A new IWA Cluster has been formally approved to elevate and coordinate Nature-based Solutions (NbS) across the global water and sanitation sectors. The Nature-based Solutions for Climate-Resilient Water and Sanitation Management Cluster (IWA NbS Cluster) was officially endorsed by the IWA Headquarters in March 2025, highlighting the increasing global recognition of NbS as vital tools for sustainable water management.
The Cluster will be co-chaired by Sylvie Spraakman (IAHR/IWA Committee on Urban Drainage) and Günter Langergraber (IWA Specialist Group on Wetland Systems for Water Pollution Control). It will serve as a cross-cutting platform fostering collaboration among IWA Specialist Groups to advance the research, implementation, and standardisation of NbS—including treatment wetlands, sponge cities, living walls, regenerative agriculture, and beyond.
Mission and Vision
The IWA NbS Cluster aims to:
- Promote robust, science-based NbS across the water cycle
- Prevent misuse of NbS terminology and reduce greenwashing
- Foster integrated approaches to knowledge exchange, innovation, and policy guidance
This Cluster emerges in response to the urgent need for unified action and discourse around NbS in the face of accelerating climate change and water challenges.
As with other IWA Clusters, the NbS Cluster builds on IWA’s strategic ambition to amplify collaboration across specialist groups and workstreams. Clusters are designed to bring together experts across disciplines to address complex global water challenges through thematic focus areas. The NbS Cluster aligns with this approach, aiming to connect diverse knowledge and stakeholders around nature-based, climate-resilient water solutions.
A core team of representatives from key IWA Specialist Groups is currently being established to coordinate the Cluster’s initial actions and strategic planning.
The details of the cluster is provided by By Katharine Cross¹, Anacleto Rizzo², and Günter Langergraber³
¹Water Sensitive Cities Australia, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
²IRIDRA S.r.l., Florence, Italy
³Institute of Sanitary Engineering and Water Pollution Control, BOKU University, Vienna, Austria
Get Involved
IWA members are invited to join the Cluster: IWA – Community Portal – Events