Nature-Based Solutions in urban areas

This new episode is based on the handbook entitled "Evaluating the impact of nature-based solutions: a handbook for practitioners", which was published by the European Commission Directorate-General for Research and Innovation, with the participation of the two co-authors of this document, Dr. Adina Dumitru and Dr. Laura Wendling; and Gillian Dick, spatial planning manager within the development plan group at Glasgow City Council. Guests: Adina Dumitru, Laura Wendling, Gillian Dick Keywords: Nature-Based Solutions, NBS, handbook,  nature,  indicators, biodiversity, impact,  benefits,  measure,  evaluation,  ecosystem services, space.

Protection of nature has a crucial role in preventing the emergence of future pandemic outbreaks. Our current destructive relationship with nature that has led to habitat modifications and landscape transformations such as deforestation and agricultural expansion have increased the risks of emerging diseases. Moreover, pandemics are more likely to occur due to the exponential increase of human activities related to farmed and domestic animal populations. Listen to our podcast and learn more about the role of biodiversity loss in the outbreak of pandemics. Guests: Thomas Mettenleiter, Serge Morand

The increase of renewable energy use in Europe is a crucial element of EU policy to meet the Paris agreement goals lowering its contributions to climate change. Despite the relevance of renewable energy technologies towards a clean energy transition, they could also have diverse positive and negative effects on the environment and society that need to be taken into consideration to avoid unforeseen consequences such as habitat loss, overseas impacts. Seeking a better understanding of existing mechanisms by which energy policy interconnects with biodiversity and ecosystems services, an Eklipse Working Group analysed the current evidence, identifying challenges and highlighted ways to overcome and/or mitigate the impact of potential challenges. Listen to our podcast and learn more about the impacts of EU renewable policy in Biodiversity, Ecosystem services and Sustainable development goals. Guests: Henri Rueff, Miriam Grace

The benefits of urban green and blue areas for our mental health and well-being have become more and more evident during the current pandemic. Despite their relevance and considering the fact that urban areas are home to half the world’s population, we don’t have enough information about how these areas should be designed in order to have a real contribution to our mental health and well-being. One of our Expert Working Groups analysed what we currently know and how these areas can improve our mental health and well-being. Listen to our podcast and learn more about what we currently know and how we can do more to enhance the contributions of urban and peri-urban Blue & Green areas to our well-being. Guests: Sjerp de Vries, Maria Beatrice Andreucci, Dorota Jarosinska, Carole Pourchez

Our food production systems depend on biodiversity and ecosystem services. This fact is more and more recognised by the whole society. However, we still do not manage to integrate the resources that nature freely provides to us in the value of products we daily consume. Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) such as farmers and other food producers are currently struggling with market prices for their products and at the same time produce more sustainably. Listen to our podcast and learn more about how environmental regulators can support SMEs to enhance environmental sustainability. Guests: Lisa Biber-Freudenberger, Janina Grabs

According to the European Environment Agency, the current agricultural practices remain one of the main causes of biodiversity loss and ecosystem degradation across the continent. But on the other hand, ecological diversity ensures the functions for agricultural productivity: the health of the soil, for example, depends on the presence of a lot of particular species. Listen to our podcast and learn more about the recommendations developed by an Eklipse Expert Working Group, on how the European Union policies and foremost the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) must encourage farmland biodiversity. Guests: Eszter Krasznai Kovács, Alberto Arroyo Schnell Photo credit: 

Cities are dealing with a lot of problems that can be solved by using the self-regulating power of the living world. Nature can help us tackle the effects of climate change or reduce air, water, or noise pollution. And it contributes to our mental health as well as to creating green jobs for the citizens. Listen to our podcast and learn more about a framework developed by an Eklipse Expert Working Group, with indicators and methods for assessing impacts of Nature Based Solutions that may be applied in a range of different ways across urban areas in Europe. Guests: Pam Berry, Carlo Calfapietra, Marco Fritz Photo credit: Ricardo Gomez Angel, Unsplash

The year 2021 marks the start of the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration, which aims to prevent, halt and reverse the degradation of ecosystems on every continent and in every ocean. It recognizes that nature is the very foundation of our health and the quality of our life, economies, livelihoods and food security. With human well-being being at threat from biodiversity loss, and the increasing recognition of nature-based solutions as a cost-efficient way to mitigate and address the impacts of climate change, the effective restoration of ecosystems has never been more urgent or timely. Guests: Dr. Judith Fisher, Dr. Craig Bullock Photo credits: Judith Fisher

Pollinators have a crucial ecological, economic and social role by ensuring food security and maintaining biodiversity and healthy ecosystems. Sadly bees and other pollinators are decreasing at alarming rates, which underlines an urgent need for action. Learn more about this topic and how we could all help relieve its plight on our new podcast. Here we will discuss the results of our Expert Group Report, focus on the current knowledge about the effects of agrochemicals on human-made field margins to conserve pollinators such as hedgerows and flower strips. Guests: Lynn Dicks, Nicolas Laarman

Can we live in harmony with nature? Yes, but it would take deep change  and collective effort. An incremental transition would not be enough,  with the imperative of ensuring that transformative action is built into  our collective recovery becoming ever more urgent. New social norms and  laws will be required to unlock the necessary changes at the local and  global levels. What is transformative change? Eklipse second podcast tries to answer  this question, showcasing fresh approaches to tackle the direct and  indirect drivers of biodiversity loss, and explaining what we can do as  individuals, and as societies, to be an activator of positive changes. Guests:  Bulkeley, Heidi Wittmer, Marco Fritz Photo credit: Pixabay from Pexels