Context matters: co-creating nature-based solutions in rural living labs

The use of Nature-based Solutions (NBS), designed and implemented with participatory approaches, is rapidly increasing. Much use is being made of the Living Lab (LL) concept to co-create innovative NBS with stakeholders in a certain societal and environmental, real-life context. Most of the current research revolves around urban LLs, thus overlooking specificities of rural areas. Furthermore, the influence of the context itself on co-creation processes is insufficiently recognised, leaving challenges associated with co-creation such as stakeholder engagement unresolved. By exploring the co-creation processes in the LLs of the OPERANDUM project, this study identifies eighteen contextual factors shaping the co-creation processes of NBS within rural territories and provides associated recommendations. In addition, based on lessons learnt in the OPERANDUM project, we discuss the value of a relational place-based approach in LLs, suggesting that the co-creation process should be approached as a dynamic confluence of many interconnected contextual factors. We conclude that acknowledging the interconnections in co-creation in the real-life context of rural territories may increase the success and impact of the LL approach, and ultimately, the benefits of NBS

A Conceptual Framework for Vulnerability and Risk Assessment in the Context of Nature-Based Solutions to Hydro-Meteorological Risks

Various frameworks for vulnerability and risk assessment of social-ecological systems (SES) to natural hazards have been developed addressing different contexts. However, none were specifically developed in the context of implementing nature-based solutions (NBS) to hydro-meteorological risks. Since the basic concepts and principles of NBS are mainly focused on ensuring balance between ecological and social benefits, the entire vulnerability and risk assessment process should focus equally on various social and ecological components of a location where an NBS would be implemented. As a part of the OPEn-air laboRAtories for Nature baseD solUtions to Manage hydro-meteo risks (OPERANDUM) project, this research proposes a conceptual framework for vulnerability and risk assessment in the context of NBS to hydro-meteorological risks. This conceptual framework is developed mainly considering the major components of the existing Delta-SES risk assessment framework (Sebesvari et al. 2016) and other similar frameworks proposed in recent studies, as well as the proposed principles for NBS endorsed by International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). The major components of the framework include: (i) the exposure of SES to multiple hydro-meteorological hazards (e.g., flood, drought); (ii) vulnerability of SES that consists of ecosystem susceptibility, social susceptibility, ecosystem robustness, and coping and adaptive capacity of the social system; (iii) risks in the NBS project site determined by the combination of hazard exposure and vulnerability; and (iv) the impacts of hydro-meteorological hazards on the SES surrounding or within the NBS project site. While the basic space of risk assessment would be the NBS project site (usually at the local level within sub-catchments) with specific SES characteristics, this framework also reflects the interrelationships between ecosystem and social system as well as the effects of multiple hazards and risks at local up to the global scales. The framework also considers the changes over time that would capture the maturation time lag of the ecological components of an NBS, as well as the sustainability of the system with the intervention of NBS and other risk reduction measures. An indicator-based risk assessment approach can be used to operationalize the framework. To facilitate that, an indicator library has been developed comprising of indicators for different exposure and vulnerability components of the framework. The proposed framework can be applicable to any geographical conditions where an NBS project is to be implemented to reduce hydro-meteorological risks. The framework can also be tailored for other natural hazards (e.g. geological hazards like earthquake) and anthropogenic hazards (e.g. pollution). We will explain the conceptualisation process of the framework and of the indicator library and how these will be tested within the OPERANDUM project in the context of NBS implementation

A review of hydro-meteorological hazard, vulnerability, and risk assessment frameworks and indicators in the context of nature-based solutions

Nature-based solutions (NBS) are increasingly being implemented as suitable approaches for reducing vulnerability and risk of social-ecological systems (SES) to hydro-meteorological hazards. Understanding vulnerability and risk of SES is crucial in order to design and implement NBS projects appropriately. A systematic literature review was carried out to examine the suitability of, or gaps in, existing frameworks for vulnerability and risk assessment of SES to hydro-meteorological hazards. The review confirms that very few frameworks have been developed in the context of NBS. Most of the frameworks have emphasised social systems over ecological systems. Furthermore, they have not explicitly considered the temporal dimension of risk reduction measures. The study proposes an indicator-based vulnerability and risk assessment framework in the context of NBS (VR-NBS) that addresses both the above limitations and considers established NBS principles. The framework aims to allow for a better consideration of the multiple benefits afforded by NBS and which impact all the dimensions of risk. A list of 135 indicators is identified through literature review and surveys in NBS project sites. This list is composed of indicators representing the social sub-system (61% of total indicators) and the ecological sub-system (39% of total indicators). The list will act as a reference indicator library in the context of NBS projects and will be regularly updated as lessons are learnt. While the proposed VR-NBS framework is developed considering hydro-meteorological hazards and NBS, it can be adapted for other natural hazards and different types of risk reduction measures

Developing and testing an "Integrated Energy Management System" in a ski resort: The "Living Lab Madonna di Campiglio"

Nowadays, ski resorts represent an energy-intensive industry in the mountain environment. On the one hand, their energy consumptions (and costs) have greatly increased in the last 40 years, linked to growing: (I) snow production and grooming demands, facing climate change and ski season extension, (II) number of ski lifts, with a share expansion of the energy-intensive ones (e.g. gondola), (III) need of operational buildings (e.g. warehouses, workshops). On the other hand, their energy transition calls for energy efficiency improvement and renewable sources integration, to be part of cleaner energy systems with low emissions and low environmental impacts (e.g. water use). This paper describes the developing and testing of an “Integrated Energy Management System - IEMS” in the “Living Lab Madonna di Campiglio”, as part of the Interreg Alpine Space - Smart Altitude project. After a detailed characterization of the case study, this paper describes the development of the new IEMS as an integration of existing and new monitoring systems and platforms. This IEMS aims to facilitate and stimulate ski resort technicians and managers in the continuous analysis of energy, environmental and economic performance, paving the way for greater awareness and targeted interventions

How Can Ski Resorts Get Smart? Transdisciplinary Approaches to Sustainable Winter Tourism in the European Alps

Climate change and the call for reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, the efficient use of (renewable) energy, and more resilient winter tourism regions, forces ski resorts across the European Alps to look for “smart” approaches to transition towards a sustainable, low-carbon economy. Drawing on the smart-city concept and considering the different historical developments of Alpine resorts, the Smart Altitude Decision-Making Toolkit was developed using a combination of an energy audit tool, a WebGIS, and collaborative and innovative living labs installed in Les Orres (France), Madonna di Campiglio (Italy), Krvavec (Slovenia), and Verbier (Switzerland). This step-by-step Decision-Making Toolkit enables ski resorts to get feedback on their energy demand, an overview of the locally available sources of renewable energy, and insights regarding their potential for improving their energy efficiency by low-carbon interventions. The Decision-Making Toolkit is suitable for knowledge transfer between stakeholders within living labs and moreover provides the flexibility for tailor-made low-carbon strategies adapting to the unique assets and situatedness of ski resorts

Quantifying the effects of nature-based solutions in reducing risks from hydrometeorological hazards: examples from Europe

The combination of climate change and social and ecological factors will increase risks societies face from hydrometeorological hazards (HMH). Reducing these risks is typically achieved through the deployment of engineered (or grey) infrastructure but increasingly, nature-based solutions (NBS) are being considered. Most risk assessment frameworks do not allow capturing well the role NBS can play in addressing all components of risk, i.e., the hazard characteristics and the exposure and vulnerability of social-ecological systems. Recently, the Vulnerability and Risk assessment framework developed to allow the assessment of risks in the context of NBS implementation (VR-NBS framework) was proposed. Here, we carry out the first implementation of this framework using five case study areas in Europe which are exposed to various HMH. Our results show that we can demonstrate the effect NBS have in terms of risk reduction and that this can be achieved by using a flexible library of indicators that allows to capture the specificities of each case study hazard, social and ecological circumstances. The approach appears to be more effective for larger case study areas, but further testing is required in a broader variety of contexts