Frequently asked questions

NBS are actions for societal challenges that are inspired by processes and functioning of nature. By developing and implementing solutions that are supported by nature, resilience is achieved while producing societal, environmental, and economic benefits. NBS can be functional in various environments including coastal, fresh water and urban settings.

The Water Funds are organizations that design and improve financial and governance mechanisms, that unite the public, stakeholders from civil and private society around a common goal to contribute to water security through nature solutions and sustainable management of hydrographic basins (TNC, 2018).

The Water Funds are collaborative platforms developed by cities and conservation professionals, to help solve governance problems by closing the scientific, jurisdictional, financial gaps and the implementation of actions associated with water management. They help communities improve water quality by bringing users together collectively to invest in upstream habitat protection and land management, and mobilizing innovative sources of finance.

Nature-based solutions refers to all actions that rely on ecosystems to respond to society's needs such as food security and disaster risk management (1). They refer to projects that help conserve the environment by creating habitats, reducing carbon emissions and restoring natural conditions.

SbNs can be used in combination. For example, to address problems associated with floods, landslides, or the preservation of water flows, conservation actions and ecological restoration of hydrographic basins can be implemented, combined with reforestation and ecosystem restoration practices.

Selecting the most appropriate NBS for a watershed requires contextual and benefit knowledge to determine their potential contribution.

Among the NBS that are managed in the water funds, there are (2):

• Restoration of habitats

• Agroforestry activities

• Forest protection

• Best Agricultural Practices

• Restoration of riparian vegetation

• Reforestation

• Restoration and protection of wetlands

(1) Nature-based solutions

(2) Water funds

Waterproof works with InVEST, RIOS and ROI models.

1. InVEST is a set of models, developed by Natural Capital, used to map and value nature's goods and services that sustain and satisfy human life.
2. The Resource Investment Optimization System (RIOS) is a tool developed by Natural Capital that can be used to prioritize investments in ecosystem services that helps to answer several critical questions faced those who invest in ecosystem services with limited resources.
The return on investment - ROI, is a financial ratio that compares the profit or profit obtained in relation to the investment made. Having a 3. Return on investment analysis facilitates decision-making and negotiations between stakeholders in making investments, for which it is necessary to offer scenarios mainly associated with land use, showing the performance of investments in hydrographic basins, which is done by using data and model runs.
For more information consult our information About models.

The WaterProof tool allows the user to select a location anywhere in the world and receive a portfolio of recommended actions for given water security challenges, and a high-level ROI based on implementation costs and savings in water treatment.

The tool is available for free and open source, with a transparent methodology and metadata.

The key features of the platform include:

Some of the critical results provided to users include:

Some of the critical results provided to users include:

• Intuitive web-based interface that is relevant to a wide range of potential audiences
• Configuration of the infrastructure established to provide water from a basin
• The user can start an ROI calculation by simply entering their location of interest through the activity portfolios settings
• User ability to perform a more refined calculation by entering local information
• Integration of the impacts of climate change on water security and the calculation of ROI over time.
• Cloud computing, all models will run in the cloud
• There are no spatial limitations, Waterproof works for all macro-basins in the world.
• Initial language versions in English and Spanish

• Some of the critical results provided to users include:

• Summary of basin characteristics
• Mapping SbN's Recommended Portfolios
• Clear indication of costs and spatial coverage of NBS interventions
• Implementation progress, costs, and ROI plotted over time 
• Estimation of co-benefits for each equity portfolio (such as carbon) 
• Links to resources to take steps to advance a NBS program or project

An analysis is the result of the configuration of input parameters for the models to be executed from the case studies, and its corresponding result.

It is the application of the inVEST, RIOS and ROI models to conditions given by variables associated with a hydrographic basin in which a water use infrastructure is configured. The analysis involves the behavior of these elements against the implementation of nature-based solutions for the study site, allowing to see in results the value of return on investment, indicators, risks and potential areas of intervention-

The variables include physical and climatological variables, environmental indicators and geographic information (Raster)

The water use infrastructure starts from a catchment, which is the starting system of the process, this catchment can be real and modeled from real data, or fictitious to analyze possible future scenarios.

Each configured water consumption element must be associated with one or more water catchments, these elements can be treatment plants, hydroelectric plants, industries, among others.

The analysis considers operating costs for the entire infrastructure that is designed, this in order to estimate a true value of return on investment, in addition to using this information for the execution of the models.

Within the results of the analysis we can consult:

• Summary of Net Present Value

• Sensitivity analysis

• Opportunity results

• Profit analysis

• Indicators

• Results of the interventions

• Areas with SbN powers

• Comparison of land cover without implementation of NBS versus its implementation

To configure an analysis you must be registered on the Waterproof platform.

The analyzes are performed taking into account the following data entry variables.

• Analysis execution city
• Socio-economic, cultural and climatic region data
• Drinking water quality data for supply
• Geographical location of the catchment
• Infrastructure of the catchment system (Infrastructure elements and costs)
• Water demand
• Execution period
• Study basin area
• SbN implementation area
• Aqueduct database
• Information on the SbN to be implemented
• Infrastructure of the treatment plant or case study
• Case study costs Investment portfolio data
• Geographic information for the execution of the Invest model
• Geographic information for the execution of the RIOS model
• Current scenario database
• Business as usual scenario database

Waterproof app is a multi-currency software, which allows a user to select the currency for which they want to perform their analysis. Global databases will consider the US dollar (US $) as the base currency, so the system should be able to apply the exchange rate if required with another type of local currency.

No, the system allows you to configure a case study focused on water treatment systems, but you can also configure your own case study simulating the operating costs of your project.

The user has full control over his configured analyzes, if he wishes, he can share it publicly, otherwise only he will be able to see and consult his information.

Waterproof App currently models with three land cover scenarios; these are:

Current status: It is the current and real scenario of how certain environmental determinants are in the study areas thanks to the geographic information from which the system feeds.

Degraded future: It is a scenario already modeled, in which it is estimated through algorithms, how certain environmental determinants would behave when continuing with the activities currently carried out in a study area.

SbN Scenarios: These are the results generated by the InVEST and RIOS models, in which they show an approximation of how certain environmental determinants would behave when implementing a portfolio of nature-based solutions in the areas defined for the study.

The current Waterproof system executes 3 models, InVEST, RIOS and ROI, although each model can work independently, the Waterproof application is configured from its architecture to perform the simultaneous execution of the three models once the case of study, selecting the portfolio to be modeled and pressing the "Execute" button, it is for this reason that the system will only show the results of the complete execution.

In case you need to run a single model, we invite you to consult the page of Natural Capital Project, the provider of the InVEST and RIOS software, where you can download the tool for your personal use.

Watersheds are degrading around the world, with serious impacts on water security. Nature-based solutions (NBS) can preserve or restore degraded watersheds, thus addressing critical water security issues; however, nowadays there is a lack of sufficient attracting and investment. This is due in part to the complexity and time required to demonstrate the positive return on investment (ROI) of a NbS portfolio for water security outcomes, an important first step needed to unlock large-scale funding commitments by part of the water actors from the public and private sectors.

WaterProof is a web application that provides a quick and indicative SbN investment portfolio and associated ROI. The tool is intended to engage stakeholders in exploring green infrastructure solutions to local water challenges and prioritizing locations for potential NBS water security programs (such as Water Funds). Virtualizes a number of Natural Capital ecosystem service models (InVEST and RIOS) and pre-formats relevant global data sets to radically reduce the time, cost and resources required for ROI assessment of SbB portfolios, reducing by the process the implementation effort of several months to less than five minutes.

Although the tool is publicly available to all users, it is originally designed with a few key user groups in mind. These primary users include individuals concerned with watershed management and water treatment costs in public utilities, leaders in water management in private sector companies that are large users of water, and conservation professionals or managers. that focus on water security and watershed health. Secondary users include social impact investors, government water or environmental agencies, watershed groups or those new to the concept of water-related nature-based solutions who want to use the tool for hands-on learning.