Exploring Nature-Based Solutions for climate adaptation, incentives, and justice across global contexts

We invite BSc and MSc students to develop thesis or project work focused on Nature-Based Solutions (NbS) and the ecosystem services they provide in the context of climate change adaptation, biodiversity conservation, and human well-being. NbS such as ecological restoration, urban green infrastructure, and multifunctional landscapes depend on ecological processes, but their success also hinges on how they are implemented, managed, and valued by society.

Understanding how ecosystem functions, land use, and human decision-making interact is central to improving NbS outcomes across different socio-ecological contexts. Student projects can explore how NbS contribute to climate adaptation and biodiversity goals, while also considering incentives, values, and participation that shape their design and performance. Possible project directions include:

• Equity and environmental justice in NbS outcomes, exploring how the benefits of NbS (e.g. climate regulation, water provision, biodiversity support) are distributed among communities, and whether certain groups face disproportionate environmental burdens.
• Incentives, governance, and stakeholder engagement in NbS implementation exploring the motivations of governments, NGOs, private actors, and communities in promoting or limiting NbS adoption and shaping who benefits from such interventions.
• Systematic mapping of NbS for climate adaptation, with a potential focus on urban contexts, including cities related to our local field sites (e.g. South Africa).
• Classification of NbS values and incentives using frameworks such as the Nature Futures Framework, distinguishing intrinsic (nature for nature), instrumental (nature for society), and relational (nature as culture / one with nature) values.
• Comparative or synthesis-based research, drawing on existing datasets, case studies, or published literature to identify patterns, gaps, and best practices in NbS design and implementation.

Projects can be designed as desk-based or data-driven studies, including literature synthesis, spatial analysis, surveys, stakeholder interviews, or participatory approaches, and may be tailored to the student’s ecological background and methodological interests. While many projects will focus on bio-physical and ecological dimensions, there is also scope to connect ecological findings to broader questions of socio-ecological research. These projects are linked to the EU-funded FITNESS project (Biodiversa+), providing students with exposure to an international research environment working at the interface of biodiversity, political science, ecosystem services, and climate adaptation. Students will be encouraged to shape their own research questions within this framework, supported through regular supervision and collaborative discussion.

Contact:

You will work with Celina Aznarez ([email protected]) under the supervision of Maya Pasgaard. If you are interested or have any questions regarding the potential project, please contact Celina directly.

The project proposal has been submitted on 06.01.26