CEEweb for Biodiversity’s

Green Infrastructure Knowledge Hub

Agriculture is based on nature: clean water, healthy soil and biodiversity for natural pest control and resilience. Investing in natural solutions results in healthier produce, satisfied customers, expanded markets and reduced costs.

A German landcare association initiated a grassland conservation project through reintroducing sheep grazing to the area. By working together with the local population they were able to stop natural succession on grasslands while supporting the local economy by promoting the Altmühl lamb – a local high quality organic meat.

This project is supported by the European Commission.CEEweb and ECNC work together on Green Infrastructure related topics.

Nature cares for our basic needs by providing us with oxygen, food and water, but also creating jobs and keeping us healthy and happy. The concept of Green Infrastructure integrates social, economic and environmental benefits by enhancing the quality and quantity of ecosystems and their services. In order to see GI implemented across European sectors, integrated into cross-sectorial policies and its benefits recognised by decision makers from the environmental, agricultural, health, energy, climate and many other sectors, CEEweb operates a Green Infrastructure Knowledge Hub.

Local Green Infrastructure in residential areas improves people’s health, community life and leisure possibilities, increases revenues for local businesses and authorities and provides jobs. Property prices increase by 5-7% if they overlook a green space. Green Infrastructure mitigates heat waves, reduces water run-off and prevents flooding.

Following a 60% drop in swift populations in Slovakia (almost 100% of whom breed in buildings) a Life project was initiated by CEEweb’s member organisation BROZ to build partnership with companies to conserve bat and bird species which nest in buildings. As a result, 5500 existing nesting and roosting sites were preserved and over 4000 new sites were created.

Green areas increase workers’ efficiency, health, fitness, general well-being and job satisfaction while benefitting the employer. Green solutions help cut costs – 1 healthy tree can have the effect of 10 air-conditioners while green roofs reduce the costs of heating and cooling office buildings by up to 10%.

The Warsaw University Library built a green roof to improve temperature control inside the building, enhance local water storage capacity and local air quality as well as to promote a positive image of the University and provide an area

for exercise and relaxation for students.

People who live in green environments need less medical care while children who live closer to green areas play outside more, which has been shown to reduce child obesity by 15%. Protected areas – the cornerstone of Green Infrastructure – provide up to 6 million full-time jobs across the EU.

In order to reverse river channelization and reduce the amount of water entering the sewage system, Łódź city in Poland designed its Blue-Green Network. Reconstruction of reservoires, wetlands and river meanders and implementing a biofiltration system resulted in numerous environmental, social and economic impacts related to flood prevention, water purification, improved health of the local human population and many others.

Integration of Green Infrastructure into other policies and spatial planning will increase the available financial support and improve implementation. The success of biodiversity conservation depends to a large extent on how we approach other stakeholders such as businesses, local authorities and farmers, and work with them to effectively acknowledge the services that nature provides us.

Restoration of the Comana wetlands in Southern Romania significantly enhanced local biodiversity and improved habitats’ conservation status. In addition, it also created employment possibilities, increased tourism and educational

potential of the area.

If you’d like to know more, visit us at www.ceeweb.orgor contact Małgorzata Siuta at siuta@ceeweb.org