International Symposium on Nature-based Solutions in Urban Water Systems

International Symposium on Nature-based Solutions in Urban Water Systems

Event: Digital Event

Discussion
Date: 6 March 2023
Location: hybrid, Barcelona, Spain

The Institute of Environmental Science and Technology (ICTA) from the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), invites you to the first International Symposium of the NICHES project. NICHES aims to promote restorative nature-based solutions in urban water systems to address current problems, such as combined waste and rainwater sewer systems overflows on aquatic ecosystems. In order to facilitate knowledge and experience exchange across policy-makers, civil society, academia and the business sector, the NICHES International Symposium will combine presentations about international successful examples of nature-based solutions and provide a forum for discussion about current challenges and opportunities in the Metropolitan Area of Barcelona.

The "NICHES International Symposium on Nature-based Solutions in Urban Water Systems: Fostering Just, Sustainable and Resilient Urban Transformations" will take place on 6 March 2023 between 10 am and 13 pm CET in the Casa Convalescència in Barcelona.

Join on the 6 March in person or online to have that conversation! You can register HERE.

Timings:

Part 1: Explorations across the five global NICHES cities at 10:00-11:00 CET (English, Hybrid)

Part 2: Zooming in on Barcelona at 11:00-13:00 CET (Catalan, In person)

The NICHES Project is coordinated by Ecologic Institute.

Contact

McKenna Davis

Coordinator Nature-based Solutions

Senior Fellow

Sitting in Our Own Soup? Combined sewers, climate change and nature-based solutions for urban water management in Berlin

Year 2024

Presentation:Speech

The European Regions Research and Innovation Network's (ERRIN) Blue Economy Working Group held a hybrid meeting entitled "Water issues in the era of climate change" on 5 October 2023. McKenna Davis, Senior Fellow at Ecologic Institute and Coordinator of Nature-based Solutions, was invited to hold the keynote presentation to set the scene. Her contribution – entitled "Nature-based solutions in European policy: A framework for enhancing local action" – introduced the variety of nature-based solutions available for water management, current research focusing on these solutions (including the Ecologic-led NICHES project), the surrounding EU policy framework, and examples of enabling local policy instruments from the Urban Governance Atlas.

Nature-based Solutions in European Policy: A framework for enhancing local action

5 October 2023
McKenna Davis

Presentation:Speech

McKenna Davis, Senior Fellow at Ecologic Institute, was one of 8 experts speaking on the topic of 'strategies for urban biodiversity' during the Digital Blue Green Event hosted by the Scandinavian Green Roof Institute on 14 March 2023. She began by outlining key challenges facing urban water management, including an increasing frequency and intensity of heavy rainfall events, urban surface sealing and combined sewer overflow events. McKenna then introduced the NICHES project and its aim to rethink the status quo by deploying nature-based solutions and approaching the urban water system as a holistic Social-Ecological-Technical-System (SETS).

Nature-based Solutions for Improved Water Management and Biodiversity Conservation

14 March 2023
McKenna Davis

Publication:Flyer

The NICHES project flyer illustrates the main project objectives and case-study cities. An overview of the project process is illustrated, together with details of the partner cities implementing the project. The flyer is styled according to the project style-guides and contains contact information.

Nature's Integration in Cities' Hydrologies, Ecologies and Societies (NICHES)

Year 2023

Project

Nature-based solutions (NBS) are recognised as cost-effective tools to alleviate pressure during high rainfall events while producing wider societal and environmental benefits, but uptake is limited in practice due to lacking evidence. The NICHES project – Nature's Integration in Cities' Hydrologies, Ecologies and Societies – aims to fill this gap by adopting a holistic social-ecological-technical systems (SETS) approach to explore the potential of urban NBS as an alternative to the costly renewal of grey wastewater systems. Five global cities – Barcelona, Berlin, Boston, Sheffield, and Rotterdam – will be utilized to co-create knowledge and develop a shared understanding of restorative NBS that can be applied to avoid storm-water run-off and negative impacts for aquatic biodiversity.

Nature's Integration in Cities' Hydrologies, Ecologies and Societies (NICHES)

Apr 2022 - Mar 2025

Funding: Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), Germany

VDI/VDE Innovation + Technik, Germany
Organizer: Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Institute of Environmental Science and Technology (ICTA-UAB), Spain
Partner: Ecologic Institute, Germany
Team: McKenna Davis

Sandra Naumann

Gregory Fuchs
Date: 6 March 2023
Location: hybrid, Barcelona, Spain
Languages: English

Catalan
Project: Nature's Integration in Cities' Hydrologies, Ecologies and Societies (NICHES)
Project ID: 30016
Keywords: Cities

Nature-based Solutions and Green Infrastructure

Spain, Barcelona

Symposium, Discussion, Key Note

Further Links

NICHES project website

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