NbS are reframing discussion and policy responses worldwide to environmental challenges. The concept builds on and complements other closely related concepts, such as the ecosystem approach, ecosystem services, ecosystem-based adaptation/mitigation, disaster risk reduction, sponge cities, and green/blue infrastructures. The quantification of existing NbS' effectiveness, their operationalization and replication in different environmental settings are presented here in such a way that allows them to be both widely accepted and incorporated in policy development and in practical implementation.