Purpose
To develop an initial understanding of the context, trends, and NbS options within a watershed, and use these findings to decide whether or not to proceed with more detailed analysis. Then, if the decision is made to proceed, also set some boundaries and parameters for the Feasibility analysis.
Before beginning Pre-Feasibility you should have an initial idea of the area to study. This does not necessarily need to be defined explicitly nor hydrologically – e.g. “the area that supplies city X or infrastructure Y” is sufficient. WIPs can operate successfully at different scales, so there isn’t necessarily a correct size or shape, and precise boundaries can be defined through the analysis. But it will be challenging to achieve findings that are relevant or detailed enough without this initial boundary-setting.
Before moving to Feasibility, you should have:
- A good sense of the geographic boundaries of the study
- A good understanding of the main hydrological processes, water infrastructure, and water users, and therefore the main water security challenges
- A good understanding of the stakeholder, regulatory and political landscape, as well as existing programs and initiatives
- An initial sense of which NbS options might be appropriate
- A group of stakeholders and beneficiaries eager to support Feasibility analysis
Core Questions Answered
What water security challenge(s) are you seeking to address? Clarity on the main challenges is needed for decisions around which NbS to implement, and where.
Which NbS options could be relevant? NbS are landscape-specific and need to be appropriate for local context (e.g. water security challenges, ecology, hydrology, land use). These parameters should help you either determine a set of potential NbS for further analyses, or identify that NbS are not a good strategy in the area of study, in which case a WIP is unlikely to be feasible.
Which stakeholders care, and are they willing to support a WIP? Stakeholders tend to engage if they are affected by water security challenges and/or might enjoy direct benefits from the responses to these challenges. There may also be stakeholders with broader interests, for example concerns regarding social welfare, biodiversity, or adaptation to climate change, all of which a WIP can help address.
Is there a favorable institutional and funding context? Local political and governance bodies can create enabling conditions or challenges for WIP success, and a stable political landscape can favor institutional stability. Furthermore, this context may set boundaries or highlight opportunities regarding the WIP’s governance structure.
Is collective action likely to fill an important gap? The landscape your WIP finds itself in may already host a number of initiatives. Thoughtful WIPs should seek to build on past successes, and complement (versus duplicate) activities.
Key Outputs
Data Repository: Much of the analysis at Pre-Feasibility phase will rely on existing studies and datasets, and conversations with experts and local stakeholders. This information (e.g. publications, presentations, meeting notes) and the resulting analyses should be clearly documented and stored in a repository for future access.
Pre-Feasibility Analysis: A summary document that consolidates the high-level holistic evaluation of the potential for a WIP in the area of study. This should include a section with recommended next steps, key opportunities, and focus topics to help guide the potential Feasibility phase.
Pre-Feasibility return-on-investment evaluation [optional]: An indicative ROI analysis can be conducted using global data sets, coarse biophysical models, and rough costing information (e.g. see WaterProof as a potential option). Simple spreadsheet-based analyses might also be appropriate to assess specific NbS options.
Go/No-Go Evaluation: A decision regarding whether or not to move forward, supported by key local stakeholders and beneficiaries. This should be formalized to some extent, for example with an In-Principles Agreement, Memorandum of Understanding, and/or Non-Disclosure Agreement(s), to clearly signal positive intent and maintain momentum for further analysis and the necessary information-sharing.
The Pre-Feasibility Package is a holistic analytical package that provides a rough scoping for your WIP and creates an interface point for stakeholders to register their interest and support.
It culminates with a Go/No-Go Evaluation, and in the case of ‘Go’ the signing of an In-Principles Agreement with your core stakeholders to partner together in the Feasibility Assessment.
- Data Repository: Centralized repository of relevant existing publications, documents, & analysis to support the process
- Pre-Feasibility Analysis: Summary document that provides high-level holistic evaluation of WIP potential
- Pre-Feasibility ROI Evaluation (optional): Indicative ROI relying on global data sets, coarse biophysical models, & rough costing info (see WaterProof as potential execution option)
- Go/No-Go Evaluation: Multi-dimensional scoring rubric to assist stakeholders with understanding their interest to move to In-Principles Agreement
Time Required: 7–10 months
Key Experts & Working Days (estimate)
Stakeholder engagement: 25
Project management: 30
Economics & finance: 15
Science management: 15
Hydrology: 10
GIS and Cartography: 20
Total estimated working days: 115
Pre-Feasibility Workstreams
Tools to Pre-Feasibility
A few tools are listed below, however you can browse for more tools in the toolbox here.
- Tool 1: WaterProof
WaterProof is a high-level ROI (Return on Investment) assessment tool, designed to provide stakeholders interested in Nature-based Solutions with a pre-feasibility / indicative assessment regarding NbS potential. It helps businesses, governments, and other stakeholders to quantify the financial returns and water savings from implementing Nature based solutions for water. - Tool 2: Waterplan
Waterplan is a comprehensive climate platform designed to measure, respond to, and report on increasingly changing water risks. It features the world's most advanced dynamic water risk framework, which is fully automated and based on state-of-the-art research. This framework integrates satellite imagery, meteorological data, and modeling to provide high-resolution information across various aspects such as physical risks (including floods, scarcity, and quality), infrastructure, regulatory, and reputational risks, and is updated monthly with global, up-to-site-level resolution. - Tool 2: NbS Benefits Explorer
The NBS Benefits Explorer is a web-based tool developed to serve as a key starting point for organizations looking to invest in nature-based solutions (NBS), and for those wishing to learn more about benefit identification and accounting.