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
the frontrunner cities of manchester (uk), valencia (spain), wroclaw (poland) and wuhan (china) and the fellow cities brest(france), zadar (croatia) and modena (italy) are currently inhabited by 12.7 million people and sit at the heart of wider metropolitan areas which are home…
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 overarching objective of FACE-IT is to enable adaptive co-management of social-ecological fjord systems in the Arctic in the face of rapid cryosphere and biodiversity changes. The project will identify ways to manage the impacts of climate change on the cryosphere and marine…
FIREURISK will develop, evaluate and disseminate a science-based integrated strategy to: 1) expand current wildland fire risk assessment systems, including critical factors of risk previously not covered; 2) produce effective measures to reduce current fire risk conditions, and…
Intact forests harbor large amounts of carbon and unique biodiversity, suggesting that protecting forests may benefit climate change mitigation and biodiversity conservation alike. Yet, forests also provide other essential services, from timber to energy to recreation. Balancing…
This project proposes to investigate the resurgence of intentional fallowing as a practice for soil regeneration and as a tool for sustainability policies in Europe. It will deploy an interdisciplinary approach grounded in philosophy and multispecies ethnography to analyse the…
FARCLIMATE will address the difficult challenges of developing and expanding climate-resilient measures, making them available and understandable to everyone, while also paying special attention to the social, political and economic barriers that are commonly found. FARCLIMATE…
Marine and transitional ecosystems provide fundamental climate regulation, food provisioning and cultural services. FutureMARES provides socially and economically viable nature-based solutions (NBS) for climate change (CC) adaptation and mitigation to safeguard these ecosystems…
Urban GreenUP aims at obtaining a tailored methodology (1) to support the co-development of Renaturing Urban Plans focused on climate change mitigation and adaptation and efficient water management, and (2) to assist in the implementation of NBS in an effective way. NBS…
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…
The HORIZON 2020 societal challenges highlight the need to innovate on agricultural practices that increase agroecosystem resilience and foster efficient use of available water and nutrients. This is particularly relevant for baby food production systems since there are…
In the last few years, extreme wildfires have risen to international prominence, with widespread media coverage and political attention triggered by devastating fires in many places of the world, e.g. France, Greece, Italy, Brazil (the Amazon), and California. Such fires get out…
Hamburg (DE), London (UK) and Milan (IT) have decided to create CLEVER Cities. Led by Hamburg, a well-balanced, competent partnership will position the EU as global leader in nature-based solution (NBS) innovation. CLEVER Cities applies a city centric approach, starting by key…
High nature value (HNV) farmland designates “those areas in Europe where agriculture is a major land use and where that agriculture supports, or is associated with, either a high species and habitat diversity or the presence of species of European conservation concern, or both…
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…
Ponds and “pondscapes” (networks of ponds) are crucial for biodiversity conservation and their multiple societally beneficial ecosystem services (ES) provide the means to play a crucial role in mitigating and adapting to climate change. However, ponds are largely neglected in…
ForestNavigator aims at assessing the climate mitigation potential of European forests and forest-based sectors through modelling of policy pathways, consistent with the best standards of LULUCF reporting, and informing the public authorities on the most suitable approach to…
The EU target to significantly reduce its emissions by 2030 and become climate neutral by 2050 requires new mitigation measures within all sectors. Clear policy pathways are needed that outline alternative trajectories for European forests and the forest-based sector towards a…
IWMPRAISE aims to support the implementation of Integrated Weed Management (IWM). IWMPRAISE will demonstrate that adoption of IWM supports more sustainable cropping systems both agronomically and environmentally, which are resilient to external impacts without jeopardising…
The EU 2020 Biodiversity strategy and 7th Environment Action Programme highlight the importance of halting the loss of biodiversity and ecosystem services (ES) by preserving ecosystems and fully integrating environmental requirements into policymaking to face climate change (CC…
FORWARDS will prototype The ForestWard Observatory to provide (a) timely and detailed information on European forests’ vulnerability to climate change impacts, (b) science-based knowledge to guide management using the principles of climate-smart forestry, ecosystem restoration,…
FRACTAL is a roll-out project coming from LUIGI (Linking Urban and Inner-Alpine Green Infrastructure - Multifunctional Ecosystem Services for more liveable territories), with the aim of deepening the engagement of alpine communities in the local implementation of Green…
Marginal Lands (MLs) could offer suitable carbon sinks by afforestation/reforestation projects without being competitive to food production, conforming to EU/Global policies. The main objective of MAIL is to trigger utilization of MLs as Carbon Sinks by activities related to…
RECONECT aims to contribute to European reference framework on Nature Based Solutions (NBS) by demonstrating, referencing and upscaling large scale NBS and by stimulating a new culture for 'land use planning' that links the reduction of risks with local and regional…
Aquaculture expansion is a necessary step to respond to increase protein demands while limiting the reliance on wild fisheries and imports.Bivalve aquaculture is considered to be one of the most sustainable, although some potentially negative environmental impacts arising from…
The proposed European Training Network, MARmaED, connects science, policy and people and transcends national borders, disciplinary barriers and sectorial divides. By building a greater knowledge base and train the next generation of scientists to think across disciplines,…
GIFT focuses on green infrastructure (GI), especially forests and trees. GI can provide many ecosystem services related to biodiversity, climate, water, erosion, landscape, and human welfare etc. GIFT aims to maximise an innovative cross-sectoral approach of GI to trees and…
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…
To effectively adapt to climate change (CC), a novel more dynamic approach in governing the oceans is needed. Marine Spatial Planning (MSP) – a public process aimed to allocate human uses at sea while maintaining multiple ecosystem services (ES) – as currently implemented is too…
The world’s economic systems do not currently recognise the value of nature to planetary and human health, and mainstream economic drivers negatively affect the natural world both directly and indirectly. The degradation of land and marine ecosystems undermines the well-being of…
Weeds negatively affect the sustainability of EU farming systems with weed management relying to a large extent on herbicides. The reduction of herbicide use and risk has become major policy targets of Farm to Fork strategy, aiming to promote agroecology and the transition to…
The project MERCES is focused on the restoration of different degraded marine habitats, with the aim of: 1) assessing the potential of different technologies and approaches; 2) quantifying the returns in terms of ecosystems services and their socio-economic impacts; 3) defining…
THE MICS project brings together a transdisciplinary team to address a scientific and policy priority area where citizen science has the potential to promote a paradigm shift. Nature-based solutions (NBSs) are actions to protect, sustainably manage and restore natural or…
Creating, managing and maintaining adequate urban green areas (UGAs), while engaging all stakeholders, is one of the biggest challenges that many modern cities are facing in the context of climate change adaptation and mitigation. UGAs are especially important for improving…
Freshwater ecosystems are essential to people´s economic, cultural and social wellbeing, yet are still one of the most seriously threatened ecosystems on the planet. This conflict is reflected in political regulations that ask to halt the loss of, restore and safeguard…
"Permanent grasslands are an important land cover type in European protected area networks, valued for their biodiversity and ecosystem services (ES). Aligning the biodiversity and ES conservation agendas whilst sustaining agricultural land-use on a landscape scale is an…
GREENHEALTH project aims to make EU regions more biodiversity-resilient by improving the management of European Protected Areas through strengthening links as well as strategic & operational collaboration between biodiversity protection and human health & well-being.…
LIFE Veneto ADAPT aims to enhance regional capacity to respond to the impacts of climate change, with a focus on hydro-geological risk and by means of a multi-level governance approach. The project will develop a methodology for an effective integration of climate change-related…
The LIFE SPARC project proposes measures to make the Scheldt estuary and its highly urbanised area resilient to climate change. In practice, this means providing much greater protection against floods by creating open space for water and developing a robust estuary ecosystem.…
GreenME aims to identify ways in which effective nature-based therapy and a broader green care framework can be scaled-up to improve adult mental health and wellbeing equity while contributing to multiple socio-ecological co-benefits. To that end, over 4 years, GreenME’s…
MIXED is a multi-actor project to drive the development of European Mixed Farming and Agroforestry Systems (MiFAS) that optimize efficiency and resource use, reduce GHG emissions, and show greater resilience to climate change by considering agronomic, technical, environmental,…
The overall objective of the LIFE-myBUILDINGisGREEN project is to contribute to increasing the resilience of social buildings and educational centres by implementing nature-based solutions as prototypes of climate adaptation and improved well-being.
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…
The project GRENNAT faces challenges that are important for the entire program area, as it follows European reinforcement for improving the state of biodiversity in the Natura 2000 area and in other priority areas of nature to improve the state of species and habitat types,…
Europe's environment is in an alarming state, with climate change effects aggravating. To secure economic prosperity, human wellbeing and social peace, systemic transformative change of our society is imperative. Ecosystem restoration using nature-based solutions (NbS) is…
LIFE-MICACC's main goal is to improve the climate resilience of vulnerable municipalities in Hungary by reducing their risks stemming from climate change. To this end, it will introduce and foster the integration of sustainable ecosystem-based water management approaches…
Over one million barriers on Europe’s rivers have resulted in extensive loss of river connectivity and 70-90 % of Europe’s floodplain areas are ecologically degraded due to human modifications. Despite having an ambitious EU policy framework in place, implementation of fresh and…
The goal of the LIFE LOGOS 4 WATERS project is to improve climate resilience of local municipalities. It will be achieved by mitigating the negative water-balance situation through the demonstration of integrated ecosystem-based water management solutions applied at 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…
The project tackles the CE-wide challenge of declining forest ecosystem functionality and the loss of biodiversity, resulting from unsustainable forest management practices, intensified by negative impacts from accelerating climate change, both affecting forest ecosystem…
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…
Climate-resilient sunflower crops can help to reduce the EU dependency on imports of vegetable oils and proteins shifting towards sustainable alternatives, to mitigate the impact of agricultural production on water use and greenhouse gas emissions, to grow resources for…
The Estonian Presidency Conference “Nature-based Solutions: From Innovation to Common-use” (NBS2017) will involve original knowledge on Nature-based Solutions (NBS) policy, multi-functionality and effectiveness and management options. Presented research and applied results will…
NetworkNature will establish a European and global platform allowing all interested stakeholders to access and contribute cutting-edge, innovative knowledge and expertise on nature-based solutions (NBS). Our consortium represents all relevant stakeholder groups and has access to…
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…
Increased demand and interest in outdoor activities are great opportunities, but also challenges for each protected area (PA) to meet visitors’ expectations, but also to protect natural values. The project aims to assist PA managers in Central Europe (CE) in the evidence-based…
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…
Forest ecosystems cover 42 % of the European Union’s total land area and strong efforts have been made to facilitate an increase of multiple forest ecosystem services to form robust forest stands. However, all ecosystems recently have been hit by rapidly changing climatic…
Peatlands host a specific fauna and flora, including many European protected species, which have adapted to this special, low-nutrient ecosystem. They play an important role in preventing floods and droughts. Unwatered peatlands exhibit a strong sponge effect which slows peak…