Restoring ecosystems and their functions

Integrated valuation of a nature-based solution for water pollution control. Highlighting hidden benefits

This study assesses the benefits of a multi-purpose nature-based solution for water pollution control in a peri-urban area located in Gorla Maggiore (northern Italy), using an ecosystem service approach and applying an integrated valuation based on MCA for local water management. This solution is compared with the alternative “doing nothing” and with the construction of conventional grey infrastructure. This case study gives an example of integrating different value systems and stakeholders' viewpoints, thus providing hands-on guidance for integrated valuation in ecosystem service...

H2020 PONDERFUL: The Lake Mogan Pondscape

The Lake Mogan Pondscape aims to conserve biodiversity, improve water management, and provide recreational spaces. It also plays a critical role in flood mitigation, provides nature’s contributions to people such as habitat provision and water quality regulation.

H2020 PONDERFUL: The Gölbaşı Düzlüğü Pondscape

This pondscape plays a critical role in flood mitigation, water management, and biodiversity conservation in the Gölbaşı region. It supports urban and peri-urban ecosystems, enhances water quality, and provides recreational spaces, offering significant environmental and social benefits.

H2020 PONDERFUL: The Imrahor River Valley Pondscape

This pondscape plays a key role in flood mitigation and water management in Ankara, supporting biodiversity despite urbanization. It provides crucial ecosystem services like habitat provision and water regulation, while offering recreational spaces for the public, benefiting both urban and rural areas.

“ H2020 PONDERFUL: Water Friendly Farming NBS: a pondscape for biodiversity and multiple ecosystem services

New clean water ponds that provide a significant biodiversity gain in this agricultural landscape

This pondscape is located in a farmland near Leicester. All waterbodies in three upper catchments have been monitored since 2010. The results show an underlying landscape-wide decline in freshwater plant biodiversity of 0.5-1% pa. However doubling the number of clean-water ponds turned the decline around: producing a steep increase in richness and tripled the number of uncommon species.

H2020 PONDERFUL: The Uruguay Pondscape

In Uruguay, rural artificial ponds (tajamares) are primarily constructed to support cattle production and secondarily for the irrigation of crops or other purposes, mostly since the early 2000s. Studies on their environmental impact are extremely scarce and incipient.

H2020 PONDERFUL: Schöneiche Demo Site

Water management: Retain water in the pondscape to prevent dry-out of ponds

Human health: A refreshing place to walk and relax, and to educate people about nature.

Biodiversity enhancement: Especially amphibians, insects, birds, and (semi)aquatic vegetation.

H2020 PONDERFUL: Restauration of natural hydrological functioning through drainage removal

Restauration of natural hydrological functioning through drainage removal

For centuries, inhabitants have built drainage systems to avoid water retention in the Albera pondscape. This has led to the disappearance of many ponds and the reduction of the length of time that the ponds are flooded. The aim of this NBS was to reverse this situation by restoring the natural functioning of Prat de Rosers pond.

In 2015, a project financed by the Andrena Foundation and developed by Gutina Cellar, IAEDEN, Geoserveis and UVic-UCC, made it possible to locate and block an...

H2020 PONDERFUL: The deurbanization of La Pletera

A de-construction project where a failed attempt of urbanization was substituted by a fully functional salt marsh ecosystem. La Pletera is a coastal salt marsh located in a very touristic zone and was affected by building works for a residential estate in the late 80s, and then discontinued in the 90s. After that, the area was protected and an ecological restoration project was developed, aimed to satisfy a long-held local aspiration: the restoration of the ecologically highly valuable saltmarsh that was partially destroyed by a construction project at the end of the 1980s.

H2020 PONDERFUL: the "Rhone genevois" NBS : multifunctionality at the pondscape scale

The"Bouvières" pond has been created for leisures activities such as walking and fishing.

15 large ponds (5000m²to 30’000m²) as well as many medium and small sized ponds have been created between 1970 and 2018. Some ponds have been dug to rehabilitate and recreate natural habitats in brownfields and others to create recreational activities such as swimming and fishing. They depict the multiple roles a pondscape can play.

The objective of the spatial delimitation of these pond uses is to promote simultaneously the protection of pond biodiversity and the delivering of numerous NCPs.