Nature-based Solutions and Green Infrastructure

Nature-based Solutions and Green Infrastructure

Nature-based solutions (NBS) are solutions to societal challenges that protect, sustainably manage, or restore nature to provide environmental, social, and economic benefits. NBS and related concepts – e.g. green and blue infrastructure, ecosystem-based adaptation, and natural water retention measures (hereafter collectively referred to as NBS) – also help to protect biodiversity, build resilience, and deliver ecosystem services.

Ecologic Institute has a long-standing track record in this field, having played a significant role in the development of the European Green Infrastructure Strategy and its implementation and having also worked on numerous national and international NBS-related research projects.

Team members have extensive knowledge of and applied experience in the assessment of EU environmental and sectoral policies and strategies, regional land use planning processes, urban governance, innovative financing instruments, and the development of city indicators and typologies surrounding NBS. Our expertise extends to impact assessments, multi-criteria decision analyses, co-creation and engagement with stakeholders, and the analysis of barriers to and success factors for NBS implementation. Our research provides knowledge and evidence for increased NBS mainstreaming across sectoral policies, more effective multifunctional NBS design, and wider uptake in Europe and beyond.

The members of the team were also actively involved in expert groups of the European Commission's Directorate-General for Research on "Nature-based solutions and urban regeneration" and "Valorisation of NBS projects".

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Related Topics

Bioeconomy

Digitalization

International Development

Nature-based Solutions and Green Infrastructure

Resource Conservation + Circular Economy

Water

Industry

Gerardo Anzaldúa
Senior Fellow

Climate

Adaptation

Cities

International Development

Biodiversity

Nature-based Solutions and Green Infrastructure

Natalia Burgos Cuevas
Researcher
Coordinator International Development

Cities

Biodiversity

Nature-based Solutions and Green Infrastructure

International Development

Adaptation

Land Use

Evaluation

Health

McKenna Davis
Coordinator Nature-based Solutions
Senior Fellow

Environmental Law – Ecologic Legal

Biodiversity

Energy

Nature-based Solutions and Green Infrastructure

Water

Felix Dengler
Researcher
Data Protection Officer

Biodiversity

Coastal + Marine

Nature-based Solutions and Green Infrastructure

Gregory Fuchs
Co-Coordinator Coastal and Marine
Researcher

Nature-based Solutions and Green Infrastructure

Climate

Cities

International Development

Ewa Iwaszuk
Fellow

Water

Nature-based Solutions and Green Infrastructure

Coastal + Marine

Education

Health

Dr. Eleftheria Kampa
Senior Fellow

Cities

Plastics

International Development

Nature-based Solutions and Green Infrastructure

Climate

Evaluation

Education

Governance

Doris Knoblauch
Co-Coordinator Plastics
Coordinator Urban & Spatial Governance
Senior Fellow

Coastal + Marine

Arctic

Biodiversity

Nature-based Solutions and Green Infrastructure

Fenja Kroos
Researcher

Nature-based Solutions and Green Infrastructure

Biodiversity

Water

Education

Dr. Benjamin Kupilas
Coordinator Biodiversity
Fellow

Biodiversity

Nature-based Solutions and Green Infrastructure

Coastal + Marine

Land Use

Agriculture

Bioeconomy

Resource Conservation + Circular Economy

Evaluation

Indicators

Ruta Landgrebe-Trinkunaite
Fellow

Water

Coastal + Marine

Biodiversity

Nature-based Solutions and Green Infrastructure

Julia Maund
International Fellow

International Development

Coastal + Marine

Nature-based Solutions and Green Infrastructure

Adaptation

Evaluation

Katriona McGlade
Fellow

Cities

Nature-based Solutions and Green Infrastructure

Climate

Education

Plastics

Resource Conservation + Circular Economy

Linda Mederake
Co-Coordinator Plastics
Fellow
Selected Projects for Nature-based Solutions and Green Infrastructure
ProjectHorizon EuropeGoNaturePositive!
 

by Felicidad & Growfish 

Nature-Positive Economy – a Challenge and an OpportunityThe world’s economic systems do not adequately acknowledge the valuable role nature plays in planetary and human health. The degradation of land, freshwater and marine ecosystems undermines the well-being of... Read more

GoNaturePositive!

Duration
-
Funding
ProjectNature's Integration in Cities' Hydrologies, Ecologies and Societies (NICHES)
 
NICHES project logo: Project name in capital letters. in the letters you can see a skyline, above it green and blue horizon

© NICHES

Heavy rainfall events increasingly overload combined sewage systems, resulting in an overflow of contaminated water into the nearby environment and threats to aquatic biodiversity. There is thus an urgent need to identify new, more sustainable solutions which are... Read more

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

Duration
-
Funding
ProjectHorizon 2020International Cooperation to Restore and Connect Urban Environments in Latin America and Europe (INTERLACE)
 

Photo: Ewa Iwaszuk

Cities and their peripheries are constantly confronted with challenges such as urban sprawl, climate change and pollution. These processes can exacerbate the degradation of natural ecosystems, and jeopardize ecosystem service provisioning with negative consequences for... Read more

International Cooperation to Restore and Connect Urban Environments in Latin America and Europe (INTERLACE)

Duration
-
Funding
ProjectHorizon 2020Co-designing Locally-tailored Ecological Solutions for Value-added, Socially Inclusive Regeneration in Cities (CLEVER Cities)
 
With three quarters of the European Union's population living in cities and further increases expected, societies are increasingly facing socio-political shifts and marginalization. Limited availability of physical space, changing urban demographics, and increasing... Read more

Co-designing Locally-tailored Ecological Solutions for Value-added, Socially Inclusive Regeneration in Cities (CLEVER Cities)

Duration
-
Funding
ProjectClimate Mitigation Through Nature-Based-Solutions in Urban Poland - Fostering Awareness and Capacity (ClimateNBS Polska)
 
| Fotolia.com © kalafoto
Many Polish cities are undergoing intense development, which is placing investment pressure on undeveloped land. Individual sites would be able to deliver on urban climate change mitigation and reduce GHG emissions, with the resulting social, economic and environmental... Read more

Climate Mitigation Through Nature-Based-Solutions in Urban Poland - Fostering Awareness and Capacity (ClimateNBS Polska)

Duration
-
Funding
ProjectHorizon 2020Nature Based Urban Innovation (NATURVATION)
 
| Fotolia © kalafoto
Nature is important for the urban environment: trees grant shade during the summer months, while parks and lakes function as areas for relaxation, as places where the urban population comes together, and as space where children can experience nature and learn about it... Read more

Nature Based Urban Innovation (NATURVATION)

Duration
-
Funding
ProjectEnabling Green and Blue Infrastructure Potential in Complex Social-ecological Regions (ENABLE)
 
Green and Blue infrastructure (GBI) in cities holds large potential to effectively address emerging global challenges, such as climate change impacts, increasing urbanisation and declining access to nature, as it can deliver multiple societal, ecological and economic... Read more

Enabling Green and Blue Infrastructure Potential in Complex Social-ecological Regions (ENABLE)

Duration
-
Funding
ProjectEuropean Topic Center on Biological Diversity (ETC/BD) 2014-2018
 
Fotolia © T. Lieder
The goal of the European Environment Agency's European Topic Centre on Biological Diversity (ETC-BD) is to collect and monitor data on biodiversity as well as issues and ecological pressures related to biodiversity. This data is used to establish the state of Europe's... Read more

European Topic Center on Biological Diversity (ETC/BD) 2014-2018

Duration
-
Funding
All projects on Nature-based Solutions and Green Infrastructure
Selected Publications for Nature-based Solutions and Green Infrastructure
PublicationBookAddressing Climate Change in Cities – Catalogue of urban nature-based solutions
 
Nature-based solutions (NBS) are solutions that are inspired and supported by nature. They can be used in urban settings to complement or replace "traditional" or "grey" solutions to perform functions, such as thermal insulation and stormwater retention and filtration.... Read more

English version: Iwaszuk, E., Rudik, G., Duin, L., Mederake, L., Davis, M., Naumann, S., Wagner, I., 2019: Addressing Climate Change in Cities. Catalogue of Urban Nature-Based Solutions. Ecologic Institute, the Sendzimir Foundation: Berlin, Krakow.

Polish version: Iwaszuk, E., Rudik, G., Duin, L., Mederake, L., Davis, M., Naumann, S., Wagner, I., 2019: Błękitno-zielona
infrastruktura dla łagodzenia zmian klimatu w miastach. Katalog techniczny. Ecologic Institute, Fundacja Sendzimira: Berlin, Krakow.

PublicationWeb ApplicationUrban Nature Atlas – NATURVATION
 
Urban Nature Atlas
So far, the Urban Nature Atlas has collected evidence on 1000 nature-based solutions (NBS) interventions. With that, it provides the most comprehensive basis for the analysis of socio-economic and innovation patterns associated with urban NBS in Europe. Ecologic... Read more

Ecologic Institute 2018: Urban Nature Atlas – NATURVATION. URL: https://naturvation.eu/atlas

PublicationReportInvesting in Nature for European Water Security
 
Water security is at the heart of healthy and prosperous societies. European countries' prosperity depends on their ability to maintain the gains they have achieved in water security and address new and rising challenges. Nature Based Solutions can be deployed to... Read more

Trémolet S. et al. (2019). Investing in Nature for Europe Water Security. The Nature Conservancy, Ecologic Institute and ICLEI. London, United Kingdom.

PublicationReportMulti-level Policy Framework for Sustainable Urban Development and Nature-based Solutions – Status quo, gaps and opportunities
 
In this report, Doris Knoblauch, Sandra Naumann, Linda Mederake and Ariel Carlos Araujo Sosa (all Ecologic Institute) explore the extent to which current policy frameworks support sustainable urban development and nature-based solutions (NBS). To this end, policies... Read more

Knoblauch et al. (2019). Multi-level policy framework for sustainable urban development and nature-based solutions -- Status quo, gaps and oppor-tunities. Deliverable 1.2, CLEVER Cities, H2020 grant no. 776604.

PublicationDocumentNature-based Solutions in European and National Policy Frameworks
 
Nature-based solutions (NBS) are increasingly being adopted as an effective tool to address urban challenges, as they provide a range of ecological, social and economic benefits. But, to what extent do current policy frameworks support or hinder their implementation?... Read more

Davis, M.; Abhold, K.; Mederake, L.; Knoblauch, D. (2018): Nature-based solutions in European and national policy frameworks. Deliverable 1.5, NATURVATION. Horizon 2020 Grant Agreement No 730243, European Commission, 50 pp.

PublicationFact SheetKey Barriers to and Factors for Improving the Successful Implementation of Nature-Based Solutions
 
CLEVER Cities Factsheet 1
This CLEVER Cities factsheet outlines the main barriers and success factors for successful implementation of nature-based solutions. The CLEVER Cities factsheet No 1, edited by Ecologic Institute, is available for download. The full length document "Barriers and... Read more

Grimes, Clara and McKenna Davis (eds.) 2019: Key Barriers to and Factors for Improving the Successful Implementation of Nature-based Solutions. Factsheet 1. European Union's Horizon 2020 innovation action programme under grant agreement No 776604.

PublicationFact SheetGreen Market Opportunities and Business Policies for Urban Nature-based Solutions
 
CLEVER Cities Factsheet 2
Private businesses lack awareness of market opportunities and appropriate business models for deploying nature-based solutions. This CLEVER Cities factsheet outlines green market opportunities and potential business policies for urban nature-based solutions. The CLEVER... Read more

Green market opportunities and business policies for urban nature-based solutions. Factsheet 2, CLEVER Cities, H2020 grant no. 776604.

PublicationBook SectionMaking the Case for Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems as a Nature-based Solution to Urban Flooding
 
Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems (SUDS) as a promising nature-based solution are the focus of the new chapter, written by Ecologic Institute's McKenna Davis and Sandra Naumann. The authors utilize a range of case studies and evidence from across Europe to underline... Read more

McKenna Davis and Sandra Naumann 2017: Making the Case for Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems as a Nature-Based Solution to Urban Flooding in: Nadja Kabisch, Horst Korn, Jutta Stadler, Aletta Bonn (eds.): Nature-Based Solutions to Climate Change Adaptation in Urban Areas. Linkages between Science, Policy and Practice.

PublicationArticleNature-based Solutions to Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation in Urban Areas
 
| Fotolia © Hubert Körner
Nature-based solutions promoting green and blue urban areas have significant potential to decrease the vulnerability and enhance the resilience of cities in light of climatic change. They can thereby help to mitigate climate change-induced impacts and serve as proactive... Read more

Kabisch, N., N. Frantzeskaki, S. Pauleit, S. Naumann, M. Davis, M. Artmann, D. Haase, S. Knapp, H. Korn, J. Stadler, K. Zaunberger, and A. Bonn. 2016. Nature-based solutions to climate change mitigation and adaptation in urban areas: perspectives on indicators, knowledge gaps, barriers, and opportunities for action. Ecology and Society 21(2):39.
http://dx.doi.org/10.5751/ES-08373-210239

PublicationReportÖkosystembasierte Ansätze zur Anpassung an den Klimawandel und zum Klimaschutz im deutschsprachigen Raum
 
Climate change and its impacts are already tangible and necessitate swift and concrete adaptation and mitigation actions. This involves a dual approach, which combats the causes of climate change and also supports society in dealing with a changing climate and its... Read more

Naumann, S., M. Davis, B. Goeller, A. Gradmann, L. Mederake, J. Stadler und K. Bockmühl (2015): Ökosystembasierte Ansätze zur Anpassung an den Klimawandel und zum Klimaschutz im deutschsprachigen Raum. BfN-Skripten 395. Bundesamt für Naturschutz.

All publications on Nature-based Solutions and Green Infrastructure
Selected Events for Nature-based Solutions and Green Infrastructure
EventDigital EventUrban Nature-based Solutions in Germany – experiences, successes and future challenges – Expert workshop
 
On 5 May 2020, the expert workshop "Urban nature-based solutions in Germany – experiences, successes and future challenges" took place online as part of the NATURVATION project. At this workshop, more than 60 experts from policy, administration, practice and research... Read more

Digital Event:Urban Nature-based Solutions in Germany – experiences, successes and future challenges – Expert workshop

Date
Location
online
EventDiscussionNature-based Solutions and Multi-level Governance for Carbon-neutral and Resilient Cities and Regions
 
On Saturday, 8 December 2018, Ecologic Institute hosted a side event in the EU Pavilion at the COP24 in Katowice (Poland), in cooperation with ICLEI Europe. Invited practitioners and experts discussed the role nature-based solutions (NBS) and multi-level governance play... Read more

Discussion:Nature-based Solutions and Multi-level Governance for Carbon-neutral and Resilient Cities and Regions

Date
Location
Katowice, Poland
All events on Nature-based Solutions and Green Infrastructure
Selected Presentations for Nature-based Solutions and Green Infrastructure
PresentationSpeechThe Urban Agenda for the EU, its 'Green' Actions and the European Green Deal
 
screenshot with McKenna Davis

© EUKN

The Urban Agenda for the EU recognizes the importance of nature-based solutions as tools for sustainable recovery and development. Yet implementation and mainstreaming at city level remain limited. Can the European Green Deal support these efforts? What role can... Read more

Speech:The Urban Agenda for the EU, its 'Green' Actions and the European Green Deal

Date
Location
online
PresentationChairingMobilizing Up-scaling of Nature-based Solutions for Climate Change Throughout 2020 and Beyond – DG ENV workshop
 
On 4 and 5 February 2020, Ecologic Institute's McKenna Davis and Ewa Iwaszuk attended an expert workshop "Mobilizing up-scaling of Nature-based Solutions for climate change throughout 2020 and beyond" convened by the Directorate-General for Environment of the European... Read more

Chairing:Mobilizing Up-scaling of Nature-based Solutions for Climate Change Throughout 2020 and Beyond – DG ENV workshop

Date
-
Location
Brussels, Belgium
PresentationSpeechNature-based solutions – An effective approach to increase cities' climate resilience?
 
What role can nature-based solutions (NBS) play in climate change adaptation and mitigation? How can NBS be applied in order to achieve integrated risk management and resilience? These questions were addressed at the 'Paris Forum on NBS'. Sandra Naumann, Senior... Read more

Speech:Nature-based solutions – An effective approach to increase cities' climate resilience?

Date
Location
Paris, France
PresentationSpeechNature-based Solutions and Ecosystem-based Aquatic Biodiversity Management
 
At the 2018 UN Biodiversity Conference, Ecologic Institute's Hugh McDonald and Sandra Naumann presented and discussed Ecologic work on nature-based solutions and managing aquatic biodiversity. The UN Biodiversity Conference (CBD COP 14) took place from 13 to 29 November... Read more

Speech:Nature-based Solutions and Ecosystem-based Aquatic Biodiversity Management

Date
-
Location
Sharm el Sheikh, Egypt
PresentationSpeechNature-based Tools for Urban Adaptation and Improved Human Well-being
 
McKenna Davis (©Naturparif)
Ecologic Institute's McKenna Davis presented insights about the potential of nature-based tools to address urban challenges during Naturparif's 5th annual conference in Paris on 5 June 2014. Based on earlier studies written by the Ecologic Institute on the subject, she... Read more

Speech:Nature-based Tools for Urban Adaptation and Improved Human Well-being

Date
Location
Paris, France
PresentationPanel discussionNature-based Solutions and Green Infrastructure: Current policy support and opportunities for mainstreaming
 
| Sandra Naumann presenting (© McKenna Davis)
Green infrastructure (GI) and nature-based solutions (NBS) are increasingly recognised for their potential to contribute to a range of urban challenges and policy objectives. But, how can they be mainstreamed in practice and to what extent do current policy frameworks... Read more

Panel discussion:Nature-based Solutions and Green Infrastructure: Current policy support and opportunities for mainstreaming

Date
Location
Malmö, Sweden
PresentationSpeechA Helping Hand or a Thorn in the Foot? Nature-based Solutions in European and National Policy Frameworks
 
| McKenna Davis (Ecologic Institut)
Nature-based solutions (NBS) are increasingly recognised for their potential to contribute to a range of urban challenges and policy objectives. But, to what extent do current policy frameworks support or hinder their implementation? At the international conference on ... Read more

Speech:A Helping Hand or a Thorn in the Foot? Nature-based Solutions in European and National Policy Frameworks

Date
Location
Tallinn, Estonia
All presentations on Nature-based Solutions and Green Infrastructure