Assessing the “value” of nature-based solutions at the Belgian coast for sustainable tourism, using a ecosystem-based management approach

Due to mass industrialization of leisure, social costs and ecosystem impacts, the traditional measurement of tourism value in economic terms has come under pressure. Natural coastal landscapes and biodiversity are becoming increasingly appreciated. By using the quintuple helix approach, the objective must be to embed the broad notion of value, elaborating on participatory, social, cultural, environmental issues into the decision-making process. The quintuple helix methodology combines knowledge, know-how, and the natural-environment-system within an ‘interdisciplinary’ and ‘transdisciplinary’ ecosystem-based management framework. The use of nature-based solutions (NbS) in coastal zones results in improved biodiversity, regenerated natural landscape, mitigated climate change and sea-level impacts and minimalized adverse effects of tourism. By implementing ‘building with nature’ coastal living labs in different countries (the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, France and Belgium), momentum is gained to prove the diverse values of this approach, in active collaboration with the public and decision makers.