Situation and goal

Transitions needed

Climate change, sea level rise and landscape deterioration are serious threads to enable delta life. Politicians and policy makers see Nature-based Solutions more and more as the most cost-effective solution for climate adaptation that has beneficial consequences for a wide area (World Bank, 2017; IIED 2017; Ovink and Nieboer 2018; United Nations, 2018). Principles for successful future NBS projects include: an analysis of the entire system, a thorough determination of yields and risks, assessment according to fixed, quantitative criteria, integration with nature conservation and sustainable management.

Transitions are needed to speed up and the process of restoration of ecosystems and their sustainable multifunctional use. The Scheldedelta provides a clear case for this. The surge for multifunctional solutions requires a multi-sectoral approach in which stakeholders go through a process of joint fact finding and co-creation. This opportunity will be offered in the living lab Nature-based-Solutions Western Scheldt.