Nature based solutions (NBS) present a huge potential to address water challenges and move towards sustainable development and climate resilience. Yet, their implementation is still lagging behind, driven in part by insufficient awareness and information, knowledge fragmentation, and lacking cross-sectoral exchanges.
This status quo was the main motive to create an environment where experts, practitioners and other interested stakeholders can discuss, exchange and learn about NBS. GWPO and GWP CEE have together carried out the process to design, implement and launch a community of practice related to NBS in water management.
Initially, the creators have carried out a detailed stakeholder and landscape analysis to investigate the needs, priorities and necessities as well as existing projects, other environments, and identify motivated individuals. In this process, several interviews were made and a survey was performed on which collected more than 50 feedbacks from all regions. The results of the survey can be accessed here.
The received feedback was the base to define the scope of the community – including the objectives, content, target groups and activities. The result is the online community which has been integrated in the GWP toolbox and has been launched at the end of October 2022.
The NBS community is an opportunity to build on a wider recognition of NBS and will help increase the capacity and knowledge of its members. It is a learning tool that will host different articles, blogs, discussions, interviews, webinars, opportunities, and other interactive activities. It will also:
- allow for networking with other experts and practitioners
- facilitate exchange of knowledge and experiences
- enable communication with other experts
- showcase different implementation examples and discuss implementation challenges being faced
- discuss innovative ideas and develop new projects.
- provide access to information about events, working opportunities, funding mechanisms
- share news, good examples, case studies and projects from different regions and contexts
After a registration to the GWP Toolbox, you can access the Community of Practice content here and become its member. GWP CEE believes that we all have a lot to share and to learn. By sharing our knowledge and our experiences on NBS, we will together ensure a step towards more sustainable and climate resilient environment.
For more information, contact primoz.skrt[at]gwpcee.org or darja.istenic[at]fgg.uni-lj.si