Forging a Symbiosis Framework: An Interdisciplinary Blueprint for Scaling Nature-Based Solutions

Despite unprecedented political endorsement, nature-based solutions (NbS) consistently fail to achieve the systemic transformation required for climate and biodiversity crises. This implementation deadlock stems from a profound triple strategic gap: a translational evidence gap between fragmented science and actionable design, a strategic design gap in misaligned institutions, and a fundamental theoretical integration gap disconnecting ecological principles from socio-economic solutions. This study forges and validates the symbiosis framework—an interdisciplinary blueprint designed to bridge this triple gap. Employing design science research, we: (1) synthesize ecological theory with institutional economics to distill three core design principles—functional reciprocity, nested modular network architecture, and strategic leverage and foundational support; (2) translate these into a conceptual model and strategic implementation blueprint; and (3) validate the framework through comparative analysis of global NbS case studies. The resulting framework provides a novel translational logic, moving beyond critique to offer a prescriptive design tool. It enables practitioners to diagnose systemic failures and design interventions that emulate ecological intelligence while applying institutional design principles: cultivating reciprocal partnerships, structuring resilient networks through polycentric governance, and strategically targeting catalytic leverage points and foundational assets. We conclude that scaling NbS requires a paradigm shift from managing isolated symptoms to architecting symbiotic systems. The symbiosis framework provides the essential interdisciplinary blueprint for this shift.