The 8 Criteria and associated Indicators are the foundation of the IUCN Global Standard for Nature-based Solutions™ and, together with the voluntary Self-Assessment tool (SAT) and the SAT Manual, constitute the core of the comprehensive standard package.
The Self-Assessment Tool and the SAT Manual complement the NbS-GS by providing a stepwise guidance to evaluate how well an intervention adheres to the 8 Criteria of the NbS-GS. The output comes in the form of a percentage match compared against good practices, with a traffic light system to identify areas for further work and adherence to the NbS-GS.
Governance
While the IUCN Global Standard for Nature-based Solutions™ is designed to be directly used by a wide spectrum of stakeholders to successfully transition towards well-designed, successful, practicable and viable NbS, its application is over sought by an authoritative and recognised governance structure.
The governance structure includes the following interlinked components:
- The IUCN Council is IUCN’s principal governing body in between sessions of the World Conservation Congress – the general assembly of the Union’s members. It sets strategic direction and policy guidance for the work of the Union; provides oversight and guidance on the performance of the components of the Union as a whole and of the Director General in particular; fulfils its fiduciary responsibilities to the Members of the Union and renders account to them.
- The International Standard Committee (ISC) is the overarching authority that ensures the scientific robustness of the NbS-GS, its scientific rigour and the high-level oversight of its application. The ISC can establish any committees required to achieve its objectives.
- The IUCN Commission on Ecosystem Management (CEM) is a network of professionals whose mission is to act as a source of advice on the environmental, economic, social and cultural factors that affect natural resources and biological diversity. In particular, the IUCN CEM Nature-based Solutions Thematic Group is working on developing and improving the knowledge base on NbS. It is helping better integrate NbS in planning and decision making, develop practical tools to be implemented on the ground, promote good NbS practices and raise awareness, while supporting the further development of the NbS-GS.
- The IUCN NbS Management Hub helps drive efforts to scale up NbS and supports the uptake of the NbS-GS, its mainstreaming in national policies and strategic plans as well as in financial decision-making.
- The global User group drives the learning and feedback for evolving the NbS-GS through lessons learnt from applications.
- The IUCN Operationalising hubs (regional or national) support the interpretation of the NbS-GS to national or regional contexts and the consequent development of solutions relevant for society, the economy and the environment that are durable and beneficial in the long term.
This governance structure ensures a scientifically robust and globally relevant application of the NbS-GS. It allows the interpretation of the NbS concept and application of the NbS-GS to the context at hand, while maintaining its rigor, consistency, quality and assurance. Furthermore, the User group is instrumental in ensuring iterative learning feedback loops, in fostering partnerships with other existing networks and initiatives, and in promoting the NbS-GS as the main reference for NbS globally, while supporting the scaling deep and up of NbS.
