NBS360
A Transformative Innovation Ecosystem for Resilient Water Management through Nature-Based Solutions.
The Mediterranean region has reached a critical juncture where water security, ecosystem integrity, and social cohesion can no longer be safeguarded through fragmented initiatives or isolated pilot projects. The NBS360 project addresses this urgent challenge with a transformative vision: to establish a 360-degree innovation ecosystem that seamlessly integrates science, advanced digital tools, inclusive governance, and sustainable financing.
Its core ambition is to transition Nature-Based Solutions (NbS) from ad-hoc interventions into institutionalised, scalable strategies for climate-resilient water management against extreme weather risks across the entire Mediterranean basin.
APPROACH
NBS360 tackles the complexity of water challenges through an inherently interdisciplinary approach, spanning hydrology, ecology, environmental economics, and social sciences. The project is underpinned by a "3S Scaling Logic" framework:
Participatory Approaches and LAAs
Expanding the geographical replicability of solutions across river basins facing similar contexts.
Policy Recommendations
Ensuring institutional integration and adoption within policy and regulatory frameworks.
Participatory System Dynamics Modelling (PSDM)
Fostering cultural transformation, community trust, and the social embedding of these solutions.
To guarantee the legitimacy and ownership of the implemented measures, the project adopts a Multi-Actor Approach (MAA). This places local communities, alongside public and private stakeholders, at the very heart of the co-design process through the innovative Decision Theatre Approach (DTA) and Living Labs.
CONCRETE MEASURES
To materialise this systemic transition, NBS360 deploys a structured set of technical and socio-political interventions:
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Empirical Demonstration: Implementing integrated and hybrid NbS configurations (combining green and grey infrastructure) across seven Mediterranean pilot basins to synergistically address runoff, erosion, drought, and contamination.
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Smart Digital Ecosystem: Deploying over 50 smart in-situ sensors coupled with site-specific Digital Twins. These feed into an Intelligent Decision Support System (IDSS) powered by Explainable AI (XAI) and physics-informed modelling to simulate risk and cost-benefit scenarios.
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Financial Innovation: Designing and testing viable long-term business models, piloting mechanisms such as Payments for Ecosystem Services (PES) and the issuance of "Nexus Credits".
KEY OUTCOMES
NBS360 is designed to generate measurable and lasting impacts, crystallised in the following outcomes:
Verifiable Biophysical Impact
Achieving measurable site-level improvements in peak runoff reduction, increased infiltration and aquifer recharge, soil moisture retention, and decreased nutrient loads.
Open Science Legacy:
Establishing a harmonised NbS typology and datasets fully compliant with the FAIR principles (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable), ensuring unrestricted use for the scientific and technical community.
Actionable Policy Recommendations
Producing formal roadmaps and guidelines (Policy Briefs) to enable river basin authorities to seamlessly integrate NbS into water, climate, and agricultural planning.
Capacity Building and Generational Knowledge Transfer
Creating a permanent Mediterranean Community of Practice (CoP) and hosting a Summer School to train over 50 emerging professionals, thereby securing expert knowledge and long-term technical viability.
The PRIMA Foundation is co-funded by the European Union and the Participating States. Funded by the PRIMA Foundation (co-funded by the European Union and the Participating States). However, the views and opinions expressed are solely those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the PRIMA Foundation. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.
