The term Nature-based solutions (NBS) refers to the sustainable management and use of natural features and processes to tackle socio-environmental challenges (Wikipedia). In the last decade, nature-based solutions have gained prominence as part of international commitments to address different types of social issues and public problems, such as climate change, biodiversity loss, welfare, disaster reduction, and economic development. However, nature-based solutions are a broad and malleable concept. It can function as a catch-all phrase for environmental action, which, in turn, creates an opening for it to be deployed to obfuscate harmful corporate behavior.

In this collaborative digital methods project, we collected and repurposed online materials associated with nature-based solutions across various online platforms and spaces in order to better understand the origins, development, and politics of this term. We seek to answer the following questions When did the notion of NBS first appear on the Internet? Who, companies or otherwise, uses it the most? Has there been an evolution in terms of who uses it, when they use it, and where? And, most importantly, what can we learn about the possible co-option of the term by looking at its origins and trajectory? To answer these questions and learn about the origins, development, and politics of the term, we designed data visualizations as tools for research proxies for discussion among activists and researchers.

The project included a series of workshops with activists and researchers from Global Witness and researchers from the Geography and Digital Humanities departments at King's College London. It was supported by the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC).