Engaging stakeholders in the assessment of NBS effectiveness in flood risk reduction: A participatory System Dynamics Model for benefits and co-benefits evaluation

TLDR

Water‑related risks such as floods and droughts require systemic strategies that address multiple challenges, yet the wider adoption of Nature‑Based Solutions is limited by uncertainty and difficulty in quantifying their multidimensional benefits. The study aims to develop a participatory System Dynamics model within the EU NAIAD project to quantitatively evaluate the effectiveness of NBS for flood risk reduction and associated co‑benefits. The model integrates stakeholder input to assess NBS performance and co‑benefits, enabling quantitative evaluation of flood risk mitigation and broader impacts. The participatory approach enhanced knowledge and awareness of NBS and hybrid measures, as demonstrated in the Glinščica river case study in Slovenia.

Abstract

There is an imperative worldwide need to identify effective approaches to deal with water-related risks, and mainly with increasingly frequent floods, as well as with severe droughts. Particularly, policy and decision-makers are trying to identify systemic strategies that, going beyond the mere risk reduction, should be capable to deal simultaneously with multiple challenges (such as climate resilience, health and well-being, quality of life), thus providing additional benefits. In this direction, the contribution of Nature Based Solutions (NBS) is relevant, although their wider implementation is still hampered by several barriers, such as the uncertainty and lack of information on their long-term behavior and the difficulty of quantitatively valuing their multidimensional impacts. The activities described in the present paper, carried out within the EU funded project NAIAD, mainly aim at developing a participatory System Dynamic Model capable to quantitatively assess the effectiveness of NBS to deal with flood risks, while producing a multiplicity of co-benefits. The adoption of a participatory approach supported both to increase the available knowledge and the awareness about the potential of NBS and hybrid measures (e.g. a combination of NBS and socio-institutional ones). Specific reference is made to one of the demos of the NAIAD project, namely the Glinščica river case study (Slovenia).