EcoAdvance Freshwater Restoration Project Visualisation Tool
It’s here!
It’s the debut of the EcoAdvance Freshwater Restoration Project Visualisation Tool---Congratulations to our partners Lisa Waldenberger and Helmut Habersack at hashtag#BOKUUniversityofNaturalResourcesandLifeSciences for developing a tool to help practitioners, planners, and funders make sense of the complexity of hashtag#NatureBasedSolutions for hashtag#freshwaterrestoration.
Historically, many restoration efforts were designed and evaluated with a narrow focus, targeting a single issue like reducing nutrient runoff or restoring fish populations. However, we now recognize that successful restoration requires a more holistic approach—one that accounts for the interconnected benefits and trade-offs of an intervention across many domains.
Nature-based solutions for freshwater restoration are inherently multi-dimensional. They often address a wide range of ecological, social, and economic challenges—such as improving water quality, enhancing biodiversity, increasing climate resilience, and supporting local livelihoods.
This tool creates a platform to discuss and communicate the multiple benefits of nature-based solutions to stakeholders. This shift from single-issue to multi-benefit evaluation is essential for maximizing the impact of hashtag#NBS The tool supports this transition by providing a clear and accessible way to reflect on and communicate the diverse benefits of a project.
By asking structured questions across different aspects of a restoration project, the tool generates radar charts that visually capture the breadth and balance of outcomes—intended or achieved. The tool can be used in various stages of a project: planning, funding, evaluating, documenting. These visual summaries help demonstrate and communicate how a project contributes to multiple domains, making it easier to identify strengths, gaps, and opportunities for improvement.
By embracing the complexity of restoration and making it easier to visualize, this tool empowers the community of practice to move toward more resilient, effective, and widely supported freshwater solutions.
You can get the full story on the tool and use it for your project (big or small) at the link below.