A European portal
for the collection, exchange, dissemination and knowledge of innovations in
the urbanization and green construction
field. This is the main objective of the "ThinkNature" project,
funded by the European Commission to create a web platform of knowledge and
communication, in order to facilitate the understanding and the implementation
of the so-called Nature Based Solutions (NBS) in the Member States. The
three-year project ended at the end of 2019 and
the Italian coordinator was the CNR Institute of Atmospheric Sciences and Climate. The
platform was launched at the end of 2017 and today it contains hundreds of
case-studies, in addition to hosting an interactive dialogue, in which all the
relevant points regarding NBS are discussed by Europe’s leading experts. It is
therefore based on mutual collaboration, on the exchange of ideas and on the
sharing of contacts among the local representatives
of the various acceding States.
Basically, ThinkNature is a huge container that brings
together all the European Commission’s projects on NBS and all those who are
engaged in other projects regarding NBS, and need data and examples for their
work, can refer to it. The project is based on 4 main topics: sustainable
urbanization, recovery of degraded ecosystems, adaptation and mitigation of
climate change, risk management and resilience. This project, as well as
Veg-Gap, also confirms how nature-based solutions are an
important topic on the agenda of the EU's research and innovation policy. On
the agenda, NBS are defined as solutions "inspired and supported by
nature, which are convenient, they simultaneously provide environmental, social
and economic benefits and help build
resilience. Therefore they introduce
increasingly diversified characteristics and processes in nature, in cities, in
landscapes and seascapes, through resource efficient
systemic interventions, which are adapted at
the local level.
At the end of the project, the 18
"ThinkNature" partners published a Manual that collects and promotes
cutting-edge knowledge on NBS; it is a complete, concise and easy-to-understand
guide for all the relevant actors. The Manual, available for download
here, analyses each aspect: from the development, to the
financing of the project and the policy-making process.