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How to use your results?

Learn how to put your WaterProof analysis into practice to inspire and mobilize key stakeholders, and connect effectively with decision-makers.

Everything you need to design efficient strategies for your watershed

Access investment portfolios, analyze water scenarios and estimate technical and financial benefits to support water management decisions in your region.

Distribution channels for your analysis

  • Print your report: Generate a PDF document with the main charts and their explanatory texts.
  • Download the results: Get a compressed ZIP file with all the model data for complementary analyses.
  • Make your case public: Change the visibility settings so your study is accessible to all platform users.
  • Invite other users: Share the unique URL of your results to make access and collaborative review of the analysis easier.

Frequently asked questions about the scope and results of the analysis

  • Which Nature-based Solutions portfolios can improve water security?
  • What is the implementation cost and life cycle of the program?
  • Which interventions and areas should be prioritized within the watershed?
  • What carbon co-benefits can the program generate?

Financial results for decision making

  • Set a clear direction: Use the ROI assessment to align key watershed stakeholders around a shared vision. It helps define scientific priorities before implementing NbS.
  • Support fundraising: Present cost, benefit and return-on-investment estimates that communicate the potential value of NbS. They serve as input to structure proposals, justify preliminary investments and facilitate conversations with funders or decision-makers.
  • Strengthen public decision-making: Use the results to show the physical and economic benefits of investing in nature. The tool helps plan, prioritize actions and facilitate dialogue with public entities, regulators or service operators.
Specialists analyzing water data

Discover the methodology

Explore the fundamentals for implementing Nature-based Solutions and define the ideal strategy to align key partners from the very start of the analysis.

What are NbS?

Strategic interventions such as habitat protection, restoration and reforestation.

They are actions that protect, restore or sustainably manage ecosystems in order to address socio-environmental challenges, generating benefits for people and biodiversity.

In WaterProof, NbS are analyzed as investment alternatives to improve water security, reduce pressures on the watershed and contribute to flood risk mitigation. These interventions can be part of portfolios that combine different actions according to the objectives of the analysis.

What is an Investment Portfolio?

Strategic investments in NbS

WaterProof helps identify NbS investment opportunities through indicative portfolios, estimated costs and return-on-investment analysis. This information can guide partnerships among watershed stakeholders, water beneficiaries and potential funders, in order to conserve, restore or improve the natural functions that contribute to water security.

The portfolio makes it possible to visualize which interventions could be implemented, in which areas of the watershed and with what estimated physical and economic benefits. Its results serve as an initial input for prioritizing investments and moving toward more detailed studies.

How do I run my program?

Step-by-step guide.

Phase 1: Initial exploration. Review the watershed context, identify intervention opportunities and confirm whether the area is suitable for developing the case study.

Phase 2: Modeling and analysis. Simulate NbS scenarios to estimate physical benefits, costs, return on investment and effects on water security or flood risk reduction.

Phase 3: Investment prioritization. Identify the areas and interventions with the greatest potential for structuring NbS investment portfolios.

Connect and move forward

Connect with local stakeholders and get the support you need. Find the key resources and the tools designed to make your strategy a reality.

Resilient Watersheds Toolbox

A global community originally driven by The Nature Conservancy that brings together experts in the protection of water sources. Here you can access guides, learn about strategic processes and exchange successful conservation experiences.

https://resilientwatershedstoolbox.org/
Water Action Hub

It works as a digital ecosystem to raise awareness about water sustainability. By joining, you get free access to global data on adaptation and resilience to climate change.

Green-grey CoP

A global network created in 2020 to standardize the combination of natural solutions and grey infrastructure. It offers ongoing training opportunities through technical subcommittees and virtual working groups.

Regional networks

Think Nature is a multi-stakeholder communication hub for exchanging knowledge about Nature-based Solutions.

Nature for Water Facility

A team of specialists that supports organizations in designing and launching watershed investment programs. Created in 2022 by TNC and Pegasys.

It helps with:

  • Assessing whether a project is viable before investing.
  • Building the business case and estimating the return (ROI+).
  • Defining the program strategy.
  • Design how to measure results and impact.

Two ways to access:

  • A sponsored biannual call (twice a year a window opens to submit your project and, if selected, receive support at no cost)
  • Direct consulting (hire the team on a fee-for-service basis, without going through the call).
WaterProof team support

If you are using the platform and need help loading data, testing different scenarios or understanding the results, the WaterProof team can support you.

Write to waterproof@tnc.org telling us about your case and how we can help.

Resilient Watersheds Toolbox

Water Funds drive collective action to tackle water insecurity through investments in NbS. The Water Funds Toolbox, created by specialists, offers guidance and case studies to support leaders developing Water Funds or other investment programs.

CEO Water Mandate (NbS Benefit Accounting)

NbS Benefit Accounting provides a method to measure contributions to water, carbon and other co-benefits in watersheds. It includes a landscape assessment, a methodological guide and a practical tool to apply it.

Book: NbS and water security

It brings together the collective thinking of the community of practice in an action agenda to accelerate the integration of NbS. It addresses standards, technical assessment, design tools, capacity building and innovative finance.

UN Report: NbS for water (2018)

It shows how NbS make it possible to address global water challenges beyond traditional approaches, providing key benefits for sustainable development.

Oxford NbS Initiative

An interdisciplinary program at the University of Oxford that researches the potential of NbS to address global challenges and support their sustainable implementation. It brings together cutting-edge resources, training, policy work and case studies.

IUCN NbS knowledge center

The IUCN's NbS website brings together information, a global standard and tools on Nature-based Solutions.

WaterProof application

Go to the WaterProof tool

Sign up or log in to start your customized analysis. The software will guide you step by step through every stage of the process.

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