A new €12 million European Union (EU) research project led by a team from Trinity College Dublin (TCD), Ireland hopes to reduce the effects of urban pollution by turning cities from concrete jungles into places with nature at their heart.
The Connecting Nature project comprises 37 organizations from 19 countries working together. The goal is to establish Europe as a global leader in this area, with hopes to further investment in smart, “engineered”, nature-based solutions that incorporate more natural processes into cities, landscapes, and seascapes.
Connecting Nature is a Horizon 2020 Innovation Action which will help position Europe as a global leader in the innovation and implementation of Nature-based Solutions. Connecting Nature brings together local authorities, communities, industry partners, NGOs and academics.
Through Connecting Nature, 11 European cities will invest in multi-million-euro large scale implementation test-beds of Nature-based Solutions. They will measure the impact of this approach on climate change adaptation, health and well-being, social cohesion as well as sustainable economic development.
Innovative actions to spearhead the start-up and growth of commercial and social enterprises in the field of Nature-based Solutions will be an integral part of their work.