NATURE-BASED SOLUTIONS FOR URBAN AND TERRITORIAL

RESILIENCE

Christos Fragakis,Deputy Head of Unit,Sustainable Management of Natural Resources, DG Research and Innovation

Work Programme 2016-2017Information Day 21 September 2015

Nature-Based Solutions (NBS) Definition (1/2)

Nature-based solutions (green and blue infrastructure, green roofs and vertical walls, natural water retention measures, salt marshes and dunes, floodplains etc.):•Are Multi-purpose, multi-functional and multi-beneficial, inspired and supported by nature; •Use the properties and functions of ecosystems to provide ecosystem services (water regulation, flood risk protection, climate change adaptation, etc.) => living solutions;

Nature-Based Solutions (NBS) Definition (2/2)

• Are designed to bring more nature and natural features and processes into cities, landscapes and seascapes, through systemic interventions => engineered solutions;

=> NO bio-mimicry, NO bio-materials

Objective of the initiative• Provide EU-wide evidence and develop a European reference

framework about cost-effectiveness of NBS and their longer-term social, economic, cultural and ecological benefits;

• Develop new business, governance and financial models, protocols and standards and methodologies for their replication and upscaling to fit to different contexts;

• Mobilise new investments and promote their up-scaling and large-scale deployment;

• Remove barriers and support better regulations, policy and decision making at EU, national, regional and local level;

• Promote international co-operation and contribute to creation of a global market for these solutions (supporting both supply and demand)

SCC-02-2016: Demonstrating innovative nature- based solutions in cities (IA): NBS for climate and water

resilience in cities (Cross-cutting call 'Smart and Sustainable Cities)

Area of intervention•Pertinence of area of intervention (city, district, town, neighbourhood etc.) will be assessed against: Impact of intervention in addressing the challenge for

the larger city context; Replicability and scalability potential of the systemic

approach (solution, business, governance and finance models, participatory processes and social innovation);

Demonstrating innovative NBS for climate and water resilience in cities (1/3)

Implementation modalities•Large scale multi-stakeholder ‘living labs’ demonstration projects;•'Front-runner' and 'follower' cities approach (at least 2 'front-runner' and 3 'follower' cities from MS and/or AC);•'Front-runner' cities as ‘living labs’ that:

invest, deploy, test, demonstrate NBS/city re-naturing; mentor, assist and advise ‘follower’ cities; Contribute to EU-evidence repository on NBS;

•'Follower' cities commit to develop, within the duration of the project, an urban re-naturing plan replicating demonstrated NBS 'customised' to their context

Demonstrating innovative nature-based solutions for climate and water resilience in

cities (2/3)

Elements no to be overlooked by proposalsProposals should provide evidence about:•systemic trans-disciplinary approach with multi-level innovation, e.g. technological (nature-based), business, finance and governance models, participatory processes and social innovation);•long-term political and financial commitment;•mobilisation and leveraging of investments securing adequacy and sustainability of financing;•Effective 'mentoring' by 'front-runners' to ‘followers’;

Demonstrating innovative nature-based solutions for climate and water resilience in

cities (3/3)

Elements no to be overlooked by proposals•Effective documentation and dissemination of the re-naturing 'paradigms' and their impacts;•A well-defined “baseline” at the time of the proposal (or early stage of the project) for proper assessment of the impact of the “intervention”;•Robust monitoring and documentation: at least 2 years within the project; longer term commitment will count favourably for the proposal;•Effective clustering with other NBS-relevant projects

SCC-03-2016: new governance, business, financing models and economic impact assessment tools for

sustainable cities with nature-based solutions (urban re-naturing) (RIA)

• Based on existing evidence, recommend innovative business, finance and governance models;

• Develop methodologies, tools, protocols, standards, indicators ……. to characterize NBS and assess their cost-effectiveness and performance in time;

• Develop tools, models, strategies, ……. for replication, upscaling and systemic integration of NBS in sustainable urban planning;

• Identify barriers and recommend ways to overcome them; • Effective clustering with demonstration projects for mutual

support and “validation" of results;

SCC-04-2016: Sustainable urbanisation (ERA-NET Cofund)

• To align JPI Urban Europe’s and Belmont Forum’s R & I agenda on sustainable urbanization

• Launch one joint call, co-funded by H2020, on sustainable urbanization and ensure proper co-ordination with relevant activities initiated by Belmont Forum

Nature-based solutions for territorial resilience

SC5-09-2016: Operationalising insurance value of ecosystems (RIA)

• Enhance understanding of the “sustained capacity of ecosystems to reduce or eliminate risks to human society and economic activities due to global change and/or natural hazards” (insurance value of ecosystems)

• Develop methodologies, conceptual frameworks and models for quantification, qualification and valuation of insurance value of ecosystems to enable its full operationalization and mainstreaming into risk reduction strategies.

SC5-10-2016: Multi-stakeholder dialogue platform to promote innovation with nature to

address societal challenges (CSA) (1/2)

•Establish a platform for science, policy, business and society interactions to underpin the implementation of EU R&I policy initiative on NBS and cities re-naturing; •Support the creation of EU-wide evidence repository and a European reference framework for NBS and speed up their market up-taking;•Facilitate the development of partnerships for testing and deploying NBS; •Identify NBS relevant domains for further Research and Innovation;

SC5-10-2016: Multi-stakeholder dialogue platform to promote innovation with nature to

address societal challenges (CSA) (2/2)

• Identify potential barriers and propose ways to overcome them; • Foster international cooperation, in particular with key strategic

international partners (e.g. Latin America, Belmont Forum, South East Asia).

Cost Eligibility

• Standard rules of Annotated Model Grant Agreement;• Depreciation for equipment/good and infrastructure/asset

depends on the type and shall follow international, national, institutional accounting principles and usual practises;

• Eligible costs estimation will account for the depreciation and the percentage of use of the "equipment" and "infrastructure" for the project;

HORIZON 2020

Thank you for your attention!

Find out more:www.ec.europa/research/horizon2020