Assessment of digital platforms for the quantification of co‐benefits in nature‐based solutions

Abstract The significance of Nature‐Based Solutions (NBSs) in addressing environmental and socioeconomic challenges is widely acknowledged, yet research on NBSs continues due to a limited understanding of their full benefits. This study addresses the existing gap by focusing on NBS co‐benefit valuation through digital platforms. These platforms support NBSs by assessing their effectiveness, contributing to SDGs, enabling data collection, analysis, and stakeholder engagement. The paper identifies platforms for co‐benefit quantification, encompassing public health, climate change, water management, air quality, biodiversity, soil management, and socioeconomic values. Some of these platforms, like InVEST, ARIES, and i‐Tree‐Eco offer multiple models to quantify various benefits of NBS. FreeStation is a platform to capture environmental data in a near real‐time‐basis, and Co$tingNature is a platform providing global data to estimate the contribution of nature to sustainable development goals (SDGs). However, most platforms focus on limited areas, so combining data from multiple platforms is necessary for holistic NBS co‐benefit quantification.