Project description
A niche concept for optimal social and environmental results
Urbanisation represents a major global environmental concern since it has significant implications for both human health and natural ecosystems. Nature-based solutions (NbS), which are cost-effective solutions supported by nature in providing a plethora of environmental and social benefits, appear promising. However, NbS performance relies on a uniform approach and does not have the same influence on all cases. In addition, NbS are not grounded on an extensive understanding of the basic processes and functional relations. The EU-funded Niche4NbS project will develop and test a new approach that optimises co-benefits. By implementing the ecological niche concept and a sequence of nature dose-response experiments, the project will offer the capability to predict and plan the best NbS implementation.
Objective
Urbanization is emerging as one of the major environmental global issues of the 21st century, with strong implications on the health of humans and natural ecosystems. Nature-based Solutions (NbS), broadly defined as cost-effective solutions that are inspired and supported by nature to simultaneously provide several environmental and social benefits, has shown promise in addressing this challenge. However, NbS implementation and assessments often rely on a one-size-fits-all approach, although interventions that maximize one benefit can have no influence on, or even negatively affect others. Furthermore, the current pathways from NbS to various benefits do not rely on a deep understanding of the underlying processes and functional relationships. As a result, the current use of NbS relies on broad targets that exhibit considerable risk of falling short of their objectives, eroding public support in their wake. This project will address these shortcomings by developing and demonstrating a widely applicable, theory-grounded, approach for understanding trade-offs and identifying optimal planning scenarios that maximize co-benefits. Using a mechanistic approach we will assess the effectiveness of NbS across domains in a way that allows mapping, upscaling and predicting NbS implementation outcomes. Innovative use of the ecological niche concept and a set of nature dose-response experiments will enable spatially-explicit multidimensional modelling of biodiversity and health and well-being measures. This will allow us to predict how NbS influence where species will be, and where people will be healthy and happy, equipping us with the tools to achieve coexistence of multiple benefits and social justice. Niche4NbS will demonstrate how to plan NbS that delivers co-benefits and provide planners with a robust tools to identify optimal planning solutions. Beyond the fundamental value Niche4NbS will push the European Commission along its path towards becoming a world leader in NbS.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: https://op.europa.eu/en/web/eu-vocabularies/euroscivoc.
This project's classification has been validated by the project's team.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: https://op.europa.eu/en/web/eu-vocabularies/euroscivoc.
This project's classification has been validated by the project's team.
Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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H2020-EU.1.1. - EXCELLENT SCIENCE - European Research Council (ERC)
MAIN PROGRAMME
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Topic(s)
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Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
ERC-STG - Starting Grant
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Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) ERC-2019-STG
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
32000 Haifa
Israel
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.