News articles

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...

The recently proposed EU Nature Restoration Law constitutes the first ever legal requirement for large-scale nature restoration with the aim of ensuring no further deterioration of hitherto protected habitats and species. The Law aims to introduce area-based restoration measures for at least 20...

The NetworkNature Annual Event took place on 27 th September 2022, at the Museum of Natural Sciences of Brussels.

Nature-based solutions (NBS), if designed and implemented well, can produce a multitude of benefits simultaneously, including for health and wellbeing, agriculture, water,...

The Merlin Innovation Awards (MIA) launched as part of the MERLIN project

Innovation is one of the pillars of MERLIN , the flagship project of the European Commission, which commits to transformative ecosystem restoration, mainstreaming Nature-based Solutions for the urgent systemic...

Are you part of an initiative trying to create a more sustainable urban food system ? Or do you know such an initiative that deserves international recognition? This could be an urban gardening project , a community kitchen , an urban beehive , or anything else that uses food to help make our...

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:

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

An ambitious group of 10 local governments is sought to apply the IUCN Urban Nature Indices , a new methodological framework for measuring the ecological performance of cities.

To make ecological monitoring easier for cities, IUCN and partners have developed the Urban Nature Indices (UNI...

International actors, national and local governments, businesses, and community groups increasingly recognize the importance and the utility of nature-based solutions (NBS) to protect, manage, or restore different landscapes and ecosystems worldwide. According to the European Commission , NBS,...

In recent days a workshop entitled, "Standards for Climate and Nature-based Solutions" took place (23 May) hosted by CEN and CENELEC, which was instrumental in identifying the cross-sectoral gaps and opportunities for the development of new standards to support the uptake of nature-based...

RECONECT, an EU project implementing Nature-based Solutions to reduce water-related climate risks, spanning 5 years, held its 7th general assembly in Zurich between the 23rd and 25th of May.

IUCN is a key partner in the project, along with a diverse network of Demonstrators and...

Adaptation and Climate resilience involves many sectors and levels of governance. In order to tackle climate change future leaders must be equipped to create future solutions. To this end, the Global Center on Adaptation (GCA), Centre for Environment Education (CCE), and Foundation for...

Working with nature to strengthen urban resilience can be cost-effective for addressing climate adaptation and mitigation while bringing out broader benefits for biodiversity, communities, and the local economy. Nature-based solutions like urban park development and river restoration are found...

The European Commission under the The Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy - Europe, has launched a Policy Support Facilit y . This innovative initiative will support local and regional authorities implement climate change adaptation actions. Cities and regions from Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech...

UNCCD’s evidence-based flagship Global Land Outlook 2 (GLO2) report, five years in development with 21 partner organizations, and with over 1,000 references, is the most comprehensive consolidation of information on the topic assembled.

It offers an overview of the breadth and projects...

Youth around the world are voicing their stances on a wide set of environmental issues, including recent engagement on Nature-based solutions (NBS). During the course of the European Year of Youth , dedicated young leaders for climate and nature produced an position paper on Nature-based...

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...

Closer-to-Nature Forest Management is a concept proposed in the EU Forest Strategy for 2030, which aims to improve the conservation values and climate resilience of multifunctional, managed forests in Europe. Building on the latest scientific evidence, a new From Science to Policy study from EFI...

In the framework of a market assessment project conducted on behalf of the European Investment Bank (EIB) on the topic of Nature-based Solutions (NBS) financing, Bankers without Boundaries is collecting information of currently existing projects at the EU level.

This project aims at...

Awareness for nature based solutions is spreading. NetworkNature is proud to take these lessons learned to the classroom - schools, higher education, and professional training are often the places where people’s thinking, understanding, and perceptions are transformed, leading to long term...

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...

The European Commission has today launched an invitation to EU regions and communities to join the EU Mission on Adaptation to Climate Change.

The Mission’s objective is to support 150 regions and communities to accelerate their transformation towards climate resilience by helping them...

NetworkNature is launching a call for its semester on nature-based solutions standards . NetworkNature semesters cover timely issues in the nature-based solutions (NbS) field, to gather, share knowledge and raise awareness on the topic together with the wider nature-based solutions community....

This toolkit provided by the IUCN equips people with the tools, knowledge, and resources necessary to restore ecosystems back to productive and healthy spaces. Readers are shown examples of the importance of community organizing, potential aspects of projects, successful examples of community...

The CONEXUS project is collecting NBS professional skill gaps in order to recommend a professional training curriculum in Nature-based Solutions that can respond to local needs and challenges for successful NBS planning and implementation.

Local governments, international cooperation...

The new European Biodiversity Partnership Biodiversa+, co-funded by the European Union is bringing together 74 research programs, funders, and environmental policy actors from 37 European and associated countries to help put nature back on a path of recovery. Biodiversa+ started on the 1st of...

The EEA briefing ' Who benefits from nature in cities? Social inequalities in access to urban green and blue spaces across Europe ' shows how access to public green and blue spaces differs across Europe. Cities in northern and western Europe tend to have more green space than cities in southern...

What is an ecological restoration approach?

Restorative actions exist at first to bring more nature, ecological functions and natural features from natural areas to fully anthropized ones. In Brussels, Belgium, the city is setting up insect hotels and meadows in green spaces to recreate...

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...

UrbanByNature, the global capacity-building programme in Nature-based Solutions (NBS) coordinated by ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability , is starting 2022 with a new, standalone website and a revamped logo. The UrbanByNature website ( www.urbanbynature.eu ) allows participants to...

Nature-based solutions are a quick and cost-effective way to transform our surroundings to become more sustainable and will be a key element in building more resilient and healthy societies. They are a safe and sound investment as case studies from Bologna, Glasgow, Copenhagen and Hamburg prove...

In Europe, almost one-third of the landscape is covered by cities, villages, agriculture and forests. There are lots of different types of trees, bur also damaged forest areas due to human activities and climate change consequences. At the European level a series of political commitments are...

At the September IUCN UK Peatland Programme/LIFE Conference film night, the North Pennines AONB Partnership launched its new film: PeatLIFE People .

The documentary-style film shows some views of UK's peatland landscapes and the work of the Pennine PeatLIFE project and, as said by the...

The “ Water Framework Directive” (DIR 2000/60/EC) has radically changed the policies of European countries regarding water, which throughout the 1900s were mainly aimed at facilitating its use for human activities and protecting public health from the risks associated with pollution. The...

European cities are invited to submit an Expression of Interest to become a stop on the Connecting Nature Roadshow - a mobile exhibition showcasing innovative solutions to co-create, implement and manage nature based-solutions.

The Roadshow will customize interactive workshops...

On 1st December, the European Business Statement was officially delivered to the European Commission at the EBNS 2021.

The statement calls businesses and policy makers to mainstream biodiversity in all decisions and policies. In particular, the European businesses are called upon to...

The Border Meuse Initiative, wich kicked off 30 years ago in the Netherlands, has demonstrated how rewilding can make socio-economic and environmental benefits. Restoring natural landscapes is one of the most effective and cheapest ways of addressing challenges such as climate change and...

As part of the NetworkNature semester ‘ Nature-based solutions for ecosystem restoration ’, which aims to create opportunities for local, regional and international cooperation on nature-based solutions and to explore how ecosystem restoration can contribute to biodiversity conservation whilst...

How can stakeholders balance the potential risks, drawbacks and concerns of the Nature-Based Solutions Framework with its benefits and opportunities? A brief is now available pertaining to this very topic. As a partnership between Global Youth Biodiversity Network, Youth4Nature and YOUNGO, the...

The new report "Nature-based solutions for climate change mitigation", authored by experts from the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the International Union or Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and the UN Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC) finds the...

The new Horizon2020 funded NICE project aims to promote the use of nature-based solutions for circular urban water management. The project will generate knowledge for the design and implementation of NbS with the goal of closing urban water loops. The solutions will capture water,...

How can nature-based solutions enter everyday vocabulary? How can nature-based solutions become mainstream to restore habitats, bring back biodiversity and lead to the improved well-being of our communities? Which are the knowledge and implementation gaps that are limiting the use of nature-...

NATURVATION and NetworkNature have collaborated to create the first NetworkNature project group.

NetworkNature project groups will bring together project case studies, resources and news. This content will be preserved in NetworkNature and in Oppla long after the project has finished....

New awarenesses are emerging today: the need to curb the growth of GHG emissions for global economic recovery and the destruction of the natural world. Natural Climate Solutions (NCS) help address both these problems and increase resilience to climate change. NCS are conservation, restoration...

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...

A new report from the EU Commission Directorate titled, “Evaluating the Impact of Nature-Based Solutions: A Summary for Policy Makers”, was released providing a high-level summary for practitioners and policy-makers alike to assess the impact of nature-based solutions (NbS) using...

Coastal dunes are high-value areas of biodiversity, providing a home to rare flora and offering protection to coasts against storms. They can, however, be vulnerable to degradation and should therefore be protected. The challenge lies in the changing nature of dunes as an ecosystem...

The new IPCC special report on effects of global warming above pre-industrial levels , sounds an alarm on the irreversible negative impacts of human activity on our own habitat. In order to to steer away from a climate catastrophe, scientists state that stark and immediate cuts on emissions are...

Nature should be at the heart of our cities, because they are the places where we work, play and engage. Today, more than 55% of the world's population lives in cities and this figure is likely to continue to grow, as urbanization is growing at an unprecedented rate and this contributes...

Nature-based solutions (NbS) help address the effects of climate change in an integrated way, such as biodiversity loss and poverty.

If done well, nature-based solutions could be the key to protecting, sustainably managing and restoring ecosystems, in cost-effective ways while addressing...

A new paper has been published on the Ecosystem Services Journal on using ecosystem services to measure the degree to which a solution is nature-based.

Recently, Nature-based Solutions have gained increasing interest as a broad concept which encompasses several fields (sociology,...

The first draft of a new global framework on biodiversity was released by the Secretariat of the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) to guide actions around the world until 2030 for the conservation and protection of nature and its essential services to people. At the end of...

NetworkNature highlights timely topics in the nature-based solutions field with its semester themes , identified in consultation with the nature-based solutions community. Each semester NetworkNature will focus on a specific...

Economic entities are increasingly regognizing that nature is tied to all activities and that the state of the environment also affects the economy. OECD launched a new policy guide for finance, economic and environment ministes titled ' Biodiversity, natural capital and the economy ' in May...

During the NetworkNature semester ‘ Nature-based solutions in light of the pandemic ’ we have explored how these solutions affect health and well-being. There is increasing research and findings indicating that among the many benefits of natural spaces, are improvements to mental and physical...

The main work programme of Horizon Europe for the period 2021-2022 has been adopted by the European Commission. The programme outlines the objectives and specific topic areas that will receive a total of €14.7 billion in funding. Further to help accelerating the green and digital transitions in...

The 2021 Transformative Action Award is now accepting applications from cities, regions, and civil society organisations who are pioneering transformative actions to create sustainable, resilient, and liveable cities.

The actions taken reflect local or regional contributions to the...

The restoration of degraded environments offers beneficial impacts to alleviate stress, improve mental health, to mitigate pollution and provide spaces for contemplation, socialization and physical activity. The COVID-19 pandemic has further emphasized the importance of nature for collective...

There is currently an active debate in the role that nature-based solutions should take in the post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework. Some parties advocate for the great potential of nature-based solutions to advance the protection sustainable using and restoration of biodiversity, while...

The United Nations has dedicated May 22nd each year as The International Day for Biological Diversity , to increase awareness and understanding of biodiversity. The Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) has set the theme for Biodiversity Day 2021 as “ We’re part of the...

The concept of therapeutic or healing gardens is both modern and ancient. Ancient Egyptian, Persian and Greek gardens were all considered healing environments and all of them had well established guidelines in relation with the knowledge of that time and, most important, people were aware of...

New European Commission Carbon Farming Initiative

On the 27th of April 2021, the European Commission published a ‘ Technical Guidance Handbook: Setting up and implementing results-based carbon farming mechanisms in the EU ’ This guide is the result of a two-year study on how best to set...

The European Environment Agency presents a new report that gives valuable insights in how working with nature can help prevent the worst impacts of climate change, and biodiversity and ecosystem loss. Nature-based solutions offer multiple ways to do this. Science and policy have begun to...

Nature-based solutions are an increasingly popular means for tackling urban sustainability challenges. Nonetheless, there’s no one-size-fits-all method for every city, even when we are dealing with the same topic. Here are a few points/tips/inspirational stories you could learn from when taking...

UNEP has opened a call for best practices on investment in nature-based solutions, under their State of Finance for Nature initiative.

Contribute to shaping the financing landscape for nature-based solutions, by submitting best practices, to help demonstrate how investing in nature-...

As a result of the COVID19 pandemic, we have seen an increase in stress, poor mental health and domestic violence. And we have seen an increase in the visits to green and blue spaces, leading at times to overcrowding in these spaces. In a city like Barcelona, Collserola, a large urban forest...

In cities, the built and natural environment are important determinants of health, particularly among groups that are disadvantaged by relative poverty, unemployment, low status, gender, ethnicity and disability (WHO, 2012). Evidence of the impact of green and blue space provided by Nature-based...

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 “...

Nature-based solutions may often be small in scale, but this is wherein their power lies – they lend well to replication. To support their spread, NetworkNature , a new Horizon 2020 funded project, spearheaded by ICLEI Europe , IUCN , BiodivERsA , Oppla and Steinbeis 2i , gathers the nature-...

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

Gland, Switzerland - The European Green Deal is aligned to mobilise action on nature-based solutions (NbS) and, at the same time, help deliver the European Recovery Package, according to IUCN, which...

A new Horizon 2020 funded project – GoGreenRoutes - will apply innovative solutions such as urban nature-based interventions, data analysis and citizen science to investigate the links between green spaces and health.

The need for urban green spaces has gained worldwide attention in...

Blog originally published on the IUCN website . Republished with permission from IUCN .

The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of green and blue infrastructure in cities as a refuge for urban residents, providing a range of health and other benefits. A webinar held on 29th...

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

The new Espai Verd Benicalap (Green Space Benicalap), located in the Benicalap neighborhood in València, has been inaugurated with an open day for citizens. This project is one of the...