Articles

Embracing efficient nature-based solutions in context of post-war recovery

Since July 2021, WWF-Ukraine has been facilitating stakeholder discussion on how climate-related nature-based solutions can be applied in Ukraine through a project called INSURE. Standing for “moving Nature-baSed...

To support local action and explore the different values that people place upon biodiversity in rural and urban areas the European project SHARED GREEN DEAL is offering local partners €22 000 to become local partners.

Locally, the approach taken should center on the formation of Study...

COP27 has seen an increased focus on nature-based solutions (NBS), with many initiatives outlining nature-based solutions as a tool for ecosystem restoration, with the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration in mind. As a major development towards utilising the power of NBS globally, the Egyptian...

NetworkNature created a database gathering 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...

What is intended with high-quality nature-based solutions? How can it be defined and translated into standards?

To respond to these questions, NetworkNature has produced a Knowledge Brief on ensuring high-quality nature-based solutions, analysing the perspectives and perceptions of key...

Attention urban planning professionals! Horizon 2020 project, JUSTNature , wants to hear from you about the role of justice in nature-based solutions and urban planning. The survey aims to understand:

URBAN GreenUP , GrowGreen , UNaLab and Connecting Nature – what do these great nature-based solutions (NBS) projects have in common? All of these EU-funded projects have implemented innovative NBS in cities, and gathered knowledge for others to continue the journey. The projects have...

The 20th edition of the European Week of Regions and Cities (EWRC), the biggest annual Brussels-based event dedicated to cohesion policy, is drawing near. This year’s EWRC will take place in-person on 10-13 October 2022.

Event sessions sit under the overarching theme “New challenges for...

The NetworkNature Nordic hub launch is fast approaching. On 13 October, the Nordic hub will bring together organisations, associations, companies, researchers, professionals and others who work with nature-based solutions in the Nordic region.The purpose of this and other nature-based solutions...

As a part of the WHO Bonn Environment and Health School , the WHO European Centre for Environment and Health is offering two online courses to support capacity building of experts working in the health and environment field in 2022. The two courses are:

As the Director of Conservation and Community Development with Solimar International , I am currently leading research on a white paper publication series showcasing how sustainable tourism businesses are responding to the climate and biodiversity crises by regenerating destinations through...

OpenLivingLab Days (OLLD) is the annual global gathering of...

A new report is now available, “The vital role of nature-based solutions in a nature positive economy”, outlining expert knowledge on the role of nature based solutions to create a shift in the way that nature is valued in terms of its contributions to society.

Released by the...

The document is designed to help improve the uptake of EU funds for biodiversity and in particular for the management and restoration of Natura 2000 sites in the current multiannual financial framework (MFF). The guide analyses possibilities of financing investments in Natura 2000 from different...

Are you a researcher, student practitioner or teacher interested in learning about mountain ecosystems and sustainable development? Then you are invited to sign up for a Summer Field School program aimed at teaching participants about mountain ecosystems and resource management. Participants...

NetworkNature is a resource for the nature-based solutions community, creating opportunities for local, regional and international cooperation to maximise the impact and spread of nature-based solutions. NetworkNature highlights a timely topic in the nature-based solutions field with its...

On the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the creation of the Natura 2000 network, the EU Commissioner for the Environment, Oceans and Fisheries Virginijus Sinkevičius announced the winners of the 2022 edition of the Natura 2000 Awards. The six winners include projects from Austria, Bulgaria,...

Nature-based solutions knowledge gaps took center stage in the first NetworkNature webinar. What are knowledge gaps, who should be more informed about nature-based solutions and what are the implications of lacking knowledge to policy making, were among the questions explored in the webinar....

During the Semester on Ecosystem Restoration, NatureNature gathered knowledge, case-studies and information from experts in the field and analysed scientific studies and reports related to and connecting nature-based solutions with Ecosystem Restoration.

Environmental degradation has...

The financial community is getting to grips with its pivotal and expanding role as a key driver of our sustainable future. Realities – such as half of global gross domestic product being dependant on nature and therefore vulnerable to spiraling nature loss– are sinking in, and awareness of and...

The CLEARING HOUSE project announces its first knowledge exchange mechanism.

The global objective of the knowledge exchange mechanism is to promote capacity development and exchange of knowledge and practices on urban forests as nature-based solutions (UF-NBS), based on peer-to-peer...

The foundation for upscaling the use of Nature-based Solutions lies in creating awareness and strengthening knowledge about the natural world early in life and throughout our education. While awareness of the benefits of nature for human health is spreading, there seems to be a clear need to...

This new working paper from the UN proposes an urban-rural linkage perspective in relation to land and ecosystem restoration at a time of heightened urgency on multiple fronts at local, national and international levels. The combined impacts of climate change, biodiversity loss land degradation...

Mirova the affiliate of Natixis Investment Managers dedicated to responsible investing, is the manager of the Nature+ Accelerator Fund. Mirova and its partners, IUCN, the biggest scientific organisation in nature, and CPIC, the world’s largest coalition for conservation finance, have joined...

A unique new online business course developed by the Capitals Coalition supported by We Value Nature has launched.

The free course, ‘ Valuing nature and people to inform business decision-making' , comes in response to an increased demand from businesses and the finance sector for the...

Currently many well intended forest restoration and tree planting measures, are not designed with longevity and biodiversity in mind. To help develop more sustainable and holistic measures Nature4Climate, Hamerkop, Trillion Trees, WWF, WCS, Birdlife International and 1T.org have developed a new...

In light of the global pandemic, the ways in which urban populations’ relate to and interact with green and blue spaces have changed, increasing demands for urban nature worldwide. This too increases possibilities and potential opportunities for nature based solutions to make lasting impacts in...

In light of the United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration and as part of the current semester theme , ICLEI , an official partner of the UN Decade, via NetworkNature organised a workshop to share international experiences on ecosystem restoration as a nature-based solution. The workshop...

It is undeniable that human impacts on climate and nature have driven us towards a planetary emergency. Fortunately, there is still time to avoid the worst-case scenarios, but only just. Failure to adopt sustainable practices and investments puts businesses and economies at risk.

More...

Restoring degraded terrestrial habitats across the EU could take up to 300 million tonnes of CO 2 equivalent out of the atmosphere each year – as much as the combined annual greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg, new research reveals. The findings show the...

IFLA EUROPE Agricultural Landscapes Working Group is launching as open call for images both acknowledging and mapping traditional landscapes across Europe. This competition contributes to making a European inventory of agricultural heritage systems aligned with the United Nations Food and...

Curious about what nature-based solutions are? NetworkNature created a new publication with some basic facts to get you started!

To achieve a sustainable future, we should work with, not against nature to achieve global goals. Nature-based solutions are a great pathway forward. This...

In the framework of the LIFE program, the LIFE 2020 call of NGOs on the European Green Deal (NGO4GD) was launched to help NGOs from the Member States to strengthen the participation and contribution of civil society to the implementation of the European Green Deal .

This special "LIFE...

Key functions of habitat-forming species in coastal and marine ecosystems

The biodiversity and climate resilience of coastal marine habitats is often increased by habitat-forming plants and animals. Examples include colonial plants within salt marshes, mangroves (in the tropics),...

The United Nations General Assembly has designated 2022 as the International Year of Sustainable Mountain Development. Throughout the year, governments, international organizations and stakeholders are invited to raise awareness of the importance of conservation and sustainable use of mountain...

Nature-based Solutions (NbS) are seen as cost-effective and effective solutions to help governments address the growing challenges of climate change, biodiversity loss, increased frequency of extreme weather conditions and natural hazards, as well as others man-made environmental disasters. The...

There are many scattered initiatives to create, restore and manage ponds across Europe. To help gather resources and experienced you are invited to respond to this questionnaire about nature-based solutions (NbS) implementation in landscapes of ponds, also called pondscapes. The questionnaire is...

The Commission's Directorate-General for International Partnerships ( DG INTPA ) is responsible for formulating the EU's international partnership and development policy, with the ultimate goal to reduce poverty, ensure sustainable development, and promote democracy, human rights, and the rule...

On 9th December, the Commission with the Europan Environment Agency (EEA) published MapMyTree .

Under the European Green Deal, the EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030 commits to planting at least 3 billion additional trees in the EU by 2030 . MapMyTree is a data tool for all organisations...

Nature-based solutions are increasingly becoming the go-to resource for establishing new approaches and mending existing ones, to ensure sustainable approaches. To ensure the spread of nature-based solutions, NetworkNature is supporting the creation of nature-based solution ‘hubs’ throughout...

How to best utilise nature-based solutions to treat urban wastewater? Help the EU-funded NICE project design software to help achieve urban circular water loops!

NICE will undertake experiments to establish with precision how effective various nature-based solutions are at treating...

On 6th November, the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) has announced that Bank of America, Bayer, Boston Consulting Group, McKinsey & Company and Unilever launch a campaign to create an investment accelerator in natural climate solutions (NCS), by aggregating...

The Danube Floodplain was launched to examine how to reduce flood risk through the restoration of floodplains in the Danube River Basin. The project comes to an end this November, so the project partners presented the results at a closing conference on 3th and 4th November 2021.

In the...

During the UN Climate Change Conference (COP26), the German Federal Ministry of the Environment (BMU) announced that it will provide an additional € 10 million to the EbA Global Fund for a total of around € 30 million. The EbA Global Fund is a funding mechanism launched in March 2021 by the...

An exciting new book will be released 5 November on NBS and the urban context, titled, Nature-Based Solutions for More Sustainable Cities: A Framework Approach for Planning and Evaluation . This work was co-written by Edoardo Croci and Benedetta Lucchitta of Bocconi University and published by...

The severe consequences of climate change and the loss of biodiversity push world leaders to protect and restore nature. As confirmed by assessments from the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) and reports from the Intergovernmental Panel on...

On 21 st October, Network Nature held its first Annual Event which focused on the Network Nature semester theme “ Ecosystem restoration through nature-based solutions ”, in line with current EU ambitions for achieving the European Green Deal and the start of the UN Decade on Ecosystem...

The European Urban Resilience Forum is a hallmark event hosted by ICLEI Europe and European Environmental Agency annually to gather a wide variety of stakeholders to collaborate on urban resilience. NetworkNature was a co-organiser for the hybrid-2021 edition taking place in Malmö and online...

AIPH , the International Association of Horticultural Producers and the world’s champion for the power of plants proudly presents the AIPH World Green City Awards , which recently opened for entries for the 2022 inaugural edition.

The leading role of city authorities is...

The Urban Forest Innovation Lab (UFIL) , is a innovation lab in forest bioeconomy based in the city of Cuenca (Spain) and hosts a prestigious entrepreneurship program. UFIL's main objective is to provide participants with the necessary tools and knowledge to become entrepreneurs in the...

What if food could build biodiversity and tackle climate change?

Everything we eat is designed, from our breakfast to our favourite takeaway. Food brands and supermarkets make decisions about our food - from how it tastes and how it's grown to how nutritious it is. The latest study by...

As part of the Global Platform for Sustainable Cities - World Bank Webinar series “ Bringing Nature to Cities: Integrated Urban Solutions to Biodiversity Loss and Climate Change ” , NetworkNature hosted a webinar on mainstreaming biodiversity and climate change into EU Urban Planning and Policy...

On 21st September an insightful event took place to highlight a crucial topic for preserving our environment and mitigating climate change; Nature-based solutions Webinar on Peatland Restoration , organised by Scotland House Brussels and ICLEI Europe. The webinar gathered experts together to...

The FAO e-learning on Sustainable financing of forest and landscape restoration (FLR) is now available in French . To meet countries’ national commitments to restoring degraded landscapes, adequate public and private investments are needed to support the different steps of the FLR cycle....

In the aftermath of a society altered by COVID-19, cities have a unique opportunity to “build back better” and harness the power that Nature-based Solutions have to offer.

A report, “Smart, Sustainable and Resilient cities: the Power of Nature-based Solutions'' produced by UNEP together...

A new report on Nature-based Solutions business models is now available. The report titled, “State of the Art and Latest Advances in Exploring Business Models for Nature-Based Solutions” was created by the EU NbS Clustering Task Force 3, coordinated by NetworkNature and offers insight...

PBL Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency launched a new website dedicated to information on Nature-based Solutions (NbS). The main objective of the website is to inform decision makers about the potential of...

The European Union is increasingly focusing on advancing nature-based solutions (NbS) to solve the wicked problems we face, from biodiversty loss to global warming. A new study by Clive Davies, Wendy Y. Chen, Giovanni Sanesi and Raffaela Lafortezza trace the roadmap of EU's plans to promote and...

The World Bank has just released a new approach paper, Unlocking Nature-Smart Development, framing the management of biodiversity and ecosystem services as a development issue, from both the risk and opportunity perspectives.

It proposes six global response areas aimed at rebalancing...

We are experiencing an unprecedented crisis: the destruction of nature and the rampant effects of climate change. Up to 1 billion tons of CO2 are released each year from degraded coastal ecosystems, global loss of tropical forests contributes around 4.8 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide annually...

The SINCERE project has released a new policy briefing , which draws on the global experiences of Payments for Environmental Services (PES). The aim is to provide policymakers insights into best practices and preconditions for a successful implementation of PES in Europe. Indeed, PES have become...

The concept of Nature-based Solutions (NbS) is drawing a lot of attention but few know what it means in practice and how to apply the IUCN Global standard for NbS, which is at the foundation of the concept.

As the author of the Global Standard, IUCN is offering a professional certificate...

The Endangered Landscapes Programme (ELP) is inviting expressions of interest from organisations and partnerships that share the programme’s vision.

This round of projects will add to the portfolio of large landscape restoration projects (Implementation Projects) currently funded by ELP...

The Final report from phase II of the INCA project shows that EU’s ecosystems generated an annual flow of selected seven ecosystem services at the value of € 172 billion.

Ecosystem accounting - Making nature count

How much do ecosystems contribute to our economy and wellbeing?...

The Green City Accord is an ambitious movement of European cities committed to safeguarding the environment. Launched in October 2020 by the European Commission, the Accord invites city leaders to take further action to make their cities cleaner and healthier places to live. As of June 2021, 51...

The Greater Manchester Combined Authority and Natural Course have created a Natural Capital User Guide, a resource for urban planners, businessess, funders, project developers, partnerships, infrastructure planners and decision makers to learn about Manchester's approach and the natural capital...

Calling all SMEs implementing nature-based solutions in the built environment! METABUILDING is an innovation ecosystem that fosters sustainable approaches in the building sector, including nature-based solutions, and they have now opened an ambitions call to enhance cross-sectoral collaboration...

This article originally appeared on ICLEI Europe, republished with permission.

This World Environment Day (5 June) marks the official launch of the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration (2021-2030), a global movement initiated by the UN General Assembly to help halt and reverse the...

ICLEI Europe & European Commission hosted a session during EU Green Week 2021, to discuss the role of nature-based solutions in addressing local pollution . The event gathered experts working with cities throughout Europe discussing how nature-based solutions are by far the most beneficial...

May 2021 marked the launch of an Urban Health cluster Healthy Cities , by URBACT the European Territorial Cooperation programme, which has for the past 15 years championed sustainable integrated development in European Cities. The Healthy Cities action planning network aims to develop and...

The EU-funded Nature Insurance Value: Assessment and Demonstration project (NAIAD) has developed a Handbook for Implementation of Nature-based Solutions for Water Security .

Climate impacts challenge our status quo. The frequency of extreme events keeps increasing driven by climate...

There is a multitude of innovative nature-based solutions (NBS) projects and initiatives, garnering great benefits to their surroundings in Europe. Under the NetworkNature coordinated European Commission NBS Task Force 2: Nature-based Solutions Impact Evaluation Framework , experts from these...

The benefits of urban green and blue areas for our mental health and well-being have become more and more evident during the current pandemic. Despite their importance, however, we don’t have enough information about how these areas should be designed. Do different types of urban green &...

The Connecting Nature Enterprise Platform is inviting tenders from suitably qualified individuals to serve as a Community Ambassador for the Financial Services for NBS Community and the Ecosystem Creation, Restoration and Management Community on the Connecting Nature Enterprise Platform for the...

The Global EbA Fund , a brand-new funding opportunity, is now open to support scaling up EbA across the world.

Led by IUCN and UNEP, the Global EbA Fund is a quickly deployable mechanism for supporting innovative approaches to EbA. The Fund aims to encourage catalytic initiatives to...

Editorial for March 2021 edition of NetworkNature Newsletter.

“Nature is good for us and the society”. That was – in short – the main message by the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (MEA) back in 2005. The outcomes of the MEA were an eye-opener and have led to new knowledge and new...

The Connecting Nature Enterprise Platform is inviting tenders from suitably qualified individuals to serve as a Community Ambassador for the NBS for Health and Well-Being Community on the Connecting Nature Enterprise Platform for the period from May 2021 – April 2022.

In the wake of the pandemic, the realization that access to nature is crucial for well-being has dawned on many. Although the pandemic stems from nature, the role of human-led destruction of natural environments is a major causal factor, and thus a potential solution lies in re-establishing a...

News originally published on the GrowGreen website . Republished with permission from GrowGreen.

Download the summary and the full report produced by IUCN for GrowGreen on the Chinese Sponge Cities Programme.

Wuhan, the capital city of Hubei Province , is well-known as the “...