Abstract
Riparian buffer zones are essential nature-based solutions for protecting freshwater ecosystems globally, yet their implementation faces challenges in balancing ecological, agricultural, and social needs. In the Santa Lucía River Basin (SLRB) in Uruguay, these buffers are critical for improving water quality but face issues like low compliance and limited awareness of the policy in place. We explored stakeholder perspectives on riparian buffer implementation through 24 semi-structured interviews with government institutions, researchers, producer unions, producers, NGOs, and locals. Our aim was to identify perceptions of current and desired ecosystem services, buffer characteristics, and barriers and opportunities to successful implementation. Our results show that stakeholders acknowledge key ecosystem services such as pollution retention and erosion reduction, but they desire additional services like enhanced agricultural productivity and recreational opportunities. Stakeholders identified native vegetation and the spatial dimensions of buffer zones as important physical characteristics of buffer zones. Preferred management practices included no-tillage and extensive agricultural management practices, while policy should aim to adapt buffer zones to the specific conditions of the area they are located in instead of a "one-size-fits-all" policy design. Barriers such as producer cooperation, communication gaps, and economic costs hinder progress. To address these barriers, potential solutions include improving stakeholder collaboration, emphasizing the multifunctional benefits of riparian buffers, strengthening compliance monitoring, exploring opportunities to provide technical support to farmers, and adopting integrated environmental management approaches. By addressing these interconnected challenges, riparian buffers can become resilient, multifunctional solutions that enhance ecosystem services, benefiting both biodiversity and human well-being in the SLRB.