This database gathers European R&I projects on NBS from several major European research and innovation or implementation programmes: BiodivERsA, Horizon 2020, Seventh framework programme (FP7), Interreg and LIFE (EU’s funding instrument for the environment and climate action) over the years 2011–2021. Their project databases were screened using two successive keyword searches (‘biodiversity’ and then ‘services and approaches’) on the title and abstract of each project, and results were screened manually to retain NBS-relevant projects using criteria derived from the European Commission’s definition of NBS (i.e., biodiversity benefits, social and economic benefits and/or Increased resilience, and response to a societal challenge).
Beginning with more than 60.000 projects, the resulting database of NBS projects is composed of 300 projects with 100 projects from H2020 and FP7, 35 NBS projects from BiodivERsA, 86 NBS projects from Interreg and 79 NBS projects from LIFE.
The database was subsequently used to perform a mapping of EU R&I projects on NBS, in terms of types of NBS, societal challenges addressed, environments, approaches studied. This mapping allowed setting the scene of what R&I has been supported so far at European level on NBS. View the key results from analysing this database of EU R&I projects on NBS.
Living in a large city to have a park or garden right on your doorstep is such an advantage most property seekers are looking for. Such greens offer you an improved life quality. They not only provide leisure or sports facilities but make the air cleaner, reduce urban noise and…
The project LIFE AGUA DE PRATA aims to tackle some of the water scarcity challenges faced by the region by sustainably re-using water from the Graça do Divor wells and springs, which were previously sources for an aqueduct. Using these underground sources will help transform…
In the Anthropocene climate change is the greatest threat to socio-economical prosperity, environmental and human health as well as a priority in the European and Global Agenda. In an increasing and unbalanced urban planet, metropolises play a key role in addressing climate…
The EUs Water Framework Directive responds to a pressing need to improve water quality across Europe. It commits Member States to meeting the target of "good status" for all waters by 2027. The Pays de la Loire region is characterised by a very dense hydrographic…
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…
The main objective of the LIFE The Green Link project is to demonstrate an innovative growing method which replaces irrigation by using ?water buckets? in desertified areas where the failure rate of restoration can reach 70%. The so-called Cocoon system is made out of recycled…
LIFE DESERT-ADAPT aims to demonstrate the positive effect of an integrated ecosystems approach that combines climate change adaptation and mitigation targets with improved socioeconomic development opportunities in areas subjected to land degradation and desertification. It will…
The aim of RESTORE is to address the challenge of environmental degradation across NWE by developing a framework for the restoration of minerals sites (quarries). to provide benefits for biodiversity. habitats and local people. This will increase the sustainability of NWE by…
The objective of LIFE PollinAction is to mitigate this pollination crisis by creating a green infrastructure (GI) network, made up of natural and semi-natural areas, in rural and urban landscapes in North-East Italy. This will involve habitat restoration and the implementation…
LIFE BioScape has three overall project objectives:
* To restore and maintain three unique ecosystems and their services and to ensure their future preservation, by dealing with three of the largest threats for ESS: eutrophication of the aquatic environment, contamination…
Local authorities located on the BS coastal areas face same challenges regarding small urban water bodies and their watersheds. These watersheds are the source of nutrients, hazardous substances, toxins and micro-litter. All municipalities in the project need to reduce loading…
For proGIreg three front-runner cities (Dortmund (DE); Turin (IT); Zagreb (HR))will create Living Labs in urban areas which face the challenge of post-industrial regeneration. These areas suffer from social and economic disadvantages, inequality and related crime and security…
Biodiversity conservation policies have traditionally been developed and implemented within the nature conservation sector, and local and regional authorities are mainly responsible for implementing the policies and achieving their objectives. However, this presents the…
INTERLACE brings together a uniquely positioned consortium to empower and equip European and CELAC cities to effectively restore and rehabilitate (peri)urban ecosystems towards more liveable, resilient and inclusive cities. The project applies an integrative, city-driven…
As a response to the various health risks related to rapid urbanization and the densification of cities, the Health&Greenspace project promotes health-responsive planning and management of urban green infrastructure with an overall aim to bring health and well-being benefits…
In many EU cities it is difficult to save large areas for planting greenery. The attractive sites are often used for settlements or investments which provide profits for the city budget.
On the other hand authorities of the cities are aware of the necessity for green…
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…
Cities and regions in Europe (EU) and Community of Latin American & Caribbean States (CELAC) face shared and urgent global-local challenges to integrate practical actions with strategies to achieve greater inclusion, biodiversity, climate change adaptation and environmental…
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…
HEART’s integrated approach aims to significantly improve urban health and reduce health disparities through an innovative urban planning methodology that embraces and promotes the policy making of proper Blue-Green (BG)-based technologies with techniques for changing individual…
URBiNAT focuses on the regeneration and integration of deprived social housing urban developments through an innovative and inclusive catalogue of Nature-Based Solutions (NbS), ensuring sustainability and mobilising driving forces for social cohesion. Interventions focus on the…
LIFE@Urban Roofs will encourage real estate developers and building owners to invest in climate change adaptation. This new approach will see the local government acting as a stimulator and facilitator.
The project will trial the use of multifunctional roofs that have…
LIFE SimetoRES will contribute to increasing the resilience of urban areas in the Simeto Valley to climate change impacts. By focusing on urban adaptation, it will contribute to the implementation of the objectives of the EU?s strategy for adaptation and of the Italian national…
The main objective of the LIFE Green Heart project is to reduce the local temperature by 3C on average during heatwave events on an area of 30 hectares located on the Ile du Ramier in Toulouse, by counteracting the Urban Heat Island (UHI) effect. Surrounding neighbourhoods will…
LIFE CRITICAL aims to: 1)embrace the potential of neighbourhood city parks to embed climate change adaptation measures; 2)improve the quality of parks to improve citizens quality of life; 3)encourage citizens participation to give an impetus to the realisation of adaptation…
LIFE LUNGs main objective is to implement the municipal climate adaptation strategy (EMAAC) by making use of urban green infrastructure as a tool for climate change adaptation. It will also promote and develop related ecosystem services. Its overall aim is to increase Lisbons…
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 overall objective of NICE is to widen the availability of enhanced Natural Based Solutions (NbS) to provide circular urban water solutions. NICE will provide key knowledge for the design and implementation of NbS, closing urban water loops. Solutions will make available…
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…
LIFERADOKLIMA PL's overall objective is to make the city of Radom more resilient to climate change by building demonstration 'green/blue infrastructure' for managing extreme storm water flows and controlling local flood risks. The aim is to mitigate extreme flows…
This project deals with the problem of flood risk due to filled-in watercourses and the ever-increasing number of urbanised areas and waterproofed surfaces, with consequent difficulties in regulating the surface water flow and water bodies receiving outflows, aggravated by the…
The project activities encompass:
- construction works for flood defense and procurement of equipment for sanitation of rivers,
- measures for natural water retention on the territories of Knjazevac and Rila Municipalities,
- joint trainings on flood risk…
Mind4Stormwater aims to help cities achieve sustainable management of their “stormwater control measures” (SCMs). These nature-based solutions (e.g. wetlands, swales, infiltration trenches, bioretention systems) have emerged worldwide in the last few decades, meaning that their…
BEGIN proposes an approach to climate resilience for cities that mimics nature’s potential to deal with flooding. Blue and Green Infrastructure (BGI) supports existing grey infrastructure to cope with extreme weather events (reducing flood risk by 30%) and improves urban…
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 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…
UNaLab will develop, via co-creation with stakeholders and implementation of ‘living lab’ demonstration areas, a robust evidence base and European framework of innovative, replicable, and locally-attuned nature-based solutions to enhance the climate and water resilience of…
The project "Urban Green" is aimed at preservation of green areas and water basins in urban areas of Zemgale region and Northern Lithuania, investing in green infrastructure thus reducing urban pressure on environment, securing green areas for future generations. The…
GREEN SURGE will identify, develop and test ways of connecting green spaces, biodiversity, people and the green economy, in order to meet the major urban challenges related to land use conflicts, climate change adaptation, demographic changes, and human health and wellbeing. It…
This research aims to find out how urban green infrastructures can be most efficient in contributing to urban sustainability. This will evaluate which combinations of urban, peri-urban agriculture and green spaces result in the best performance in terms of local and global…
Biodiversity policy is a fundamental component for sustainable development and actions to mitigate and adapt to climate change. For efficient and effective policy implementation it is crucial to understand where policy interventions can generate greatest ecological and socio-…
For politics and administration, climate change and the increasing loss of biodiversity are inevitable challenges that also affect the green infrastructure in many ways. Green infrastructures are often not yet adapted to the needs of climate change on both sides of the border…
The main purpose of this project is to improve the quality of life for the population through the provision of a healthy and favourable environment and the preservation of the rich nature heritage on the basis of sustainable management of the environment. Activities of this…
SOILGUARD envisages a future where the conservation of soil biodiversity and the environmental, economic and social wellbeing of EU biogeographical regions is guaranteed. Unsustainable management and climate change are increasing land degradation and threatening soil…
The present proposal, SMILE, aims to answer core questions on the current climatic and biodiversity crisis. Together with Dr. Francesco de Bello, a prominent authority on functional ecology and biodiversity, at the CIDE-CSIC, Spain, the applicant, Dr. Felícia M. Fischer, seeks…
Time is running out to achieve a more sustainable development. Post COVID-19 economic stimuli need to deploy a green new deal (GND) that ReSETs economic systems to create secure and meaningful employment whilst protecting nature for people, for climate change and flood…
The overall objective of EU-VNP-Net is to establish, support and energise an EU Valuing Nature Network of Networks (EU-VNN) and to implement a prioritised EU Valuing Nature Programme (EU-VNP) that, together, build synergies and collaborations among relevant existing and emerging…
The LIFE CONNECTS projects overall objective is to improve the conservation status of the target species and the ecological status along around 150km of seven target rivers. The specific objectives are to:
* restore connectivity and habitats to regain migratory corridors,…
The LIFE4DELTA_PL project aims at improving the water conditions of the inland delta of the Nida River in Poland; thereby contributing to the restoration of the area?s unique ecosystems and mosaic of habitats, and the conservation status of its charateristic species. …
During the last decades, Europe suffered major catastrophic floods along the Danube. Therefore the Flood Directive asks for adequate and coordinated measures to reduce flood risk without conflicting WFD objectives. The main objective of the project is improving transnational…
The overall objective is to build resilience against droughts (and extreme precipitation events) through Ecosystem based Adaptation measures. Therefore it is our key objective to develop and implement a PES-model (Payment for Ecosystem Services) that facilitates the actual…
Creating protected area (PA) management strategies that enhance biodiversity conservation while also support the needs of residents and agriculture, tourism, energy, and water management sectors is a major global challenge. ENVISION aims to explore inclusive conservation as a…
In RESANAT, seven small and large companies from the Netherlands and Flanders work together with the Deltares knowledge institution and the Public Waste Agency of Flanders (OVAM) to stimulate the redevelopment of contaminated locations in the Netherlands and Flanders.…
Major challenge in the Danube region is finding the right balance between conservation, protection and improvement of ecosystems, as well as their sustainable use. ECO KARST addresses 7 protected karst areas in 7 different countries with common features (e.g. special biological/…
The year 2016 was marked by many catastrophes as a result of floods caused by extreme precipitation. Fire brigades and emergency services were in constant use to eliminate the consequences of these disasters. What remains are millions of dollars worth of damage, the realization…
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…
PHUSICOS, meaning 'According to nature' in Greek, demonstrates how nature-based solutions (NBSs) provide robust, sustainable and cost-effective measures for reducing the risk of extreme weather events in rural mountain landscapes. Although mountains amplify risks, and…
Biodiversity is still in decline in Natura 2000 network sites in the Netherlands, and Natura 2000 sites are heavily influenced by activity in adjacent areas. Threats related to the management of surrounding areas include atmospheric nitrogen deposition, desiccation and…
The French strategy for climate change adaptation (2006) is implemented operationally through national plans, in line with the EU strategy on adaptation to climate change. The national plans target the effective adaptation, by 2050, to a regional climate in continental France…
Climate change presents a major threat for the Autonomous Region of the Azores and its development. To face this challenge, in 2014 the regional government commissioned the Azores Regional Programme for Climate Change (PRAC). This followed its approval in 2011 of the Regional…