The IUCN NbS Standard serves diverse stakeholders across sectors, providing tailored guidance for effective nature-based solutions.
Criterion 1
Societal challenges
1.1 The societal challenges addressed are clearly identified, understood, and documented
1.2 Prioritise societal challenges
1.3 Identify, benchmark and assess NbS outcomes for people and nature
Criterion 2
Integrated systems perspective
2.1 Recognise and respond to interactions between the economy, society, ecosystems and cultural norms
2.2 Seek synergies across sectors and with complementary interventions
2.3 Incorporate risk identification and management
Criterion 3
Enhanced biodiversity, ecosystem integrity and connectivity
3.1 Identify, assess and document ecosystems state and drivers of ecosystem degradation and biodiversity loss
3.2 Identify, assess and document opportunities to enhance ecosystem integrity
3.3 Identify, benchmark, assess and review measurable biodiversity outcomes according to evidence-based assessments
3.4 Periodically assess and address unintended consequences on nature arising from the NbS
Criterion 4
Financial feasibility and economic justification
4.1 Understand and document the distribution of financial and societal costs and benefits to ensure distributional equity
4.2 NbS are economically and financially justifiable against alternative solutions
4.3 Identify and secure financial mechanisms to ensure NbS long-term viability
Criterion 5
Inclusive governance and equity
5.1 Identify and invite stakeholders, rights-holders and Indigenous Peoples to participate in all processes
5.2 Grievance and conflict resolution mechanism are available, accessible and implemented
5.3 NbS are based on inclusive participation, mutual respect and equality
5.4 Decision-making processes document and respond to the rights and interests of affected stakeholders, rights- holders and IPLCs
Criterion 6
Balancing goals and impacts
6.1 Establish safeguards and associated corrective actions to address the intended and unintended negative social or environmental impacts of the NbS
6.2 Document, make available and accessible, and implement safeguards and corrective actions
6.3 Periodically review safeguards and corrective action
Criterion 7
Adaptive management
7.1 Define and make explicit the assumptions on how desired NbS outcomes are achieved
7.2 Periodically test the validity of the assumptions
7.3 Define and implement the necessary changes to the management of the NbS through an inclusive and participatory approach
Criterion 8
Enhancing sustainability and mainstreaming
8.1 Capture and document lessons learnt from NbS design and implementation
8.2 NbS inform and enhance the policy, finance and regulatory frameworks enabling their mainstreaming
8.3 NbS contribute to relevant jurisdictional environmental, economic, and social targets and frameworks participatory approach