Governance-Driven Nature-Based Solutions and the Implementation Gap in Protected Areas: Evidence from an Arid Context

Governance-Driven Nature-Based Solutions and the Implementation Gap in Protected Areas: Evidence from an Arid Context | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article Governance-Driven Nature-Based Solutions and the Implementation Gap in Protected Areas: Evidence from an Arid Context Saddam Mohammad Alkhawaldeh, Raed Hasan Alkhawaldeh This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-8719470/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Nature-Based Solutions (NbS) are increasingly promoted as governance-oriented approaches for enhancing environmental management and ecosystem service delivery in protected areas. Despite their widespread adoption, empirical evidence suggests that improvements in governance and institutional arrangements do not always result in high-quality ecological outcomes. This study investigates the implementation gap between governance-driven NbS and ecosystem service quality (ESQ) in protected areas operating under arid and resource-constrained conditions. Using survey data collected from 256 professionals working in twelve protected areas and affiliated environmental organizations, the study examines the effects of key NbS dimensions—environmental efficiency, resilience, socio-economic efficiency, and governance and stakeholder engagement—on ecosystem service quality. Regression analysis reveals that governance-related NbS dimensions exert a statistically significant positive influence on ESQ; however, the overall level of ecosystem service quality remains persistently low across the study context. These findings indicate the presence of an institutional implementation gap, where governance-oriented NbS adoption generates procedural and coordination benefits without ensuring commensurate ecological outcomes. The study reframes ecosystem service quality as an indicator of institutional effectiveness rather than purely ecological performance and highlights the limitations of governance-centric NbS strategies in arid protected areas. The results offer important implications for policymakers and managers seeking to align NbS governance frameworks with on-the-ground ecosystem service delivery. Nature-Based Solutions Governance Ecosystem Service Quality Implementation Gap Protected Areas Arid Regions Full Text Additional Declarations The authors declare no competing interests. Cite Share Download PDF Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. Our growing team is made up of researchers and industry professionals working together to solve the most critical problems facing scientific publishing. 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