Achieving equitable decision-making in nature-based solutions: Understanding barriers and enablers shaping local involvement in a Scottish coastal town

This study examines how decision-making in nature-based solutions (NbS) is experienced at the local level, focusing on Anstruther, a coastal town in Scotland. Using a survey, workshop, and insights from an ongoing local NbS initiative, it explores who participates in NbS, who influences decisions, alongside barriers and enablers to involvement.

Findings show that while support for working with nature is widespread, involvement is typically embedded within broader community activities rather than formal NbS frameworks. Participation is concentrated in short-term, hands-on roles, with limited opportunities for local actors to influence planning, priorities, or resource allocation. Local groups act as key intermediaries, but their influence is constrained by fragmented coordination, limited resources, and unclear institutional responsibilities

The study concludes that local involvement is shaped less by willingness to participate than by governance structures and how participation is organised. It identifies practical approaches to support more inclusive and equitable decision-making, including clearer roles and responsibilities, improved coordination, and the use of accessible, locally meaningful communication. Together, these create the enabling conditions for participation to move beyond delivery and towards meaningful influence, allowing communities to shape priorities, design, and direction of NbS initiatives.