How Nature-Based Solutions can Contribute to Enhance Circularity in Cities

Environmental education in different disciplines puts an accent on acquiring specialised knowledge and, while this remains essential, fostering knowledge alone, without links to real life, personal experiences, competencies, and values, is insufficient. Nature-based solutions (NBS) have the potential to be used as an educational framework that requires critical system thinking, a crucial component of truly democratic active citizenship, and raises awareness about global environmental, social, and economic issues. On the basis of NBS-related environmental education materials, we present in this chapter selected case studies that describe education for three main stakeholder groups. Concerning pupils and students, these are examples for schools and higher education, as well as pilot installations from Italy, Spain, Slovenia, Portugal, Turkey, and Germany. Different forms of facilities or organisations are included to demonstrate the possibilities of NBS-related education for practitioners. The offers for the general public comprise a mobile exhibition/demonstration unit, a social project and an animation video. Additionally, existing online platforms for knowledge sharing are summarised. The NBS concept has potential to assist the transition from current conventional education paradigms towards to a more critical systemic thinking to foster environmental citizenship as a base for environmental, social-economic, political, economic, and cultural changes on local, national, and global scales.