An analysis of the IUCN Global Standard for Nature-based Solutionsᵀᴹ indicators that have been insufficiently or only partially addressed helped to make recommendations for improvement and to identify concrete corrective actions to strengthen the implementation of the intervention.  This demonstrates how the self-assessment can be used to strengthen the design and implementation of Nature-based Solutions.

The adoption of the Oristano Coastal Wetlands Contract (CWC) by the 11 municipalities provided an important legal basis and framework to advance the integrated management of six wetlands in the Gulf of Oristano. An integrated and unique system of governance was needed in a framework characterized by fragmented wetland management (between regional and local government) and similar problems and ecosystem shared in all wetlands. The CWC provided strategies and actions that support ongoing efforts toward the establishment of a new regional park. The Regional Park can manage and coordinate the public bodies involved. Moreover, the possibility to lighten the administrative and evaluation process, considering the main aspects, environmental and economic, such as biodiversity and ecosystem conservation, climate mitigation, fishing, agriculture, tourism, etc. The establishment of a formal, clear and well-documented feedback grievance mechanism, as well as participatory decision-making processes respecting the rights and interests of all participating and affected stakeholders, were added as priority actions going forward.

The experience has highlighted the importance of collaboration between local actors and how multi-objective interventions can be the winning key to increasing the support of the local population and administrations as a single intervention has benefits for different categories of stakeholders and promotes multiple ecosystem services.

The artificial island is an opportunity to combine the productive reality with the naturalistic one to amplify the conservation potential of the area and make it a unique reality in Sardinia. The outcome is conditioned by external conditions that are not directly linked to the intervention. Constant monitoring is necessary to increase or modify the nesting support action.

The precision agriculture project with the drone turned out to be an efficient technology. Results show that irrigation based on drone-collected data can lead to a 30% water saving and fertilisers reduction. Due to the low cost per hectare compared to other technologies (such as micro or sub-irrigation) is especially efficient for large size croplands and water-intensive crops, such as maize and rice.

Taking the time to put in place the initial three building blocks and national strategies enables the translation of relevant health data into actionable real-time information to support multi-sectoral stakeholders and decision-makers to implement an effective multi-sectoral response. This in turn will optimize the health of wildlife, people, and livestock, help prevent pandemics and demonstrate the benefits of wildlife surveillance networks, increasing local government buy-in for future self-investment.

- Early detection of wildlife morbidity and mortality events facilitates a timely and appropriate response to disease threats; the inability to detect and identify the causes of mortality events is a major limitation in the protection of wildlife, livestock, and public health.

- Employing an already proven open-source and cell-phone-based technology through the Spatial Monitoring and Reporting Tool (SMART) platform used by rangers in close to 1,000 biodiverse sites across the world,  leverages an unprecedented network of globally distributed boots-on-the-ground and eyes-in-the-field that can act as sentinels for unusual events in remote areas. 

A foundational understanding of the links between wildlife/ environmental health and human and domestic animal health and well-being ensures better interest and buy-in for One Health competency training such as wildlife surveillance. Stakeholder-specific trainings (e.g. Event detection and reporting for forest rangers; Necropsy and pathology for laboratory staff/ veterinarians; Sample collection and handling for rangers & confiscation teams; Technology for network coordinator and rangers), multi-lingual training packages, with core competencies and evaluation tools enable broader reach and buy-in for capacity building and maintenance and continued expansion of the surveillance network national, regionally and globally.

IMET highlighted the problems faced by the PA management team – e.g. the lack of employees. There are just three people employed to manage 14 protected areas which is beyond human capacity and really emphasised need to employ more people. 93% of the total operating budget for RNT was provided by the NGOs, and only 5.6% was provided by the government.  Understanding these input aspects allows the planning of a sustainable approach to management through the implementation of eco-tourism which could provide a stable and constant income in the long-term. 

We realised that there are no baseline data for the two PAs and so we do not know if pressures such as tourism or climate change are having a negative impact on the PAs as there is nothing to compare future values to. In order for the PAs to be sustainably managed, an understanding of the resources, features and ecosystems present is needed to see if any changes are occurring.  

The process also highlighted the importance of the roles of the NGOs and their contribution in terms of financial, personnel and material resources.