Help Us to Better Adapt to Heavy Rainfall!

Online survey

News
Date: 1 July 2024
Location: Berlin, Germany

Heavy rainfall events are becoming increasingly frequent and intense, especially in cities. Roads are flooded, sewage systems are overloaded and cellars fill up. Without action, these developments can have significant negative consequences for people and the environment, including property damage, water pollution, rising insurance premiums and, in some cases, even personal injury.

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. Our aim is to evaluate existing approaches and develop new ideas to respond effectively to heavy rainfall events. Questions about how to optimise the handling of such events will be discussed.

So what can you expect?

Your experience and knowledge count: Tell us how much heavy rain is present in your everyday life and what adaptation strategies you know.
Evaluate nature-based solutions: Help us understand the acceptance and potential of nature-based solutions in urban planning.

Why should you take part?

Shaping the future together: Your answers will help develop measures to improve heavy rain management.
Chance to win a sustainable football: We are giving away 30 sustainably produced footballs among all participants – just in time for EURO 2024 in Germany!

Take part and win a football: The survey only takes about 5 minutes. Your opinion is important to us!

You can find more information on the NICHES website.

Participate and shape a more resilient future with us!

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

Publication:Flyer

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.

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

Year 2023

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

Funding: Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), Germany

VDI/VDE Innovation + Technik, Germany
Organizer: Ecologic Institute, Germany
Team: Dr. Benjamin Kupilas

Ida Meyenberg
Duration: 1 July 2024
Project: Nature's Integration in Cities' Hydrologies, Ecologies and Societies (NICHES)
Project ID: 30016
Keywords: Biodiversity

Cities

Nature Based Solutions, NBS, Cities, Aquatic, Urban Planning, Urban Hydrology, Urban Restoration, Co-Creation, Sustainable Urban Development, Co-production of Knowledge, Ecosystem Services

Berlin

Survey, questionnaire, competition, sweepstake

Further Links

ProjectHorizon 2020International Cooperation to Restore and Connect Urban Environments in Latin America and Europe (INTERLACE)

Photo: Ewa Iwaszuk

Cities and their peripheries are constantly confronted with challenges such as urban sprawl, climate change and pollution. These processes can exacerbate the degradation of natural ecosystems, and jeopardize ecosystem service provisioning with negative consequences for... Read more

International Cooperation to Restore and Connect Urban Environments in Latin America and Europe (INTERLACE)

Duration: Sep 2020 - Feb 2025
Funding: European Commission, Directorate-General Research & Innovation (DG Research & Innovation), International

ProjectHorizon 2020Nature Based Urban Innovation (NATURVATION)

Nature is important for the urban environment: trees grant shade during the summer months, while parks and lakes function as areas for relaxation, as places where the urban population comes together, and as space where children can experience nature and learn about it... Read more

Nature Based Urban Innovation (NATURVATION)

Duration: Nov 2016 - Oct 2020
Funding: European Commission, Directorate-General Research & Innovation (DG Research & Innovation), International

PublicationWeb ApplicationUrban Nature Atlas – NATURVATION

Urban Nature Atlas

So far, the Urban Nature Atlas has collected evidence on 1000 nature-based solutions (NBS) interventions. With that, it provides the most comprehensive basis for the analysis of socio-economic and innovation patterns associated with urban NBS in Europe. Ecologic... Read more

Ecologic Institute 2018: Urban Nature Atlas – NATURVATION. URL: https://naturvation.eu/atlas