Increase Biodiversity

Emscher: NbS for dykes along Europe's most expensive river

flowering Emscher dykes (photo: Emschergenossenschaft/Lippeverband)

For almost 30 years, until 2022, the Emscher river, flowing through Germany's larges metropolitan region, the Ruhrgebiet, has been restored from a heavily sewage loaded system to a vital river. As the river is located in a densely populated area, dykes and other flood protection structure are necessary at least in some part. This case study aims at transitioning the land use on these dykes and near river areas towards extensive meadows. It is a step towards creating synergies between river maintenance and nature protection.

This case study is one of 17 that are part of the EU...

Monitoring the success of Liberty Island, Hungary

Liberty Island in the Danube River, Hungary

The creation of a long-term, sustainable conservation model for white willow (Salicion albae) alluvial forests in Hungary and a more near-natural flow regime of the Danube. A core aim was to eliminate or mitigate the factors that threaten the habitats of community interest. 

This case study is one of 17 that are part of the EU Horizon2020 project MERLIN - Mainstreaming Ecological Restoration of freshwater-related ecosystems in a Landscape context: INnovation, upscaling and transformation. Within MERLIN, the project area of the Liberty Island restoration is revisited to learn from...

Digital Beehive

Digital Beehive

Create healthy bee communities and work to preserve the biodiversity. By tracking the beehives and thus gathering information about the bee communities and their behaviour, extreme weather events can be predicted.

Linderud Community Garden

 Linderud Community Garden

Developing the communal area as a social meeting place for the local neighborhood, strengthening the community feeling and building a sense of ownership of the area. By providing growing space to different local entrepreneurs, the garden supports the local green economy and helps building a network of initiatives with different social impact.

Edible Landscaping

 Edible Landscaping

Explore how to best maintain existing areas of edible urban greenery - and integrate new ones - into the area, as well as how these green spaces can be used to connect the existing neighbours with the new ones by providing spaces for community gardening, togetherness and knowledge exchange.

Peatlands of Bosnia and Herzegovina: Neretva-Trebisnjica and Hutovo Blato

Peatland sites within carstic catchments in Bosnia and Herzigovina are to be restored through channel restoration and rewetting, thereby protecting these hotspots for (endemic) biodiversity. The case study aims at achieving an amicable transition from the current heavy hydropower usage and peatland extraction to more near-natural, healthy ecosystems. 

This case study is one of 17 that are part of the EU Horizon2020 project MERLIN - Mainstreaming Ecological Restoration of freshwater-related ecosystems in a Landscape context: INnovation, upscaling and transformation