Nature-based solutions: a bibliometric analysis of past, present and future trends

Nature-based Solutions (NbS) is a research topic that is becoming recently of more interest due to its international initiatives. Here, we developed a bibliometric analysis using open-source software to better understand the trends in themes within the international research production. We searched the literature using the database Scopus from 2016 (year of official NbS definition by the International Union for Conservation of Nature), to 2023 and found 293 documents that comprise articles, book chapters, reviews, conference papers and scientific notes, among others. The documents' review process was conducted through the use of an open- source software to obtain trends and science mapping graphics. We analyzed the scientific production related to authors, keywords, institutions, and countries to uncover the trends in the NbS research area. The findings indicated that from 2016-2023, NbS research had a 77.72% annual increase rate, an average of 11.43 citations per document and a 43.69% rate of international collaboration. Climate change, ecosystem services, and biodiversity were broad and transversal themes, while other themes such as water management, land use and stakeholder participation evolved to become more specialized and integrative of new approaches and methods, along with these transversal themes. Finally, the potential gaps or directions could be fulfilled with the use of new technologies like artificial intelligence and evolution in specific themes like water security and hydrometeorological hazards in more integrative ways.