IUCN COMMISSION GROUP

IUCN CEM Nature Based Solutions Thematic Group

Overview and description

Description:

The IUCN CEM Nature-based Solutions Thematic Group is working on developing and improving the knowledge base on Nature-based Solutions. It is helping to better integrate NbS in planning and decision ...

Dr Emmanuelle COHEN-SHACHAM

Lead

Emmanuelle is an international consultant, researcher, project and group lead, working in fields related to nature conservation, environmental sciences and policy. She has 23 years of experience working with academic, non-governmental and governmental organisations, at regional, national, and international levels.

Emmanuelle has been a member of the Commission on Ecosystem Management (CEM) since 2008. Passionate about contributing to nature conservation, she has been leading the IUCN work on Nature-based Solutions (NbS) for CEM since 2013, including the development of the definition, principles and Global Standard for NbS. Her NbS related publications have been cited over 3000 times.

She received her MSc in Environmental Sciences from the University of Wageningen, the Netherlands, and her PhD from Tel-Aviv University, Israel, where she focused on the link between the provision on ecosystem services and ecosystem management in Mediterranean Wetlands.

Emmanuelle is an international consultant, researcher, project and group lead, working in fields related to nature conservation, environmental sciences and policy. She has 23 years of experience

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Prof Edna CABECINHA

Co-Lead

Edna Cabecinha is an Assistant Professor at the University of Tras-os-Montes and Alto Douro (UTAD) in the Department of Biology and Environment. She completed her PhD in Environmental Sciences in 2008 (UTAD), MSc in Environmental Technology in 2002 at the University of Minho (School of Engineering), and BSc in Biophysical Engineering in 1998 at the University of Évora. She has been a member of the Centre for Research in Agro-Environmental and Biological Technologies (CITAB) since 2009, and from January 2025, she has coordinated the Thematic Group ‘R&D1: Natural Resources, Biodiversity & Climate Challenges’. She is also a collaborator at the Biodiversity and Genetic Resources Research Centre (CIBIO/InBIO) in the ‘Sustainability, Ecosystems & the Environment’ Research Group in the ‘FRESHCODE - Freshwater Conservation, Diversity and Evolution’ Sub-Group. She is the Director and Member of the Academic and Executive Committee of the International Doctoral Program in Marine Science, Technology, and Management (Do*Mar) and the Vice-Director of the Doctoral College of UTAD. She was Director of the MSc in Environmental Engineering (2013-2021) and BCs in Environmental Sciences at UTAD (2013-2021). Member of the Pedagogical Council of the School of Life and Environmental Sciences in UTAD (2013-2021). She is the Co-lead of the Nature-based Solutions Thematic Group of the Commission on Ecosystem Management of IUCN - International Union for Conservation of Nature. IUCN CEM Western Europe Regional Co-Chair. Member of the Ecosystem Services Partnership (ESP), ESP Working Group on Modelling ES, Member of the International Council for Exploration of the Sea, ICES Working Group on Resilience and Marine Ecosystem Services (ICES WG RMES), and Member of the Society for Ecological Restoration (SER). She served as an Evaluator in International, European and National funding agencies and participated in several International and National projects (competitive fundraising, 59 M€). She has 34 publications in ISI journals (14 h-index), 7 book chapters, 6 books and 1 patent. She has Supervised 2 PhD thesis with success and has (8 ongoing). Supervised several MSc dissertations (26) and BSc reports (20). Her main research interests are Ecosystem approach management, Climate change mitigation and adaptation, Ecosystem services and Nature-based Solutions. Orcid: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7308-5840

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Nature-based Solution (NbS) were defined by IUCN in 2016, as “actions to protect, sustainably manage, and restore natural or modified ecosystems, that address societal challenges effectively and adaptively, simultaneously providing human well-being and biodiversity benefits”. In addition, eight principles were adopted, and are essential to provide a full understanding of NbS.

The IUCN CEM Nature-based Solutions Thematic Group (NbS TG), was established in January 2017 and since, has been working on both the conceptual and operational frameworks for NbS. In addition, a core group was recently established within the NbS TG, aiming at promoting a larger engagement of CEM experts in developing these different NbS TG activities.

The NbS TG is aiming at developing and improving the knowledge base on NbS, through the development of grey literature and scientific publications on various aspects related to NbS. It is helping to upscale NbS, while better integrating them in planning and policy, at different levels and in different regions. In addition, it works on developing practical tools to be implemented on the ground, promote good NbS practices and raise awareness, in particular while supporting the further development of the Global Standard for NbS, to addressing global societal challenges. Last, the NbS TG is actively supporting the International Standard Committee and Angela Andrade in her role of ISC Chair.

Projects and Initiatives

Case-studies compilation of NbS interventions, from different regions, ecosystem types and addressing different challenges, and which are being assessed by the Global Standard. This will allow to observe any trends in NbS implementation, collect lessons learned from practitioners, and improve the Global Standard for NbS.

Analysis of the emergence and evolution of NbS, and the interrelationship between NbS and ecosystem-related concepts and how they can contribute to solving global challenges.

Credit: E. Cohen-Shacham, Mangroves, Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve, Mexico.