Nature-based Solutions (NBS) are currently considered among the most effective tools available to city administrations and urban planners to tackle the negative effects of climate change.This umbrella concept comprises a large set of different low-impact technical solutions that are inspired/supported, or copied, from nature. NBS are particularly valued as they can help cities foster sustainability and enhance resilience, while providing social benefits and new economic opportunities. NBShave been selected as a priority by the European Commission.Existing literature does not provide a clear, unique definition of NBS nor sufficient empirical support to demonstrate long-term change in communities and affected territories, particularly for participatory actions, as these are often difficult to analyse, measure, and assess. Adapting NBS-based strategies to local contexts is always a challenge – not only in terms of physical interventions, but particularly in terms of creating common understanding and long-term impact. Yet, dissemination activities, exchanges and debates across local and global actors are often considered as ‘collateral’.Starting from these premises, the study investigates the role of communication across local and global networks in NBS projects to explore which elements favour or hinder collaboration and knowledge creation, looking for possible seeds of transformation that might go undetected due to their intangible, non-quantifiable nature.Through a case study and a set of qualitative interviews, the challenges of understanding and adopting NBS will be tackled among the local and the global, revealing the importance of transdisciplinarity and a set of enabling conditions to facilitate transformative learning, and the role of flexible, adaptable participatory approaches to enhance collaborative open innovation. Possible ways forward and challenges towards forms of participatory governance will also be included.The analysis is clustered per themes to investigate the dynamics of dissemination activities, living lab settings and collaboration among international partners, as well as the overall influence of the European dimension; it ends with challenges and opportunities for the future of living labs and collaboration after the closure of the project. Meaningful examples and best practices shared by the2interviewees will guide the analysis. Additional topics and concerns as expressed freely by the participants will be outlined.As outlined in the closing section, reiteration of concepts and multiple opportunities to learn, experience and exchange about NBS are needed at local and global level. To support such collaborative effort, it takes one or more skilled facilitators as well as project frameworks to enable cross-sectoral collaboration and spontaneous inputs, towards innovative, long-lasting strategies to contribute in the global battle against climate change in cities.In the conclusions, through experiences and suggestions from the participants, possible strategies and actions will be reported, inviting for further transdisciplinary research by highlighting how intangible and practical items contribute to nature-based thinking. As to say: “to be inspired by natural processes in all aspects of urban development to create more holistic approaches to sustainable cities'' (Randrup, et al., 2020, p. 2).

Global urbanization trends have made people move to cities where they tend to have less access to nature. Urban nature is important for human well-being and biodiversity, therefore urban planners are increasingly integrating Nature-based Solutions (NbS) projects in urban environments.  This research investigated how to support citizen engagement for NbS while evaluating the urban environment, focusing on young people as they are often excluded from decision-making and planning processes.  The research design included a literature review and interviews with city planners, to develop a Participatory Photo Mapping (PPM) tool to enhance resident participation and stimulate discussion around social and environmental aspects for effective urban NbS.  The prototype tool consists of a multi-layer map combined with NbS projects, locations, and photos reported by participants (from two Swedish cities, Malmö and Karlskrona), and two environmental indicators: land cover and biodiversity occurrence. Participants identified locations they perceived as improving or hindering the quality of life and the natural environment.  Participants valued ‘nature’ as the key multi-beneficial factor for the socio-ecological systems. The prototype supports strategic sustainable development by allowing holistic mapping and evaluation of the city to increase communication between the residents and municipalities and to strengthen residents’ engagement in shaping their cities.

Increasing urbanization is pressing and degrading our ecosystems and compromising future generations. This scenario is expected to worsen unless significant action is scaled up. At the same time, the urban areas have the opportunity to be part of the solution, leading to a more resilient and sustainable future. Bringing nature back to cities is a powerful instrument that provides the opportunity to address sustainability challenges and benefit people and the environment. Hence, the aim of this study, framed on the REPLAN project, was to explore the integration of greening practices in the planning process in Upplands Väsby municipality during the last decade. Through a systematic literature mapping, this study investigated the integration of greening concepts in the municipality’s Detailed Development Plans. Furthermore, in-depth analysis and interpretation of the relevant Detailed Development Plans were conducted to explore which green and blue elements and structures were integrated, the drivers and instruments that foster its implementation and the actors involved in their planning process. The results show that the integration of greening concepts in the Detailed Development Plans presents a turning point in 2016, coincident with the introduction of Upplands Väsby’s Development plan for Ecosystem Services, revealing that political support at the municipal level enables the integration of greening concepts. Likewise, ecosystem services was the most integrated greening concept, pointing out a strong focus of the planning practice on ecosystem services. The most planned green and blue elements and structures are yards, courtyards and street trees and plants, whilst parks are generally integrated from the nearby environment. Moreover, the most protected green and blue elements and structures are street trees and plants. Water management, public health and well-being and biodiversity conservation are the main drivers for planning and protecting green and blue elements and structures, being also addressed by both the highest quantity and diversity of green and blue elements and structures. However, climate change mitigation and adaptation is barely the driver for planning green and blue elements and structures. Thus, this calls for the inclusion of a climate perspective in the planning processes. The key actors in planning green and blue elements and structures are the municipality, the developers and consulting companies. Besides, an innovative planning process that includes neighbours and other stakeholders in the early stages and financial incentives for implementing green and blue elements and structures was studied. The findings indicate that regulatory frameworks and binding instruments foster the integration of green and blue elements and structures in the planning practice. The outcomes also suggest that collaborative planning processes and hybrid market-driven approaches may contribute positively to integrating green and blue elements and structures.

There is an urgent need to mitigate carbon emissions to the atmosphere to reduce the negative effects of climate change. Countries have pledged national strategies to reach their climate change mitigation goals in their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC). In the case of Colombia, the country envisions becoming carbon neutral by 2050.  A pathway to reach this goal is emission reduction through nature-based solutions (NBS). Biochar is an NBS with the potential to be used as a land-based emission mitigation technology. Records indicate that it was first used by indigenous communities in the Amazon about a thousand years ago. Biochar can be obtained through thermochemical conversion by slow pyrolysis of residual biomass. The original organic carbon present in the biomass is sequestered in the biochar as it is pyrolyzed and thus, CO2 emissions are prevented. Biochar is not yet considered in Colombia´s carbon neutrality strategy. The aim of this thesis project is to investigate the potential of biochar production in Colombia as a land-based mitigation technology (LMT). Therefore, a comprehensive assessment is performed with the purpose of identifying the status of biochar in the country. The motivation behind the assessment is to gain an understanding of the variables involved in biochar production. Factors such as the production sectors involved, feedstocks, production technologies, project costs and emission mitigation are of interest. The study explores these factors by following five methodological steps. First, the current research on the technology is mapped to understand biochar’s status at a national level. Second, experts are interviewed to collect their views regarding biochar and a PESTEL (Political, Economic, Social, Technological, Environmental & Legal) analysis is employed based on their point of view on the technology. Third, the potential sources of residual biomass which could be used to produce biochar in the agricultural sector are quantified. The approach to biochar’s potential is enriched with a focused in-person case study of biochar production from oil palm residues. Fourth, these residual biomass sources are subsequently employed to estimate the emissions sequestered in their biochar production. Lastly, project feasibility implementation is evaluated through a techno-economic to identify the project’s main cost drivers. The results are then discussed using a SWOT (Strength, Weaknesses, and Opportunities & Threats) analysis. The existing studies and the local experts’ opinion indicate that biochar potential is in the agricultural sector and that it can be thought of for soil adaptation. Biochar’s emission mitigation is considered an added value. In 2021, the agricultural sector produced near 73 million tonnes of agricultural products. The residues from agriculture could be used for biochar production. If the residues from the most produced agricultural products are transformed into biochar, about 1 to 2,2 tonne of CO2 per tonne of biochar could be avoided. The published literature and the in-person study visit confirmed that the largest advance in biochar production and use in Colombia is in the oil palm sector. Palm kernel shell, fibre and empty fruit bunches are the oil palm residues that could be used to produce biochar. From 1 tonne of these three oil palm residues, about 60 kg of biochar can be obtained. The results show that currently there is no market for trading with biochar in Colombia. High investments, transport and feedstock costs are identified obstacles. An Advanced Technology pyrolizer cost can cost around 330.000 USD while a Basic Technology one can be around 100 USD. Taxes associated with revenue from the biochar trade can negatively impact a biochar project’s feasibility. In this study, a price for biochar is estimated using break-even analysis. Under the assumptions used, the biochar price per tonne is around 200 to 1.000 USD. Price variability is explained in the technologies used for production, feedstock biomass availability and variable revenues from biochar sales. / Koldioxidutsläppen till atmosfären behöver minskas för att undvika de negativa effekterna av klimatförändringar. Olika länder har presenterat på sina nationellt fastställda bidrag (NDC) hur sina mål för begränsning av klimatförändringarna skulle kunna uppnås. I Colombia är planen att uppnå koldioxidneutralitet år 2050. Ett sätt att uppnå detta mål är att minska utsläpp genom naturbaserade lösningar (NBS). Biokol är en NBS som kan användas som landbaserade åtgärder för att minska växthusgasutsläpp eller öka koldioxidupptag. Forskning har bevisat att biokol användes i Amazonas för ungefär tusen år sedan. Biokol framställs genom långsam pyrolys av restprodukter av biomass. Kolet i biomassan binds i biokolet genom pyrolysis, vilket förhindrar koldioxidens utsläppning till atmosfären. Biokol inkluderas ännu inte i Colombias strategi för koldioxidneutralitet. Syftet med detta projekt är att undersöka biokolets produktionspotential i Colombia son ett landbaserade åtgärder (LMT). En analys gjordes för att identifiera statusen av biokol runt om i landet. Faktorer såsom berörda produktionssektorer, råvaror, produktionstekniker, projektkostnader och koldioxidutsläppen var av intresse. Studien undersöker faktorerna ovan genom att tillämpa en femstegsmetod. Först identifierades den aktuella forskningen om biokol i Colombia. Sedan intervjuades experter för att samla in deras åsikter om biokol och en PESTEL analys (Political, Economic, Social, Technological, Environmental & Legal) användes. Nästa steg i metoden var att kvantifiera potentialen av restprodukter inom jordbrukssektorn. Detta steg kompletterades med en fallstudie som fokuserade på biokolproduktion från rester från oljepalmer och sedan beräknades utsläppen som binds i biokol. Till sist utvärderades projektets genomförbarhet genom en teknoekonomisk analys som identifierade viktigaste drivkrafterna bakom kostnaderna. Resultaten diskuterades med hjälp av en SWOT analys (Strength, Weaknesses, and Opportunities & Threats). Experter och forskningsresultat om biokol i Colombia anger att det finns stor potential nom jordbrukssektor där biokol skulle kunna användas för jordförbättring, medan utsläppsminskningar endast anses vara en ytterligare fördel. År 2021 Colombias jordbrukssektor producerade nästan 73 millioner tonne av jordbruksprodukter och restprodukter från jordbruket kan användas för produktion av biokol. För varje ton biokol som produceras undviks ungefär 1 till 2,2 tonne koldioxid. Litteraturen och studiebesöket bekräftade att största framsteget inom produktion och användning av biokol i Colombia händer inom oljepalmssektorn. Palmkärnor, fibrer och tomma fruktknippar är restprodukterna som kan användas för att producera biokol. En ton av dessa tre typer av oljepalmsrester ger cirka 60 kg biokol. Resultaten visar att det inte finns en marknad för biokol i Colombia. Höga investeringskostnader, transport-och råvarukostnader är främsta hindarna som identifierades. En pyrolysanläggning med avancerad teknik kostar cirka 330 000 US-dollar, medan en pyrolysanläggning med grundläggande teknik kostar cirka 100 US -dollar. Skatter på inkomster från biokolsförsäljning kan ha en negativ effekt på genomförbarhet. Studien uppskattas ett pris för biokol med hjälp av en break-even-analys och visar att cirka 200 till 1.000 USD per tonne biokol vore ett möjligt prisintervall. Prisvariationerna förklaras av tekniken som används för produktion, tillgång på biomassa som råvara och varierande intäkter från biokolförsäljning.

Behovet av klimatanpassning i kustområden är stort, och fortsätter öka världen över. Naturbaserade lösningar (NBS) är flexibla och multifunktionella åtgärder som samverkar med naturliga processer, vilket gör dem anpassningsbara till förändrade förhållanden, till skillnad från hårda kustskydd. Genom denna studies kvalitativa intervjuer med fyra skånska kustkommuner har förutsättningar för NBS att främja klimatanpassning visats vara på god väg. Kustkommunerna ser NBS som ett självklart förstahandsval inom kustskydd. NBS har fått större genomslag i och med ökat samarbete på lokal, regional, nationell och internationell nivå genom nätverk och projekt, vilket har möjliggjort stort utbyte av praktiska lärdomar och kunskap om NBS, naturliga processer och klimatförändringars effekt i kustområden. Samverkan är en viktig del i klimatanpassningsarbetet där samlad expertis bidrar till gemensam förståelse för NBS funktion och mervärden. Idag finns konsensus om ett naturbaserat arbetssätt, där tjänstepersoners och eldsjälars kunskap, intresse och engagemang spelar en avgörande roll för det kommunala arbetet med NBS. Deltagande i NBS-projekt ger mer praktisk erfarenhet och synliggör åtgärdernas positiva effekter, vilket i sin tur kan skapa lokala politiska incitament för att integrera och använda NBS ytterligare i klimatanpassningsarbetet. Dock påträffas flertalet svårigheter, i huvudsak gällande förlegad lagstiftning som inte är kompatibel med NBS flexibilitet, tidskrävande och komplicerade tillståndsprocesser samt frånvaron av uttalat tillvägagångssätt gällande gränsöverskridande åtgärder för hur kommuner, myndigheter samt enskilda fastighetsägare ska samarbeta och dela på ansvaret. För att kunna normalisera och skala upp implementering behöver NBS bli inkluderade som standardalternativ vid beslut om olika kustskyddsåtgärder. Svenska kustkommuner kommer behöva ta ställning och diskutera acceptansen för klimatförändringars olika grad av påverkan i kustområden, där obekväma beslut och övervägandet av andra strategier såsom förändrad markanvändning och planerad reträtt väntas bli mer påträngande. Studiens resultat kan förhoppningsvis uppmuntra naturbaserade insatser inom svenskt klimatanpassningsarbete ytterligare, för att säkerhetsställa levande kustområden där natur och samhällen kan bevaras och klimatsäkras för dagens och framtida klimatförändringar. / The need for climate adaptation in coastal areas is great, and continues to increase worldwide. Nature-based solutions (NBS) are flexible and multifunctional measures that interact with natural processes, which makes them adaptable to changing conditions, as opposed to hard coastal protection. Through this study's qualitative interviews with four southern Swedish coastal municipalities, the conditions for NBS to promote climate adaptation have been shown to be on the right track. The coastal municipalities see NBS as an obvious first choice in coastal protection. NBS have had a greater breakthrough by increased cooperation at local, regional, national and international level through networks and projects, which has enabled a great exchange of practical lessons and knowledge about NBS, natural processes and the effect of climate change in coastal areas. Collaboration is an important part of the climate adaptation work, where collective expertise contributes to a common understanding of NBS' function and co-benefits. Today, there is consensus on a nature-based approach, where the knowledge, interest and commitment of officials and champions play a crucial role in the municipal work with NBS. Participation in NBS projects provides more practical experience and highlights the positive effects of the measures, which in turn can create local political incentives to further integrate and implement NBS in climate adaptation work. However, many difficulties are encountered, mainly regarding outdated legislation that is not compatible with NBS flexibility, time-consuming and complicated permit processes, and the absence of a stated approach regarding cross-border measures for how municipalities, authorities and individual property owners should cooperate and share responsibility. To be able to normalize and scale up implementation, NBS needs to be included as a standard alternative when deciding on various coastal protection measures. Swedish coastal municipalities will need to take a stand and discuss acceptance of climate change's different level of impact in coastal areas, where uncomfortable decisions and the consideration of other strategies such as changed land-use and planned retreat are expected to become more intrusive. The results of the study can hopefully encourage nature-based initiatives in Swedish climate adaptation work further, to ensure living coastal areas where nature and communities can be preserved and climate-secured for current and future climate change.

Northern Canadian peatlands contain vast deposits of carbon. It is with growing urgency that we seek a better understanding of their assimilative capacity. Assimilative capacity and peat accumulation in raised bogs are linked to primary productivity of resident Sphagnum species. Understanding moisture-mediated photosynthesis of Sphagnum spp. is central to understanding peat production rates. The relationship between depth to water table fluctuation and spectral reflectance of Sphagnum moss was investigated using multispectral imaging at a recovering raised bog on the southwest coast of British Columbia, Canada. Burns Bog is a temperate oceanic ombrotrophic bog. Three ecohydrological indicator species of moss were chosen for monitoring: S. capillifolium, S. papillosum, and S. cuspidatum. Three spectral vegetation indices (SVIs) were used to characterize Sphagnum productivity: the normalized difference vegetation index 660, the chlorophyll index, and the photochemical reflectance index. In terms of spectral sensitivity and the appropriateness of SVIs to species and field setting, we found better performance for the normalized difference vegetation index 660 in the discrimination of moisture mediated species-specific reflectance signals. The role that spatiotemporal scale and spectral mixing can have on reflectance signal fidelity was tested. We were specifically interested in the relationship between changes in the local water table and Sphagnum reflectance response, and whether shifting between close spatial scales can affect the statistical strength of this relationship. We found a loss of statistical significance when shifting from the species-specific cm2 scale to the spectrally mixed dm2 scale. This spatiospectral uncoupling of the moisture mediated reflectance signal has implications for the accuracy and reliability of upscaling from plot based measurements. In terms of species-specific moisture mediated reflectance signals, we were able to effectively discriminate between the three indicator species of Sphagnum along the hummock-to-hollow gradient. We were also able to confirm Sphagnum productivity and growth outside of the vascular growing season, establishing clear patterns of reflectance correlated with changes in the local moisture regime. The strongest relationships for moisture mediated Sphagnum productivity were found in the hummock forming species S. capillifolium. Each indicator Sphagnum spp. of peat has distinct functional traits adapted to its preferred position along the ecohydrological gradient. We also discovered moisture mediated and species-specific reflectance phenologies. These phenospectral characteristics of Sphagnum can inform future monitoring work, including the creation of a regionally specific phenospectral library. It’s recommended that further close scale multispectral monitoring be carried out incorporating more species of moss, as well as invasive and upland species of concern. Pervasive vascular reflectance bias in remote sensing products has implications for the reliability of peatland modelling. Avoiding vascular bias, targeted spectral monitoring of Sphagnum indicator species provides a more reliable measure for the modelling of peatland productivity and carbon assimilation estimates. / Graduate