Land use changes can pose threats to natural ecosystems already challenged by anthropogenic pressures and increase societal exposure to river-related risks such as floods. In the Tagliamento river basin, a reference ecosystem for the restoration of Alpine rivers, land use planning was identified by locals as a major flood risk management issue. Here, we present evidence of the evolution of land use in the basin and explore the synergies between river conservation efforts and ecosystem-based land use planning. We present two storylines, one about a village that moved across the river and a second about a village that became an island. The analysis of the two storylines suggests a narrative that highlights (i) the preservation of natural regulatory functions in the middle course and (ii) the reactivation of fluvial corridors and wetlands in the lower course. Past documents highlighted that land use plans should account for threats posed by multiple hazardous phenomena (e.g., floods and droughts) to natural and human assets. We provide suggestions for future land use plans in the river basin integrating local knowledge and historical evidence into context-dependent storylines to convey risk-related concepts to the public.

ecosystem servicesnature-based solutionsland use planningexposure assessmentdisaster risk reductionriver conservationcontext-based storylines