Maximizing benefits to nature and society in techno‐ecological innovation for water

Abstract

Nature‐based solutions (NbS) build upon the proven contribution of well‐managed and diverse ecosystems to enhance resilience of human societies. They include alternatives to techno-industrial solutions that aim to enhance social‐ecological integration by providing simultaneous benefits to nature (such as biodiversity protection and green/blue space) and society (such as ecosystem services and climate resiliency). Yet, many NbS exhibit aspects of a technological or engi-neered ecosystem integrated into nature; this techno‐ecological coupling has not been widely con-sidered. In this work, our aim is to investigate this coupling through a high‐level and cross‐discipli-nary analysis of NbS for water security (quantity, quality, and/or water‐related risk) across the spec-trums of naturalness, biota scale, and benefits to nature and society. Within the limitations of our conceptual analysis, we highlight the clear gap between “nature” and “nature‐based” for most NbS. We present a preliminary framework for advancing innovation efforts in NbS towards maximizing benefits to both nature and society, and offer examples in biophysical innovation and innovation to maximize techno‐ecological synergies (TES).