Nature's Integration in Cities' Hydrologies, Ecologies and Societies (NICHES)

Publication: Flyer
Citation: NICHES Consortium (2023). Nature's Integration in Cities' Hydrologies, Ecologies and Societies (NICHES). Flyer A4

The NICHES project flyer illustrates the main project objectives and case-study cities. An overview of the project process is illustrated, together with details of the partner cities implementing the project. The flyer is styled according to the project style-guides and contains contact information.

Transformation of Berlin's Rainwater Management through NbS

Transition pathways for Berlin

3 December 2024
Berlin, Germany

News

Promotional graphic for an online survey about ideas and solutions for dealing with heavy rainfall in Berlin. The text reads: "Online-Umfrage (inkl. Gewinnspiel). Ideen und Lösungen zum Umgang mit Starkregen in Berlin. TEILNEHMEN UND GEWINNEN!" The background features a close-up image of raindrops on a red umbrella.

The NICHES project is in search of innovative solutions for adapting to extreme weather events such as heavy rainfall. To this end, we are analyzing the effects of heavy rainfall and the effectiveness of adaptation measures in an online survey.

Help Us to Better Adapt to Heavy Rainfall!

Online survey

1 July 2024

News

Dr. Benjamin Kupilas and Dr. Ulf Stein attended the launch of the new BiodivRestore Knowledge Hub in Paris on 30 and 31 May 2024. Both have been appointed as experts to the hub, which is a thematic network consisting of selected researchers with expertise in biodiversity and ecosystem restoration.

Launch of the New BiodivRestore Knowledge Hub

A Collaborative Network for Nature Restoration

30 - 31 May 2024

Presentation:Speech

From 15 to 17 May 2024, Barcelona hosted the CONEXUS Conference, a flagship event bringing together over 100 experts from Europe and Latin America to discuss nature-based solutions (NbS) for climate-resilient cities. This conference was a melting pot of ideas and innovations, fostering exchange on the economic, social, environmental, and political facets of NBS implementation. Among the key sessions were "Governance, Politics, and Planning" and "Economics, Values, and Work," where Ecologic experts Dr. Ulf Stein, McKenna Davis, and Jenny Tröltzsch shared their research and insights.

A Spotlight on Nature-Based Solutions

15 - 17 May 2024
Dr. Ulf Stein

Publication:Article

screenshot article sitting in our own soup

Urban water management is facing new challenges due to climate change. Intensified precipitation is putting additional stress on stormwater systems, leading to increased flood risks, more frequent combined sewer overflows (CSOs), and resultant risks to public health and urban biodiversity. These topics are addressed in a new publication co-authored by Gregory Fuchs and McKenna Davis of Ecologic Institute entitled 'Sitting in our own soup? Combined sewers, climate change and nature-based solutions for urban water management in Berlin.'

Sitting in Our Own Soup? Combined sewers, climate change and nature-based solutions for urban water management in Berlin

Year 2024

Presentation:Speech

The European Regions Research and Innovation Network's (ERRIN) Blue Economy Working Group held a hybrid meeting entitled "Water issues in the era of climate change" on 5 October 2023. McKenna Davis, Senior Fellow at Ecologic Institute and Coordinator of Nature-based Solutions, was invited to hold the keynote presentation to set the scene. Her contribution – entitled "Nature-based solutions in European policy: A framework for enhancing local action" – introduced the variety of nature-based solutions available for water management, current research focusing on these solutions (including the Ecologic-led NICHES project), the surrounding EU policy framework, and examples of enabling local policy instruments from the Urban Governance Atlas.

Nature-based Solutions in European Policy: A framework for enhancing local action

5 October 2023
McKenna Davis

Presentation:Speech

McKenna Davis, Senior Fellow at Ecologic Institute, was one of 8 experts speaking on the topic of 'strategies for urban biodiversity' during the Digital Blue Green Event hosted by the Scandinavian Green Roof Institute on 14 March 2023. She began by outlining key challenges facing urban water management, including an increasing frequency and intensity of heavy rainfall events, urban surface sealing and combined sewer overflow events. McKenna then introduced the NICHES project and its aim to rethink the status quo by deploying nature-based solutions and approaching the urban water system as a holistic Social-Ecological-Technical-System (SETS).

Nature-based Solutions for Improved Water Management and Biodiversity Conservation

14 March 2023
McKenna Davis

Event:Digital Event

The first International Symposium of the NICHES project will combine presentations about international successful examples of nature-based solutions and provide a forum for discussion about current challenges and opportunities in the Metropolitan Area of Barcelona.

International Symposium on Nature-based Solutions in Urban Water Systems

6 March 2023
hybrid, Barcelona, Spain

Project

Nature-based solutions (NBS) are recognised as cost-effective tools to alleviate pressure during high rainfall events while producing wider societal and environmental benefits, but uptake is limited in practice due to lacking evidence. The NICHES project – Nature's Integration in Cities' Hydrologies, Ecologies and Societies – aims to fill this gap by adopting a holistic social-ecological-technical systems (SETS) approach to explore the potential of urban NBS as an alternative to the costly renewal of grey wastewater systems. Five global cities – Barcelona, Berlin, Boston, Sheffield, and Rotterdam – will be utilized to co-create knowledge and develop a shared understanding of restorative NBS that can be applied to avoid storm-water run-off and negative impacts for aquatic biodiversity.

Nature's Integration in Cities' Hydrologies, Ecologies and Societies (NICHES)

Apr 2022 - Mar 2025

Languages: English

Catalan
Credits: Concept and content: McKenna Davis (Ecologic Institute)
Graphic design: Pensoft Publishers
Funding: Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), Germany

VDI/VDE Innovation + Technik, Germany
Published by: Ecologic Institute, Germany

Pensoft Publishers, Bulgaria
Year: 2023
Dimension: A4
Project: Nature's Integration in Cities' Hydrologies, Ecologies and Societies (NICHES)
Project ID: 30016
Keywords: Biodiversity

Cities

Communication

Barcelona, Berlin, Boston, Sheffield, Rotterdam

flyer, communication