An initial search for nature-based solutions in Malta was carried out via the search engine Google and using the following search terms:

• nature-based solutions,
• green roofs,
• green walls,
• noise and wind pollution,
• trees planted,
• climate change, and
• health and well-being.

Each term was entered individually along with the word Malta. This search returned many responses relating to nature-based solutions, climate change mitigation and adaptation from companies, nongovernmental organizations and national authorities. In many cases, the identified initiatives had websites and social media (e.g. Facebook) pages which were consulted with prior to contacting them individually. In some cases, the initiatives were contacted via a designated email address or, otherwise, through social media.

The ReNature team also invited key stakeholders to submit examples of nature-based solutions which have been applied to alleviate species environmental or socio-economic challenges in Malta. For this purpose, the stakeholders were provided with a promotional flyer containing information about nature-based solutions and inviting stakeholders to submit case-studies to the ReNature compendium (Fig. 1). The flyer detailed what information was requested by the project including examples along with contact details for the submission of the case-studies. The flyer was also distributed to stakeholders and attendees at a Training Course and Thematic Workshop held at the Malta College of Arts, Science and Technology (MCAST), Paola (Malta), in May 2019, and uploaded to the ReNature website, and distributed via the project social media accounts.

Figure 1.  

The ReNature nature-based compendium flyer was sent and handed out to key stakeholders to invite them to submit case-studies for inclusion in the online compendium.

Respondents were generous with their information and in some instances, responses provided the name of other individuals and/or organizations, institutions and/or non-governmental organizations who had installed nature-based solutions.

Key stakeholders from policy and business were identified from the Maltese Islands, and were invited to participate in semi-structured interviews. A total of 7 semi-structured interviews with key stakeholders working in the environmental, water, planning, infrastructure, culture, and tourism sectors in Malta were carried out. The interview questionnaire and methodology were approved by the ethics committee of the MCAST and informed consent was obtained from all participants. The participating authorities were considered as being key players in the promotion of mainstreaming and uptake of nature-based solutions at a national level. In the case of business stakeholders, we have identified large businesses that make a significant contribution to the national GDP and which already have an ongoing environmental programme, focusing on monitoring of environmental impacts and the mitigation of these, and have a history of corporate social responsibility action that promotes improvement in societal well-being and the environment. These interviews followed on a workshop with environmental stakeholders from Malta, Cyprus, Sicily and Sardinia to identify knowledge needs to implement nature-based solutions in Mediterranean islands. The workshop followed a modified Delphi process to identify existing knowledge needs, as described in Grace et al. (accepted). During the workshop, the need for a more precise definition of nature-based solutions, the identification of nature-based solutions that are adapted to the Mediterranean climate, or which can be retrofitted to existing building and built-up areas, approaches that increase the use of nature-based solutions in urban plans, and the cost-benefit analysis of nature-based solutions were identified as the priority knowledge needs for the mainstreaming of nature-based solutions.

The interview questions focused on understanding the usefulness of existing definitions in guiding organisations to identify nature-based solutions, the identification of nature-based solutions implemented by the organisation, the specific challenges tackled and the reasons for selecting a location when establishing nature-based solutions, and the relation to the sustainable development goals (SDGs). Results obtained from the interviews are used to provide evidence and guidance about the potential impacts and contributions of the tools and methods presented here in linking science to actual practice of nature-based solutions implementation. Stakeholders were asked to comment on how their specific nature-based solutions examples could feed into individual SDGs. Information they provided was included in the compendium, along with scientific and other references located during literature searches.

Stakeholders were also shown the compendium format on the ReNature website and given a chance to comment on the design and the information. All comments were positive and encouraging. Feedback from the authorities indicated that the compendium can provide an important tool for policy-making as it “will help us deliver the message as policy makers and prove that it can work”. Another stakeholder working in the environmental sector commented that the compendium “provides a platform for collaboration” whilst a stakeholder from the cultural sector also commented that the compendium is a tool that is “useful for knowledge sharing”, particularly if presenting “good practices and initiatives linked to (urban) greening” and to promote further collaboration through participation in European projects. Another stakeholder, this time from the business sector, commented that the ReNature nature-based solutions compendium is “helpful to see what others have done, what the problems are and the solutions”. A detailed analysis of the interviews responses is provided by Balzan et al. (submitted), which

1. evaluates stakeholders’ perspectives, and challenges and opportunities for the implementation of nature-based solutions,
2. provides practical guidance for facilitating knowledge exchange and nature-based solution co-creation across the science-policy interface, and
3. provides an overview of methods that may be used for evidencebased interventions that apply nature-based solution in Malta.

The data retrieved from (1) the online term searches and (2) stakeholder participation was reviewed, and whenever each submitted case-study was considered as a nature-based solution, as defined by the IUCN (Cohen-Shacham et al. 2016), or as an example of green infrastructure that leads to cobenefits this was included in the ReNature Nature-based Solutions Compendium. In the compendium a distinction between nature-based solutions and other forms of green infrastructure is made. Literature searches were carried out using Google Scholar and the websites of the authorities and other stakeholders in Malta to obtain further information about the specific case-study and its potential co-benefits. The bibliography used in the development of the compendium consisted of both grey and published scientific literature and is shown in Appendix 1 and on the case-study web pages. Information retrieval for was mainly limited to Malta or, in case of wider challenges such as climate change, at regional Mediterranean level.