What benefits are the most important to you, your community, and society? Perception of ecosystem services provided by nature‐based solutions

Abstract

Ecosystem services (ES) provided by nature‐based solutions (NBS) have been examined using various data collection techniques and preference elicitation methods to understand what ES are important to human well‐being. This article provides a systematic review of 153 scientific publications, with a focus on data collection techniques and perspectives of well‐being used when eliciting preferences toward multiple ES provided by NBS. ES provided by urban parks, urban trees, and community gardens are the most commonly examined; however, generally specified NBS such as “green spaces” or “green infrastructure” prevail. The review further shows that the questionnaire surveys is the dominant technique for bringing evidence about the most preferred ES, followed by semi‐structured interviews and workshops. Only a limited number of studies use revealed or stated preference methods as a part of data collection efforts such as a choice experiment or contingent valuation. Additionally, the review defines three different perspectives of well‐being considered but rarely discussed in existing studies: individual; community; and society well‐being perspectives. As the concept of well‐being is hardly discussed in NBS literature and still depends on a large degree of subjectivity, this review highlights the need for future research that looks more deeply at individual, community, and social well‐being, which is influenced differently by the implementation of NBS.