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 Mediterranean Sea climate will undergo rapid changes over the next decades. Direct evidence of climate change (CC) is already being observed at Mediterranean coast, including marine protected areas (MPAs). The need for building resilience in both social and ecological…
The project "Joint Conservation Management and Development of Information Infrastructure of Protected Areas along the Romanian and Hungarian Course of Tur River" proposed by the legal administrators of protected areas situated along the lower course of the Tur River in…
At the present, 60-70% of all soils in Europe are in unhealthy conditions, mainly because of poor land management practices, pollution of soils, intensive agriculture, and the constant effects of climate change. This situation is further aggravated given that 25% of land is at a…
The vast majority of marine habitats and species protected under the EU Habitats Directive still show an unfavourable conservation status. This situation is particularly pressing in Northern Europe, where the conservation status of marine habitats in the Kattegat-Skagerrak…
Marine Biodiversity loss is continuing to decline despite current conservation efforts. Reversing the decline in biodiversity requires rapid roll out of effective conservation measures that can also enable a sustainable and resilient blue economy. Social-ecological systems-…
One of today’s most pressing challenges is to safeguard the loss of ecosystem biodiversity and functioning, while simultaneously allowing for their exploitation by those who depend on their services, goods and benefits. In Europe, Maritime Spatial Planning (MSP) is the main…
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…
PhytoSUDOE highlights the environmental, economic and social benefices during and after the phyto-management and promotes the use of this techniques among managers and owners of fields. For this purpose, it builds up a network of contaminated places to use phyto-management ,…
Farmlands are exposed to dangerous xenobiotics because of the regular use of distinct pesticides. Even if present in small concentrations, they are dangerous as all have the tendency of progressive accumulation in the food chain.
The aim of the PNTH Ecorurable project is to promote the development of sustainable agriculture throughout the Hainaut Cross-Border Natural Park. It sets out to promote an agriculture on a human and family scale, respectful of the environment and nature. The project is designed…
South West Europe has a lot of oilseeds lands polarized by insects. Nevertheless, due to habitats destruction and bees’ colonies collapse, this polarization has been hardly reduced.POLL OLE GI seeks to curb the decline of pollinating insects on oilseed crops (rapeseed and…
The river Thaya forms the border between Austria and the Czech Republic and both countries profit from its usage (e.g. energy production, recreation, fishery). This has negative effects on the river system, like the canalisation and the separation of flood areas. This leads to a…
The present competition for coastal and maritime space triggered by human activities, as well as climate change effects and both natural and manmade hazards, impact coastal and marine environment, resources and ecosystems. The physical characteristics, especially the shallowness…
The Posbemed 2 project will gather for the first time the key stakeholders involved in coastal management across the Mediterranean to work together in testing actions for a sustainable management of Posidonia landscape and beaches with Posidonia banquettes in Protected Areas(PAs…
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…
Mountains have always had a symbolic and metaphorical meaning, evoking an experience of spiritual elevation. In the latest years, they grow as a tourism destination because of their landscape which provides the opportunities to escape from the increasingly urbanized environments…
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.…
Climate change (CC) is undeniably responsible for the increase in climate-related disasters. The EU Environment Agency states that the EU region experienced substantial economic losses (1980-2020: € 460 billion) and fatalities (1980-2020: 89525) from climate-related extremes.…
"Mountains cover 30% of the land area and are home to 17% of the EU´s population, meaning that every 6th EU citizen lives in mountainous areas. While we often associate mountains with breathtaking landscapes that offer perfect sites for relaxation, in truth, mountains are…
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 the project is the improvement of cross- border sustainable development through finding solutions for the rehabilitation of natural environment in Rosiori – Pocsaj cross-border area, protecting biodiversity on the Ier Valley from Rosiori to Pocsaj, lowering the…
In natural hazard management and disaster risk reduction worldwide, but especially in the Alpine Space , forests are increasingly considered equal to technical or civil engineering measures. Forests can, e.g. lead to increase slope stability and reduce the risk to an acceptable…
ContextCurrently, there are more than 17,000 marine protected areas (MPAs) around the world covering close to 9% of the oceans. Yet, only 23% of them have a clear management plan and only about 1% of them have had management effectiveness evaluations. Such management plans are…
with an overall aim to support the coherent implementation of the eu (european union) biodiversity strategy (eubs) 2030, the convention on biological diversity (cbd) post-2020 framework, as well as the eu green deal, msp4bio develops and demonstrates the ways in which knowledge-…
The natural environment is dependent on water to provide society with many essential benefits or “ecosystem services” (e.g. drinking water, biodiversity, food production, recreation, carbon sequestration). A number of EU directives aim to protect and improve the delivery of…
Re-imagining Environments for Connection and Engagement: Testing Actions for Social Prescribing in Natural Spaces (RECETAS) will address loneliness, a modifiable health condition that is known to shorten one´s lifespan and may be as dangerous to one’s health as smoking or…
To enable nature-based solutions (NBS) to be mainstreamed into the coastal flood defence systems of coastal urban areas, either as stand-alone projects or integrated into existing grey infrastructure, utilising natural adaptative responses to build climate resilience to sea…
In North West Europe (NWE), river systems are suffering considerably due to climate change causing massive floods and droughts that significantly affects economic sectors such as shipping and agriculture, recreation opportunities and biodiversity. Nature based Solutions (NbS)…
NATALIE addresses the risks posed by climate change and its impacts and proposes to advance the concepts of “ecosystem-based adaptation” in Europe combined with climate resilient development pathways, as the means for impact driven Nature-Based Solutions (NBS), to accelerate and…
The project will reduce nutrients from the Baltic Sea and improve water quality especially in the coastal areas by piloting and developing seabased activities. Although nutrient load from land-based sources to the sea has reduced significantly, good ecological status has not…
Together with key stakeholders, NaturaConnect will co-develop knowledge, tools and capacity building programmes to support Member States in implementing an ecologically representative, resilient and well-connected trans-European nature network (TEN-N) that builds on the existing…
Nature-Based Solutions (NbS) can provide means to regulate GHG in the atmosphere, mitigate climate hazard risks - through mass stabilisation, water flow regulation, wind dissipation, and temperature regulation - remove particle pollution and im-prove air quality, protect soil…
The main objective of the sought TA is to support the development of an Integrated Project within LIFE Climate Change Adaptation subprogram, Priority on sustainable water management in drought-prone areas, coastal and flood management. The aim is to develop a comprehensive IP…
The promotion of climate change adaptation and the protection of the environment are central challenges of the CE region. With its manifold ecosystem services, CE forests are not only valuable reserves of biodiversity and pristine landscapes for recreation, but also provide…
The overall goal of MULTISOURCE is to, together with local, national, and international stakeholders, demonstrate a variety of about Enhanced Natural Treatment Solutions (ENTS) treating a wide range of urban waters and to develop innovative tools, methods, and business models…
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…
NATURESCAPES addresses the pressing challenge of realising the transformative potential of nature-based solutions (NBS) for climate change, biodiversity loss and social justice. Despite progress in the field, our knowledge of the synergies and trade-offs from implementing NBS at…
DivAirCity “recognizes, accepts and celebratesDivAirCity is an ambitious project that aims at shifting the urban paradigm by valuing human diversity (with a focus on gender and multiculturalism) as a resource to define new urban services and models towards cultural-driven green…
Air pollution and ambient pollution, carbon-related issues ranging from GHG emissions to carbon shortages in soil, the opportunities provided by NBS and the intricacies of urban ecosystems present an extremely complex set of interdependent problems and opportunities that have to…
The impacts of climate change on people, planet and prosperity are intensifying. Many regions and communities are struggling to avoid losses and need to step up the effort to increase their climate resilience. Ongoing natural capital degradation leads to growing cost, increased…
The overall objective of NBS EduWORLD is to nurture an NBS literate society, supporting a just transition to a sustainable future. For this, NBS EduWORLD will create an NBS community that facilitates synergies between NBS professionals and education providers and ensures free…
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…
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…
NBSOIL (Nature Based Solutions for Soil Management) is a four-year project coordinated by the Institute of Soil Science and Plant Cultivation (PL). Its overall objective is to design an attractive blended learning programme to enable soil advisors to implement a holistic vision…
VINOVERT is an innovative and structuring project for the vine / wine sector in the SUDOE region. Ensuring the long-term competitiveness of companies is the main objective. For this it is necessary to take the turn of the new demand for wines considered more clean on the…
NetworkNature+ will continue NetworkNature’s legacy as a ‘network of networks’ and expand it to engage new audiences in addressing the societal challenges outlined by the EU. It will maintain and enhance the established evidence/demand/policy-driven multi-stakeholder platform…
LIFE WATERSOURCE demonstrates the unique potential of a nature-based solution for drinking water production from surface water in Lake IJsselmeer to counter the emerging risk of surface water salination due to climate change, whilst boosting the lake’s ecology, which is part of…
This project is first example of a cross-border cooperation in wetland restoration and integrated management of wetlands in this area that adress common nature protection challenges by developing and demonstrating innovative solutions for improving wetland conservation status…
ContextClimate change has dramatic consequences for the quantity, quality, and seasonal distribution of water. One result being the increased flash-flooding and soil erosion in urban areas. Nature-based solutions (NBS) aim to protect, sustainably manage, and enhance biodiversity…
The project envisages to involve local communities, mainly children and students, in activities to preserve and promote traditional gardening.In the target project area, Arad, Bekes and Csongrad counties, Western Romania and South-Eastern Hungary, due to modern agricultural…
Following the non-achievement of the AICHI targets and most of the Good Environmental Status objectives for 2020, active restoration has been emerged (also envisaged by the EU) as one of the preferred tools that may boost sequels of marine protected areas and other conservation…
Combined drainage systems transport wastewater, stormwater and urban runoff together to a sewage treatment plant. Heavy rainfall can flood these systems and exceed capacities, resulting in the discharge of excess waste water and contaminated run off…
AddMire LIFE will tackle the desiccation of degraded raised bogs still capable of natural regeneration and active raised bogs in Engbertsdijksvenen, within the context of a major raised bog restoration effort. It aims to improve the hydrology of the project area to favour…
CYCLADES Life led to the designated and established of a Wildlife Refuge in the marine area around the island of Gyaros. This new Marine Protected Area was established based on the Ecosystem Based Management approach. The project improved habitats, and greatly increased the…
NSR is highly urbanised, impacting and disrupting nature. Biodiversity loss has negative consequences for climate change, ecosystems and peoples wellbeing. Policy attention is increasing, but in cities biodiversity is often overlooked and city professionals lack expertise.…
Forests are key elements of the European bioeconomy. To enhance provision of their ecosystem services (ES), harnessing Forest Genetic Resources (FGR) is essential. OptFORESTS will support the conservation and sustainable use of FGR by: i) conducting research on the selection of…
The project FARM LIFE aims to contribute to climate change adaptation and to a lesser extent to climate change mitigation and climate governance as well as agricultural knowledge. It will demonstrate innovative adaption technologies, approaches and methods for land use in…
* Improve the quality of peatland habitats listed in Annex I of the Habitats Directive, by restoring peatlands and small water (headwater) systems in 103 Natura 2000 network sites;
PAREUS will apply an innovative landscape approach to integrate policy and practice for multiple land uses to ensure equitable and sustainable use of land within a spatially explicit framework and in close collaboration with multiple stakeholders from multiple sectors to ensure…