A Global Compendium of Nature-based Solutions in Small-Medium Islands
Small and medium-sized islands (SMI) combine high ecological value with limited resources and vulnerability to climatic and environmental risks. Nature-based solutions (NbS) can contribute to addressing some of these challenges, but studies on the uptake and effectiveness of NbS in SMI remain scattered, with few systematic syntheses. Here, we introduce the SMI-NbS compendium, a comprehensive and open-access dataset compiling 280 NbS case studies implemented across SMI worldwide, developed through a systematic review of published and grey literature. Each SMI-NbS case study includes information on the location, NbS category, ecosystem types, societal challenges addressed, associated co-benefits, and links to the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The SMI-NbS compendium provides practical information on NbS implementation and identifies current research trends and gaps, such as the dominance of ecological and climate-focused NbS, with limited integration of other socio-economic challenges, thereby supporting further research and enabling knowledge exchange across the science-policy-practice interface to inform sustainable development pathways in SMI.
Authors
- Ioannis Ν. Vogiatzakis (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7071-6950)
- Christos Zoumides (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0998-3878)
- Viviana Ligorini (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9846-568X)
- Erich Wolff (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7420-3546)
- Alexandra Tsatsou (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6670-8421)
- Elli Tzirkalli (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7839-2150)
- Irene Christoforidi (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2944-7044)
- Savvas Zotos (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9767-396X)
- Zorica Srđević (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1034-9540)
- Mario V. Balzan (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2016-3937)
- Erika Igondová (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9710-9579)
- Ioannis Kokkoris (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0647-3445)
- Osman Kümük (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6516-4274)
- Peter Davids (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5349-8813)
- Berre Kümük (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7953-0167)
- Tanya Trenkova
- Francesco Sica (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6027-2548)
- Paraskevi Manolaki (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3958-0199)
- Marilena Stamatiou (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7100-279X)
- Periklis Kleitou (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9168-4721)
- Shiri Zemah-Shamir (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0651-0661)
- Giuseppe Fenu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0198-0488)
- Senka Ždero (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2812-9004)
- Aristides Moustakas (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6334-747X)
- Haiying Liu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6852-8256)
- Mark D.C. Mansoldo (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0009-8582-6170)
- Elisa Serra
- Yael Shaked Mandelberg
- Jean-José Filippi
- Rocío Pineda-Martos
- Emine Keleş Özgenç
- Ziv Zemah-Shamir
- Marina Antic
- Abdullah Hüseyin Dönmez
- Franziska Paul
- George Zittis
- Katerina-Shelagh Boucoyannis
Institutions
- Trakya University (TR)
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (FR)
- Université de Corse Pascal Paoli (FR)
- University of Crete (GR)
- Cyprus Institute (CY)
- University of Novi Sad (RS)
- University of Cagliari (IT)
- University of Banja Luka (BA)
- National Technical University of Athens (GR)
- University of Patras (GR)
- Utrecht University (NL)
- TU Dortmund University (DE)
- Aarhus University (DK)
- Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (BG)
- Mediterranean University (ME)
- National Institute of Geophysics, Geodesy and Geography (BG)
- Limassol General Hospital (CY)
- Theranostics (New Zealand) (NZ)
- Malta College of Arts, Science and Technology (MT)
- Fondazione Centro Marino Internazionale (IT)
- Sphere Institute (US)
- İskenderun Technical University (TR)
- Düzce Üniversitesi (TR)
- University of Bari Aldo Moro (IT)
- Open University of Cyprus (CY)
- NILU (NO)
- Universidad de Sevilla (ES)
- Sapienza University of Rome (IT)
- University of Haifa (IL)
- University of the Aegean (GR)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Scientific Data
- Published
- 2026-01-07
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1038/s41597-025-06476-6
- Primary Topic
- Climate Change, Adaptation, Migration
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00