D3.3 Understanding Vulnerabilities, Essence and Constructions Across Localities

This document constitutes Deliverable 3.3 of the COEVOLVERS project and is produced under Work Package 3 (WP3): Values and Affordances in Nature-Based Solutions (NBS) Design and Implementation. The work presented here forms part of a broader effort to investigate the environmental psychological factors that act as enablers or barriers to the successful design and implementation of NBS, adopting a people-centred and place-based perspective.The deliverable is primarily based on the activities of Task 3.3: Understanding the Vulnerabilities, led by the James Hutton Institute, with contributions from partners and Living Labs participating in the project.The core objectives of Task 3.3 were:• To develop a deeper understanding of the essence and character of vulnerability in the context of NBS design and implementation.• To explore how vulnerabilities are experienced among Living Lab participants through a mixed-methods approach, including storytelling, interviews, and focus groups (Task 3.3a).• To investigate the construction of vulnerabilities within social media discourse through qualitative online ethnography and quantitative analysis (Task 3.3b).This deliverable provides a multidimensional analysis of vulnerability as a dynamic socio-ecological phenomenon that shapes and is shaped by NBS initiatives. The findings emphasise the importance of recognising vulnerabilities in human communities, non-human actors, and ecological systems, highlighting the need for inclusive, multi-species governance models. Furthermore, the study underlines the significance of addressing governance challenges, social inequalities, knowledge gaps, and evolving environmental risks to enhance the transformative potential of NBS.