Rivers across the globe are under increasing pressure from climatic and anthropogenic threats, which has led to a widespread recognition of the need for integrated, holistic river management and ecological restoration. Economic analyses such as cost-benefit analysis (CBA) often play an important role in the decision-making process. However, (peer-reviewed) information on costs of measures is scarce, existing studies are limited in scope and there is a lack of approaches that integrate biophysical – socioeconomic metrics to allow for spatially explicit scenario analysis. By quantifying and monetising the supply of ten ecosystem services under three integrated river- and floodplain management (RFM) strategies incorporating Nature-based Solutions for the river Rhine in the Netherlands, this study develops such approaches, demonstrates the impact of adopting of a wider scope in CBA and includes an in-depth analysis of investment costs. Of the ten monetized benefits, the amenity value of landscape quality (up to 730 MEUR) and bequest-existence value of wildlife habitats (up to 5030 MEUR) have the highest values. Our results illustrate that expanding the scope of benefits considered can lead to significant changes in the benefit-cost ratio and the ranking of preferred strategies, with potential implications for strategic choices. Overall, our study presents a practical approach for integrating biophysical-economic indicators to support broader valuation of integrated river-floodplain management (RFM) strategies, in line with EC recommendations for water policy and particularly relevant for upcoming Nature Restoration Plans which are being developed under the EU Nature Restoration Regulation.

• First national valuation of hunting ecosystem services in the Czech Republic. • Recreational hunting value exceeds provisioning by up to 17 times. • Combines cost-based, benefit transfer, and spatial allocation methods. • Results aligned with SEEA-EA for natural capital accounting integration. • Highlights risks of using benefit transfer in valuation studies. Hunting provides both provisioning and cultural ecosystem services, yet its economic value remains underrepresented in natural capital accounting. This study presents the first comprehensive, national-level assessment of hunting-related ecosystem services in the Czech Republic. Using a combination of market price valuation, cost-based methods, adjusted benefit transfer, and spatial allocation, the analysis estimates the 2022 value of wild game meat and recreational hunting. Results show that recreational hunting generates CZK 9.33 billion (USD 677 million), while the value of game meat provision totals CZK 548 million (USD 39.7 million). The comparison of primary valuation and benefit transfer methods reveals substantial discrepancies, with transferred values overestimating provisioning services and underestimating recreational values. Values are spatially allocated to ecosystem types using CORINE land cover, making them compatible with the System of Environmental-Economic Accounting – Ecosystem Accounting (SEEA-EA). The study presents an indicative methodological framework for valuing hunting-related ecosystem services and highlights the importance of context-specific data for informing natural capital accounting, and sustainable wildlife management.

• 20 key ecosystem services in riverine landscapes summarized. • Nature-based measures benefits up to 17 ecosystem services, outweighing technical measures. • Technical measures tend to prioritize a single ecosystem service at the cost of multiple others. • Prioritizing nature-based measures fosters multifunctional, sustainable river systems. • Future research should bridge evidence gaps with more empirical studies and data synthesis. While rivers and floodplains provide critical ecosystem services such as water purification, flood regulation, and recreational opportunities, they face increasing pressures from anthropogenic activities and climate change. Traditional river management has predominantly relied on technical interventions, which have frequently been associated with reductions in the ability of ecosystems to deliver these critical services. This study aims to provide a robust basis for assessing the potential impacts of technical and nature-based river management measures on ecosystem services in rivers and floodplains. Using a synthesis-of-reviews approach based on PRISMA guidelines findings from nine review publications – including 25 nature-based and 26 technical river management measures – were summarized. Results demonstrate that nature-based river management measures exhibit significantly more positive and fewer negative effects on ecosystem services compared to technical measures. Over 84 % (21 out of 25) of nature-based interventions positively influence 6 to 17 ecosystem services, whereas technical measures, on average, positively affect only one service (±1.4 standard deviation, SD) and negatively impact approximately 15 (±5.3 SD). Nature-based measures also enhance ecological integrity, biodiversity, and climate resilience, making them critical for achieving multifunctional river landscapes. These findings offer valuable insights for policymakers and practitioners, emphasizing the need to prioritize nature-based measures in river management to enhance ecological conditions and sustain multiple ecosystem services. By integrating nature-based approaches, decision-makers can achieve more sustainable, multifunctional river systems that balance ecological, social, and economic objectives.

• Fewer contract restrictions increase participation in voluntary agreements for ES. • Agreements promoting biodiversity protection are preferred over timber contracts. • Interest in multifunctional forest provisions agreements increased after 2012. European forests are increasingly expected to provide a wide range of biodiversity and ecosystem services (BES) beyond timber production, positioning non-industrial private forest (NIPF) owners (hereafter, “forest owners”) as key contributors. An emerging question is how to engage forest owners in the needed forest management shift. To better understand the drivers of forest owner participation in voluntary agreements, we conducted a meta-regression analysis of 24 studies from survey-based, stated, or actual participation data, encompassing 28 distinct datasets and 571 observations from 12 European countries. The findings suggest that certain contract designs substantially enhance forest owner participation: short- and mid-term contracts of 1 to 30 years (as opposed to longer-term agreements), the inclusion of withdrawal clauses, non-restrictive management requirements, and higher compensation levels all promote uptake. Moreover, agreements centred on biodiversity, carbon, or forest multifunctionality attract higher participation than timber- or water-focused aims. Although trust between the actors is often considered important in the literature, we did not consistently detect such effects on participation rates. The results indicate a more consistent interest among forest owners in BES agreements after 2012, especially those centred on biodiversity and carbon aims as well as on multifunctionality, potentially reflecting broader policy trends and shifts in motivation among younger generations of forest owners, moving away from timber production. These insights offer practical lessons for policymakers and practitioners aiming to design effective, targeted incentives that leverage Europe’s privately owned forests to meet biodiversity and climate objectives.