Barriers and Enablers for Implementing Nature-based Solutions in the Global North and Global South : A Comparative Analysis and Toolkit Proposal

Sammanfattning

Nature-based Solutions (NbS) have increasingly been recognized as a key strategy for addressing the triple planetary crisis of climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution. However, despite the growing body of research on NbS, the literature remains strongly concentrated in the Global North (GN), while the differences between the Global North and the Global South (GS) regarding aspects affecting NbS implementation have not yet been extensively explored. In addition, practical guidance for implementers remains divided across repositories, and methodologies. This study aims to: (1) analyse how barriers and enablers for implementing NbS differ between the GN and the GS; and (2) explore if a practical toolkit for implementing NbS can be designed based on existing tools and methodologies. To address these objectives, the research adopted a mixed-methods approach combining a literature review, semi-structured interviews, and the development of a toolkit prototype. The literature review analysed 45 articles using MAXQDA coding to identify barriers, enablers, and regional patterns related to NbS implementation. Additionally, five semi-structured interviews were conducted with NbS implementers and stakeholders from both the GN and the GS. The findings from the literature review, interviews, and additional grey literature were then used to design an initial user-oriented toolkit for NbS practitioners. The results indicate that barriers to NbS implementation are highly context-dependent and differ between regions. In the GS, barriers were more frequently associated with governance weaknesses, policy misalignment, limited financial and technical capacity, rapid urbanization, and restricted access to technology and education. In contrast, the GN literature more commonly highlighted institutional inertia, regulatory complexity, and land availability constraints. At the same time, many enablers appeared more transferable across regions, particularly those related to collaboration, stakeholder engagement, trust-building, knowledge sharing, participatory governance, and continuous support processes. The research also revealed that many challenges surrounding NbS implementation are not solely technical, but strongly connected to governance systems, social dynamics, knowledge translation, and long-term stakeholder relationships. Finally, the study demonstrates that it is possible to design a practical toolkit for NbS implementation by compiling existing tools, frameworks, and methodologies. However, the process also revealed that relevant NbS knowledge remains fragmented across repositories, disciplines, and languages. Therefore, the toolkit developed in this research should be understood as an initial and evolving prototype rather than a definitive resource. Overall, this research contributes to a better understanding of the regional dynamics shaping NbS implementation and highlights the importance of context-sensitive, collaborative, and adaptive approaches for scaling NbS across diverse contexts.