scholarly journals Building capacity for mainstreaming nature-based solutions into environmental policy and landscape planning

2020 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mario V Balzan ◽  
Judita Tomaskinova ◽  
Marcus Collier ◽  
Lynn Dicks ◽  
Davide Geneletti ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Green Infrastructure ◽  
Landscape Planning ◽  
Sustainable Use ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Research Strategy ◽  
Sustainable Solutions ◽  
Research And Innovation ◽  
Societal Challenges ◽  
Rapid Economic Growth ◽  
The Eu

Nature-based solutions (NBS) is a term often used to refer to adequate green infrastructure that provides multiple benefits to society whilst addressing societal challenges. They are defined as actions to protect, sustainably manage and restore natural or modified ecosystems that address societal challenges effectively and adaptively, simultaneously providing human well-being and biodiversity benefits. Malta, the smallest member state of the EU, has been characterised by rapid economic growth and urbanisation and Maltese citizens had the highest rate of exposure to pollution, grime or other environmental problems, in the EU. The project ReNature aims to establish and implement a nature-based solutions research strategy for Malta with a vision to promote research and innovation and develop sustainable solutions whilst improving human well-being and tackling environmental challenges. Here, we introduce the opening of ReNature collection of research articles in the Open Access Research Ideas and Outcomes (RIO) journal to publish unconventional research outputs and training materials. It will host key outputs relating to the sustainable use of biodiversity, biodiversity – ecosystem functioning, green infrastructure and ecosystem service assessments across rural-urban gradients, equitable access to the benefits derived from nature in cities and socio-environmental justice, payments for ecosystem services, and designing nature-based solutions.

scholarly journals Kierunki polityki UE w zakresie opieki zdrowotnej związanej ze starzeniem się społeczeństwa

2018 ◽  
Vol 26 ◽  
pp. 137-147
Author(s):  
Agnieszka Regiec
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Health Care Policy ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Ageing Population ◽  
Horizon 2020 ◽  
Research And Innovation ◽  
Societal Challenges ◽  
Policy Objectives ◽  
European Health ◽  
The Eu

EU health care policy objectives in connection with the society growing olderEuropean Union’s society is aging, which generates the increase in needs regarding health care and its financial repercussions. In order to meet economic needs increased by ageing population, the Health for Growth Programme was commenced. Moreover Horizon 2020, the EU Framework Programme for Research and Innovation, will focus on, amongst societal challenges, health, demographic change and well-being. One of the other milestones for European health care was entering into force the Directive on the application of patients’ rights in cross-border healthcare.

scholarly journals Research and innovation in Agriculture

2020 ◽  
Vol 26 ◽  
pp. 55-60
Author(s):  
Carmen Mariana CODREANU ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Renewable Resources ◽  
Sustainable Use ◽  
Cost Benefit ◽  
Soil Conditions ◽  
Eu Member States ◽  
Research And Innovation ◽  
Global And Local ◽  
The Eu ◽  
New Jobs

Research and innovation aim to increase the production of crops and animals, increase resistance and adaptation to unsuitable climatic and soil conditions, increase the quality of the resulting products, etc. (biotechnology), integration of socio-economic and cost-benefit analyzes and support of agro-meteorological models.The bioeconomy aims to improve and increase the sustainable use of renewable resources to align with global and local challenges, such as climate change and sustainable development.Even if Romania does not have an implemented strategy based on the bioeconomy, however, it is one of the EU member states with an important role in its development, due to the fact that it develops an important potential in agriculture, forestry, fisheries. Romania must insert the existing value cycles, but also to create new ones that will lead to the realization of high quality products, to the creation of new jobs, higher incomes and, implicitly, to economic growth

European Commission AI Watch initiative: Artificial Intelligence uptake and the European Geosciences Community

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stefano Nativi ◽  
Max Craglia
Keyword(s):  
Artificial Intelligence ◽  
European Commission ◽  
Driving Forces ◽  
Economic Aspects ◽  
Research And Innovation ◽  
Societal Challenges ◽  
European Values ◽  
Key Driver ◽  
And Robotics ◽  
The Eu

<p>The European Commission (EC) puts forward a European approach to artificial intelligence and robotics. It deals with technological, ethical, legal and socio-economic aspects to boost EU's research and industrial capacity and to put AI at the service of European citizens and economy.</p><p>Artificial intelligence (AI) has become an area of strategic importance and a key driver of economic development. It can bring solutions to many societal challenges from treating diseases to minimising the environmental impact of farming. However, socio-economic, legal and ethical impacts have to be carefully addressed.</p><p>It is essential to join forces in the EU to stay at the forefront of this technological revolution, to ensure competitiveness and to shape the conditions for its development and use (ensuring respect of European values). In this framework, the EC and the Member States published a Coordinated Plan on Artificial Intelligence”, COM(2018) 795, on the development of AI in the EU. The Coordinated Plan includes the recognition of common indicators to monitor AI uptake and development in the Union and the success rate of the strategies in place, with the support of the AI Watch instrument developed by the EC. Therefore, AI Watch is monitoring and assessing European AI landscapes from driving forces to technology developments, from research to market, from data ecosystems to applications. </p><p>The presentation will first introduce the main AI Watch methodology and tasks. Then, it will focus on the interest of AI Watch to monitor and understand what has been the AI impact on Geosciences research and innovation –see for example Climate Change studies. Finally, a proposal to connect EGU Community (in particular ESSI division) and AI Watch will be introduced.</p>

scholarly journals Energy Poverty and Protection of Vulnerable Consumers. Overview of the EU Funding Programs FP7 and H2020 and Future Trends in Horizon Europe

Energies ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (5) ◽  
pp. 1030 ◽  
Author(s):  
Danila Longo ◽  
Giulia Olivieri ◽  
Rossella Roversi ◽  
Giulia Turci ◽  
Beatrice Turillazzi
Keyword(s):  
Social Inclusion ◽  
Well Being ◽  
High Energy ◽  
Urban Systems ◽  
Energy Prices ◽  
Energy Poverty ◽  
Horizon 2020 ◽  
Research And Innovation ◽  
Residential Energy Efficiency ◽  
The Eu

Energy poverty—involving a combination of factors, such as low household incomes, high energy prices, and low levels of residential energy efficiency—is identified as a complex and increasing issue affecting people’s physical health, well-being, and social inclusion. Even though a shared identification of energy poverty is not yet agreed, this phenomenon has been recognized as an EU priority. Several EU legislative documents address the topic, trying to outline its boundaries and provide a framework for mitigative actions. At the same time, different research and demonstration projects have been funded to experiment and evaluate innovative approaches, strategies, and solutions and to promote good practices at national, regional, and local levels. This review paper presents some results of the “ZOOM” project (“Energy zoning for urban systems. Models and relations for the built environment”, funded by University of Bologna in the framework of Alma Idea 2017–ongoing), proposing a critical overview of the EU projects directly or indirectly connected to energy poverty—funded under the 7th Framework Program (FP7) and under Horizon 2020 Program (H2020). The aim of such a review is to highlight the main objectives, trends, and related topics of ongoing and concluded projects addressing energy poverty, in order to identify gaps and open issues and to understand the possible orientation and placement of this subject in the future EU research and innovation framework project, Horizon Europe.

scholarly journals “An interdisciplinary perspective on ecosystem services and human well-being”: results and potentials of German-Russian cooperation within the project

2020 ◽  
Vol 26 (1) ◽  
pp. 80-93
Author(s):  
Diana Dushkova ◽  
Dagmar Haase ◽  
Peer von Döhren ◽  
Olga Chereshnya ◽  
Vladimir Megorsky
Keyword(s):  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
International Cooperation ◽  
Green Infrastructure ◽  
Summer School ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Environmental Research ◽  
Research And Innovation ◽  
Interdisciplinary Perspective ◽  
University Of Berlin ◽  
Humboldt University

Programs of international cooperation between universities and scientific centres aim to promote not only the achievements in science and education but also contribute to intercultural understanding, as well as to development of efficient human resources, research and innovation. The aim of this paper is to explore the potential of international cooperation in research and higher education between Russia and Germany by examining selected German-Russian projects and their outcomes. In particular, it highlights the experience of summer schools on “An Interdisciplinary Perspective on Ecosystem Services and Human Well-being”, an annual event started in 2014. It is organized under the umbrella of the German Academic Exchange Service (Program of Eastern Partnership), the International Office and Geography Department of Humboldt University of Berlin and the Faculty of Geography at Lomonosov Moscow State University in strong cooperation with other universities, research centres and NGOs from both countries. The summer school addresses relevant contemporary environmental issues of urbanization with special emphasis on ecosystem services, green infrastructure and nature-based solutions and their importance for well-being of the urban population. In this paper we present our experience from this project by providing the theoretical-methodological aspects of such joint educational and training programs and report outcomes, which emerged from them, thereby highlighting the difficulties and advantages and suggest lines of further development and cooperation. It also highlights how geographical perspective can provide new important and critical insights into the place-based approaches to ecosystem assessment and how it relates to the current trends in human-environmental research.

scholarly journals Nature-Based Solutions for Water Management in Peri-Urban Areas: Barriers and Lessons Learned from Implementation Experiences

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (23) ◽  
pp. 9799
Author(s):  
Nancy Andrea Ramírez-Agudelo ◽  
Roger Porcar Anento ◽  
Miriam Villares ◽  
Elisabet Roca
Keyword(s):  
Water Management ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Success Factors ◽  
Sustainable Use ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Problem Solution ◽  
Institutional Economic ◽  
Use Of Resources ◽  
Societal Challenges

Nature-based solutions (NBS) are defined by the European Commission as “actions that are inspired by, supported by, or copied from nature…” and that solve societal challenges and multiple benefits. As a result, NBS are often promoted as alternative responses that solve complex societal challenges such as watershed management, while delivering a systemic approach of multiple benefits for well-being, human health, and sustainable use of resources. Despite rising interest in NBS, further identification of experiences implementing NBS could advance our understanding of the operationalization of this comprehensive concept. For this purpose, we analyzed 35 peer-reviewed articles on implementation experiences of NBS for water management in peri-urban areas, on aspects related to (i) NBS problem–solution: water challenges, ecosystem services, scales, and types; (ii) NBS governance and management. From the insights of the analysis, this paper asks what lessons are learned, and which barriers are identified, from implementing NBS for water management in peri-urban areas? As a result, this study presents a detailed analysis of each aspect. We conclude by highlighting accountancy, monitoring, and communication as potential success factors for integration and development while diminishing the overall barrier of complexity, which leads to technical, institutional, economic, and social uncertainty.

scholarly journals Urban Green Infrastructure and Green Open Spaces: An Issue of Social Fairness in Times of COVID-19 Crisis

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (19) ◽  
pp. 10606
Author(s):  
Florian Reinwald ◽  
Daniela Haluza ◽  
Ulrike Pitha ◽  
Rosemarie Stangl
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Green Infrastructure ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Social Issues ◽  
Landscape Planning ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Open Spaces ◽  
Urban Green ◽  
Challenges And Opportunities ◽  
Urban Green Infrastructure

At the time of the restrictions and lockdown during the COVID-19 pandemic, it became apparent how difficult it is for city dwellers to adhere to the prescribed behavioural measures and the protective distance in densely built urban areas. Inner-city parks and green spaces were heavily used for recreational purposes and were thus periodically overcrowded. These observations highlight the need for green open spaces in urban areas, especially in exceptional situations regarding pandemics and climate-related heat periods. Green open spaces and greened buildings help cities and the population cope with the consequences of climate change and have a decisive positive effect on human health and well-being. This paper aims to outline which social issues are related to the availability of green infrastructure close to home and which health consequences need to be considered. The COVID-19 challenges could offer a chance and an opportunity to increase the resilience of cities and their inhabitants in various terms. A cross-disciplinary team of authors (public health, urban and landscape planning, landscaping and vegetation technologies science) describes and discusses challenges and opportunities that arise from this crisis for cities from an inter-disciplinary perspective, concluding that urban green infrastructure helps in two ways: to adapt to climate change and the challenges posed by COVID-19.

Penguatan Wilayah Perbatasan: Studi Kasus Pulau Sebatik Kabupaten Nunukan Provinsi Kalimantan Timur

2015 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 110
Author(s):  
Baskoro Wicaksono
Keyword(s):  
Central Government ◽  
Secondary Data ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Research Strategy ◽  
Management Policy ◽  
Infrastructure Development ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
The Public ◽  
East Kalimantan ◽  
Border Policy

This study describes the border management policy conducted by the central government, provinceof East Kalimantan and Nunukan. Policies such as the establishment of regulatory, institutionalstrengthening, programs and infrastructure development. The policy is getting good responsefrom the elite and the masses. On the other hand policy makers have expectations of localcommunities border synergism Sebatik Island in order to build and develop the border areas so asto break the chain of dependence on Malaysia. The research was conducted in Sebatik Island,East Kalimantan province Nunukan with the formulation of the problem (a) what policies areoriented to maintain borders, (b) How is the public response to government policy, (c) What areyour expectations of policy makers in local communities to regional border. This study usedqualitative methods to phenomenological research strategy. Techniques of data collection in thisstudy using two ways, namely in-depth interviews and secondary data view Results indicate thatthe existing policy of both the central and provincial to district borders do not solve the problembecause it is made on the island of Sebatik with other border regions. The policy does not includelocal knowledge, where it is desperately needed by the people Sebatik. In addition to policies onprograms and infrastructure development of the center, the district adopted a policy of inactionagainst the illegal cross-border trade, which on the one hand against the rules but if enforced thenpeople can not perform economic activities that impact well-being. Policies like this gets a positiveresponse from the public. Expectations for the future border policy is to load local content orlocal knowledge.Keyword: border policy, local knowledge, dependent relationship

The Blue-Green Urban Living Labs of Kuala Lumpur

2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (13) ◽  
pp. 359-367
Author(s):  
Jamalunlaili Abdullah ◽  
Raziah Ahmad ◽  
Muhammad Hafiz Zainal
Keyword(s):  
Green Infrastructure ◽  
Publishing House ◽  
Kuala Lumpur ◽  
Urban Living ◽  
The Public ◽  
Societal Challenges ◽  
Private Citizen ◽  
Living Labs ◽  
International Publishing ◽  
Open Access Article

The extraordinary societal challenges demand cities to be innovative and adaptable to the needs of urban citizens. In the Malaysian context, the Blue-Green Infrastructure (BGI) has not been well incorporated into the ULLs. This paper seeks to address this gap by exploring the potential of the Blue-Green Urban Living Labs (BGULLs) at the Sungai Bunus catchment area. Using Google Form, survey questionnaire is conducted among professionals and the public. Findings of this unprecedented study suggest the BGULLs offer beyond beautification works, and it is voicing the virtual idea of the BGULLs into a real setting that reflects the public-private-citizen partnerships.Keywords: Urban living labs; Blue-Green Infrastructure; Innovation; societal challengeseISSN: 2398-4287 © 2020. The Authors. Published for AMER ABRA cE-Bs by e-International Publishing House, Ltd., UK. This is an open access article under the CC BYNC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/). Peer–review under responsibility of AMER (Association of Malaysian Environment-Behaviour Researchers), ABRA (Association of Behavioural Researchers on Asians) and cE-Bs (Centre for Environment-Behaviour Studies), Faculty of Architecture, Planning & Surveying, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Malaysia.DOI: https://doi.org/10.21834/e-bpj.v5i13.2072

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document