Assessing the benefits of nature-based ...

This article presents findings of a case study qualitative analysis, in which 114 surveys were collected during six campaigns in June 2021, at the Besòs river restoration (NBS) site in the Barcelona metropolitan area. The findings show that users are mainly citizens who live nearby and visit the area frequently, and their motivation for using the NBS is primarily for social, cultural, recreational, and health-related benefits. This insight may contribute to NBS monitoring for facilitating actions that increasing user awareness and knowledge of NBS. Raising awareness supports the biotic and changing dynamics of an NBS to provide services and benefits that help to alleviate ecological, social, climate, and urban-related vulnerabilities. Our findings suggest that conducting citizen perception surveys at the local level is beneficial for gathering evidence on user experiences, perceptions, and practices. Stakeholder participation complements the aim of officially recognizing the Besòs area as a key GI for the water cycle in the upcoming Barcelona metropolitan master plan. User insight and NBS management could thus interact to promote a more localized, decentralized, and bottom-up management strategy.