Between January 26 and 29, Bogotá became more than just a technical exchange destination: it was a living laboratory for reflecting on the role of Nature-based Solutions (NbS) in urban transformation. Throughout the Study Tour, participants visited community experiences, urban ecological corridors, wetland restoration processes, ecotourism initiatives in the Eastern mountains and institutional spaces where financing mechanisms and planning tools were discussed. This combination — territory, community, and public policy — made it possible to understand NbS across multiple scales.

During the Study Tour organized by SELVAR, a delegation from Paraguay — with representatives from the national government and the city of Itauguá — toured various experiences in the Colombian capital. However, beyond the places visited, what proved most valuable was what emerged in the conversations: deep questions about governance, sustainability, adaptation, and leadership.

This space left us with lessons that go beyond the territory itself.

1. NbS are not isolated projects, they are processes

One of the main lessons was understanding that NbS cannot be seen as one-off interventions or “green projects” within the city. They are transformation processes that require time, institutional continuity, and social ownership.

Behind every experience visited were years of work, adjustments, learning and, above all, persistence. This was a reminder that urban resilience is not built with quick fixes, but through sustained processes.

2. Communities are not beneficiaries: they are protagonists

Another key lesson was recognizing that the strongest initiatives are those where the community participates actively, not merely symbolically.

When people feel that the territory belongs to them, sustainability no longer depends solely on public budgets and begins to be sustained by the social fabric. In this sense, NbS are also social solutions: they strengthen bonds, identity, and a sense of belonging.

3. Governance is just as important as ecology

The conversations during the Study Tour made clear that restoring an ecosystem is only part of the challenge. The other part — equally complex — is building institutional arrangements that coordinate public, private, and community actors.

Without clear financial mechanisms, political leadership, and functional governance structures, even the best technical solutions lose their strength. NbS need ecological roots, but also institutional roots.