Database of EU research and innovation projects on nature-based solutions
Introduction to the database
As a partner in NetworkNature, Biodiversa+ has expanded the R&I and implementation projects database.
About this database
In 2021, NetworkNature and Biodiversa+ created the NbS projects database to offer insights into where major funding for NbS is allocated at the European level. This tool serves as a vital resource for policymakers, funders, and programmers, facilitating a better understanding of funding trends and enabling a more coordinated approach to NbS R&I investment.
Latest insights
The 2024 update expands the database significantly by:
Adding the latest NbS-focused projects funded by already explored programmers like LIFE, Horizon 2020, Interreg and Biodiversa+.
Incorporating NbS-related projects funded by additional programmes or initiatives, including Horizon Europe, Water4All, the Sustainable Blue Economy Partnership (SBEP), Driving Urban Transition (DUT) and EJP Soil.
To identify NbS-focused projects, an exhaustive process was undertaken, involving strategic keywords selections and detailed abstracts reviews.
To facilitate analysis and database navigation, each selected project was then categorised by:
NbS type
Ecosystems
Approaches
Societal challenges
Across 471 projects spanning from 2011 to 2024, this update highlights several trends:
Biodiversa+ projects encompass 10% of all NbS-focused collected projects.
Ecosystem coverage: Overall, urban ecosystems dominate; however, recent projects show a shift towards multi-environment solutions. Other commonly studied environments include coastal, shelf, and open ocean areas and croplands - which are the two predominantly ecosystems targeted by Biodiversa+ relevant projects.
Adopted approaches: A substantial proportion of projects adopts ecosystem-based approaches. Among these, ecosystem-based agricultural approaches are prominent. Conversely, ecosystem protection approaches are relatively less adopted in the context of NbS, and these projects mainly target marine environments. Biodiversa+ relevant projects mainly adopt ecological restoration and ecosystem-based agricultural management approaches.
Societal challenges: A significant proportion of projects tackles climate resilience, the second most addressed challenge after food security in Biodiversa+ projects
In agroecosystems, multiple ecosystem services (ES) such as soil fertility, pest regulation, biodiversity conservation, and crop production need to be balanced to achieve sustainable development goals and Aichi biodiversity targets. The main global drivers of biodiversity and ES…
Soil biota diversity is ensuring primary production in terrestrial ecosystems and agricultural productivity. Water and nutrient cycling, soil formation and aggregation, decomposition and carbon sequestration as well as control of pest organisms are important functions in soil…
The key determinants of the stability of multiple ES delivery and biodiversity in agro-ecosystems and agricultural landscapes, including resilience to climate variability and extremes, much remains to be developed for the scientific foundation of ESS-based approaches. Besides…
The conversion and degradation of tropical forests has multiple negative socio-environmental impacts. Conversely, the restoration of forest landscapes, including enhancing tree cover on already cleared farmland, are powerful nature-based solutions to climate mitigation and…
World-wide increase in human population, market’s globalization, dietary shifts and urbanization are increasing the pressure on natural resources and have become a high priority on the political and scientific agenda. Most of these processes lead to multiple competing demands…
Agriculture is one of the key focus areas of the partnership between the European Union (EU) and the African Union (AU), with the EU’s focus being on facilitating a green transition according to its Green Deal (GD) objectives. The GD is a set of long-term policy initiatives that…
Addressing urban pressures through the maintenance and restoration of green and blue infrastructure (GBI) is key to building a healthy and resilient society. Accordingly, ENABLE employs a range of methods to identify, assess and facilitate a cost-effective implementation of GBI…
UrbanGaia will capitalize the untapped knowledge of the many existing Green-Blue Infrastructures (GBIs) in the urban context. The project has the explicit aim to develop realistic indicators to evaluate, manage and develop performant GBIs in cities and intensively managed…
The CLIMAREST project - Coastal Climate Resilience and Marine Restoration Tools for the Arctic Atlantic basin - integrates multiple expertise into a holistic approach, to develop a toolbox designed to establish guidelines for ecosystem restoration and to enhance climate…
WOODNET aims at providing innovative spatially-explicit tools for connectivity analysis along a range of landscapes from forest and shrubland to agricultural landscapes where woody vegetation elements play a key role for conservation or service delivery. Novel satellite images…
Agroforestry is the practice of deliberately integrating woody vegetation (trees or shrubs) with crop and/or animal systems to benefit from the resulting ecological and economic interactions. AGFORWARD (AGroFORestry that Will Advance Rural Development) is a four-year project,…
The Republic of Cabo Verde is an African archipelago, which depends largely on marine resources. Their coastal areas ensure human wellbeing through resources availability (e.g. food) and jobs. However, coastal regions in Cabo Verde are highly exposed to…
The world faces biodiversity and climate crisis. COASTal - Restoration of coastal habitat zones contribute to obtain favourable conservation status for 12 habitat types in the coastal zone. This will improve conservation conditions for 9 protected bird species and increase…
'Among the ecosystem services provided by European agriculture, the conservation of biodiversity and agricultural landscapes are predominant. High Nature Value (HNV) farmland located in less favoured areas play a central role in the conservation of habitats and species.…
Nature-based solutions (NBS) are governance techniques and models that directly and cost-effectively benefit both nature and humans. Despite the progress in NBS design and implementation, the socio-political challenge is that NBS are often tailored for the privileged, their…
Based on a detailed mapping of urban challenges and relevant nature-based solutions (NBS), Nature4Cities aims at developing complementary and interactive modules to engage urban stakeholders in a collective-learning process about re-naturing cities, develop and circulate new…
The project Community4Tourism, the Thematic Community project of the Interreg Euro-MED Sustainable Tourism Mission aims to contribute to the EU territorial cooperation and its transnational dimension through the objectives included in the Programme and the main goals of the…
The sustainable provision of ecosystem services (ES) in and from mountain regions is of crucial importance to an array of stakeholders and society in general, going much beyond the interests of particular landowners in the mountain regions themselves. Mountain ecosystems can…
The Catch-C project assesses the farm-compatibility of ‘Best Management Practices’ (BMPs) that aim to promote productivity, climate change mitigation, and soil quality. These are the three overall goals of sustainable soil management. Catch-C will first (WP2) set up a typology…
EcoFishMan seeks to develop a responsive fisheries management system (RFMS) based on results-based management (RBM) principles. The intended context of application of the RFMS is complex, mixed-fisheries and multi-stakeholder fishery sectors like those found in the EU/Common…
Nature-Based Solutions (NBS) have the potential to respond to climate change, enhance biodiversity and improve environmental quality while contributing to economic regeneration and social well-being. Yet there is a substantial gap between the promise of NBS and their uptake. To…
'The Mediterranean region will become one of the most vulnerable areas in Europe to global change. While in European Mediterranean countries the combination of climate change and land abandonment is promoting new unmanaged forest cover, increasing fire and pest risks, in…
Human use and exploitation of the biosphere is increasing at such a pace and scale that the sustainability of major ecosystems is threatened, and may not be able to continue to function in ways that are vital to the existence of humanity. Re-framing environmental resource use…
The project aims to identify the key semi-natural habitats (SNH), outside and within crops, providing essential ecological services (ES). Vegetation traits will be linked to potential ES provision, case studies will measure actual ES levels and inform models which will show…
Climate change presents a clear and present danger to the culture, heritage and life of communities in the NPA region. Heritage organisations are key actors in climate dialogue, motivating communities and visitors through awareness and action. Digital Action on Climate Change…
AQUACROSS aims to support EU efforts to enhance the resilience and stop the loss of biodiversity of aquatic ecosystems as well as to ensure the ongoing and future provision of aquatic ecosystem services. It focuses on advancing the knowledge base and application of the ecosystem…
Reef ecosystems are among the most productive areas of the planet, they play a major role in coastal fisheries as nursery and feeding grounds, and they further provide a huge array of ecosystem services. Coastal ecosystems are particularly vulnerable to human actions causing the…
To realise the full potential of tropical forests in climate change mitigation (CCM) & the provision of other ecosystem services in the face of ongoing global change we must improve our understanding of the relationships between biodiversity (BD) and the socio-ecological…
ADAFARM aims to analyze ecosystem-based climate adaptation options and nature based solutions for small farmers in sub-Saharan Africa. In line with the SDGS these strategies would be economically efficient, environmentally sustainable and socially equitable. I will use a social-…
Climate change (CC) is an increasing threat at European and global scale affecting social stability, public health, and well- being. The Mediterranean (Med) has been recognized as a CC hotspot and is among the least economically developed of the main EEA European biogeographical…
The current situation in Europe clearly indicates that major changes are needed to develop sustainable agricultural and food systems. In this respect, agroecology is increasingly seen as an important pathway as it designs, develops and promotes the transition towards sustainable…
Agroforestry (AF) is the practice of deliberately integrating woody vegetation (trees or shrubs) with crop and/or animal systems to benefit from the resulting ecological and economic interactions. Research activities developed by AFINET partners indicates that appropriate…
Around one million species already face extinction, many within decades, unless action is taken to reduce the intensity of drivers of biodiversity loss. Indicators of the extent and structural condition of ecosystems, of the composition of ecological communities, and of species…
River networks are among Earth’s most threatened hot-spots of biodiversity and provide key ecosystem services (e.g. supply drinking water and food, climate regulation) essential to sustaining human well-being. Climate change and increased human water use are causing more rivers…
Since 2014, Europe allocated €5.5 billion in sustainable watershed management, including Nature-Based Solutions (NBS) of green-blue infrastructure to combat aquatic ecosystem decline and climate change impacts (e.g. flooding, urban heat). Reliable integrated Planning Support…
The ecological and social unsustainability of our food systems is widely acknowledged by scientists, citizens and governments around the world. To address the challenge of sustainable transitions, agroecology is also increasingly recognised as a promising model and the…
The goal of B4EST is to increase forest survival, health, resilience and productivity under climate change and natural disturbances, while maintaining genetic diversity and key ecological functions, and fostering a competitive EU bio-based economy.
The project aims at improving the adaptive capacity of cities to heavy rainfall by demonstrating how SUDS can be retrofitted in public areas normally constrained by existing uses and infrastructure (above or below ground), or "historic environment" protection. The…
DuneFront will demonstrate blue-grey coastal and marine infrastructure as a new generation of sustainable, inclusive, and aesthetic solution to ensure coastal safety under climate change. The project has the ambition to co-create hybrid Dune-Dike Nature Based Solutions (DD-…
Organic/low input cereal food systems in the EU are emerging in answer to the sustainability crisis of the conventional agri-food sector. “Alternative” systems are based on local, decentralized approaches to production and processing, regard to quality and health, and short…
NAIAD aims to operationalise the insurance value of ecosystems to reduce the human and economic cost of risks associated with water (floods and drought) by developing and testing - with key insurers and municipalities - the concepts, tools, applications and instruments (business…
In eco2adapt we will develop the Ecosystem-based Adaptation (EbA) framework, derived from Nature-Based Solutions (NBS), that harnesses biodiversity and ecosystem services to reduce vulnerability and build social-ecological resilience to climate change. We will work in Living…
Increasing urban human populations lead to further development of urban centers with consequent loss of green spaces, causing strong alterations of ecosystem processes and trophic interactions. Yet urban green areas have been shown to support native biodiversity, enhance…
The socio-economic and environmental services provided by the protection, development and exploitation of natural heritage in urban areas are collectively known across Europe as ‘green infrastructure’ and the aim of the PERFECT project is to improve the implementation of…
IMAGINE is based on 6 partners from 5 countries eligible to Biodiversa funding
IMAGINE brings together multidisciplinary and complementary expertise (landscape ecology, restoration ecology, sociology, land planning, modelling),
IMAGINE promote a place based approach…
Objectives of the current and future European CAP are to enhance the climate change resilience of European agriculture, increase climate change adaptation and protect biodiversity. Climate change Resilience of Agriculture System (CRAS) project aims, through an econometric and…
Agrobiodiversity is a vital subset of biodiversity and is the result of the interaction between the environment, genetic resources and management systems used by culturally diverse people. It is a crucial prerequisite for ecologically and economically sustainable agricultural…
Frequent land degradation problems in drylands make necessary the adoption of effective and low cost restoration strategies for a sustainable development of these areas. However, water scarcity and low soil fertility inherent to drylands make difficult implementation of…
EDAPHOS proposes a holistic and innovative land management approach to contribute to the Mission “A Soil Deal for EU” and to its specific objective “Reduce soil pollution and enhance restoration”. EDAPHOS will develop a framework for land rehabilitation and ecological…
Pressures on forest ecosystems are very likely to increase as a consequence of socioeconomic and demographic trends. A growing population will demand more products (e.g., wood) to be extracted from forest ecosystems. At the same time, these harvesting activities and their…
The EFFECTIVE main objective is to develop a comprehensive scientific knowledge base and practical guidance, combining science, technological nature-based solution, digitalization, and social implication for the application of the Ecosystem-Based management to the protection and…
The overarching objective of Connecting Nature is to position Europe as a global leader in the innovation and implementation of nature-based solutions. The project partners will form a community of cities fostering peer-to-peer, transdisciplinary capacity-building between front-…
Severe hydro-meteorological phenomena are having a high impact in European territories and are of global concern. The science behind these phenomena is complex and advancement in knowledge proceeds with progress in data acquisition and forecasting useful for real-scenario…
The EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030 emphasises that “we need nature in our lives”. Yet, the world is currently facing its 6th biodiversity crisis partly due to land mismanagement. Habitat restoration and reintroduction of threatened species are considered…
Mountains in Europe are highly valued as they provide diverse living and recreational opportunities and unique landscape sceneries, are key economic assets, and because they are treasures of unique flora and fauna. Their vulnerable environment is, however, threatened by the…
In response to the increasing need for cooperation in learning and skills/capacity development for environmental sustainability, including biodiversity and Nature-based Solutions (NBS) learning and teaching, eNaBlS will set the basis of networking and collaboration with a view…
Terrestrial and marine ecosystems provide essential services to human societies. Anthropogenic pressures, however, cause serious threat to ecosystems, leading to habitat degradation, increased risk of collapse and loss of ecosystem services. Knowledge-based conservation,…
The EcoScope project will develop an interoperable platform and a robust decision-making toolbox, available through a single public portal, to promote an efficient, ecosystem-based fisheries management. It will be guided by policy makers and scientific advisory bodies, and…