Commons-Based Solutions

= contrasted with 'Nature-Based Solutions', by Koen Wijnants of the Commons Lab in the Flanders. Translated from the Dutch

URL = https://commonslab.be/blogberichten/2025/9/25/een-pleidooi-voor-commons-based-solutions-broodnodig-in-tijden-van-polarisatie?

Description

Koen Wijnants:

"The term "nature-based solutions" was first introduced by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) in 2009, in a position paper for the UN climate negotiations. This document argued for the inclusion of nature-based approaches in global climate policy. The IUCN defined NbS as "actions to protect, sustainably manage, and restore natural or modified ecosystems, which address societal challenges effectively and adaptively, while simultaneously providing human well-being and biodiversity benefits."

Since then, the concept has been further developed and promoted by various international organizations, including the European Commission and the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF). In Europe, NbS have now become an important part of policy and are being applied in urban planning, water management, agriculture, and nature conservation. They are seen as a way to create resilient and sustainable communities that function in harmony with nature.

But in times of polarization, social inequality, and increasing political and societal division, nature-based solutions alone are not enough. What we need are Commons-Based Solutions: solutions that strengthen not only nature but also the social structures of our society. Commons-Based Solutions (CbS) are actions and initiatives that protect, sustainably manage, and restore shared resources or common goods—such as knowledge, infrastructure, urban spaces, or social systems—in a way that effectively and adaptively addresses societal challenges. At the same time, they promote community well-being, strengthen social cohesion, and support shared interests.

Just as NbS harness natural ecosystems to tackle problems like flooding or biodiversity loss, CbS focus on human-centered and social commons: collectives working together to manage urban, digital, or social commons, with ownership, collaboration, and shared responsibility at their core. It is about shared knowledge, shared resources, and shared decision-making.

Think of urban food networks, cooperative energy projects, neighborhood collectives that green streets and squares, or communal learning and knowledge networks. These commons strengthen social cohesion, make collaboration tangible, and help communities remain resilient, especially in a time threatened by polarization.

It is time to make Commons-Based Solutions as visible and important as Nature-Based Solutions. Just as we make collective investments in our nature, we must invest in our social infrastructure, in the communities that solve problems together, share knowledge, and build sustainable initiatives. Only in this way can we make cities, regions, and communities resilient and socially sustainable."

(https://commonslab.be/blogberichten/2025/9/25/een-pleidooi-voor-commons-based-solutions-broodnodig-in-tijden-van-polarisatie?)