning, design and implementation on the ground, including governance aspects (Chausson et al., 2020).
This study aims to contribute to this field by providing insights from the eight Nordic NBS pilot projects in the Nordics. It addresses the following overarching research questions:
  1. What has worked well, what challenges have the NBS projects met in the various project phases (so far), and how is the way forward perceived?
  2. What conditions, tools, or circumstances did the NBS projects consider facilitating or supporting their project work? Additionally, what factors would they consider as factors enabling success, and what obstacles did they encounter?
  3. What are key lessons learned (so far) in their NBS pilot projects?
The report is structured into six main chapters. Chapter 1 sets the scene, discussing the challenges and opportunities for NBS in the Nordics and the report's objectives. Chapter 2 provides a background on NBS. Chapter 3 presents the research methodology, including the case study approach and data analysis. Chapter 4 describes the eight Nordic NBS pilot projects that form the cases and showcase their diversity and the experiences gained. Chapter 5 synthesises insights and lessons from these projects, highlighting key findings. The report finishes with Chapter 6, offering concluding remarks and practical recommendations relevant to the future application of NBS in the Nordics.
Nordic Council of Ministers I www.norden.org/publications I pub@norden.org