Governance influences ecosystem services through efficiency and resilience in nature based solutions

Abstract Nature-based solutions (NbS) are increasingly adopted as governance-focused strategies to enhance sustainability and the delivery of ecosystem services in protected areas. Despite their growing importance, a consistent gap remains between governance design and successful ecological implementation. This research investigates the relationship between governance mechanisms and the quality of ecosystem services, emphasizing the intermediary roles of environmental efficiency and resilience in arid protected areas. A quantitative research design was employed, and data were collected from key stakeholders involved in the management of protected areas. Structural equation modeling was used to look at both direct and indirect effects. The results show that governance mechanisms make ecosystem services much better. Additionally, environmental efficiency and resilience significantly mediate this relationship, with resilience exerting a more pronounced mediating effect. The integrated mediation model demonstrates substantially superior explanatory power compared to the direct-effect model. The results show that governance structures by themselves are not enough to achieve long-term ecological results. Effective implementation strategies that improve operational efficiency and adaptive capacity are also needed. This study adds to the body of research on sustainability governance by providing real-world proof that governance-driven Nature-based Solutions (NbS) can improve the performance of ecosystem services.