Nature‐based solutions for protected area governance: A systematic review

Abstract

Nature‐based solutions (NBSs) have been introduced as an effective approach for climate change resilience and a set of actions to conserve, restore and sustainably manage natural or modified ecosystems, while simultaneously providing benefits to human well‐being and biodiversity. This research highlights how NBSs can contribute to addressing biodiversity and ecosystem challenges in protected areas (PAs). Data were collected and analysed using a systematic review of scientific databases. The screening and refining of 4710 scientific documents led to the selection of 225 relevant documents to be conceptualized and categorized by the content analysis technique. The results identified the concepts and indicators of NBSs, ecosystem services and challenges, and the applications, requirements and feasibility of implementing NBSs. The review indicated that among the types of ecosystem services, regulatory services (such as carbon storage, flood control and temperature regulation) were more abundant, while the highest frequent ecosystem challenges were stakeholder conflict, unsustainable use of biodiversity, invasive alien species, climate change and pollution. The most prominent requirements of NBSs for protected areas are categorized as management‐planning, interactive‐participatory, and climate‐environmental strategies. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.