Nature-Based Solutions for Water Innovation, Sustainability, and Ecosystems

The motivation behind the NBsWISE project stems from the urgent need to address the escalating threats posed by hydroclimatic risks—such as droughts, floods, and water quality degradation—across Europe. These risks are intensifying due to climate change, threatening ecosystems, communities, and economies. Traditional engineering solutions often fall short in terms of sustainability and adaptability, highlighting the need for innovative, nature-based approaches. Nature-based Solutions (NbS) offer a sustainable alternative by leveraging natural processes to manage water resources, enhance resilience, and provide co-benefits like biodiversity conservation and carbon sequestration. However, the widespread implementation of NbS is hindered by gaps in monitoring, research, and capacity-building, which NBsWISE aims to address.

The key ambitions of NBsWISE are to:

Enhance Climate Adaptation Strategies: The integration of AI and real-time data visualization will provide actionable insights, supporting governments and organizations in adapting to climate risks.

Advance Scientific Research and Innovation: The project will contribute to cutting-edge research in AI applications for environmental monitoring and will set a standard for NbS digital integration.

Foster Open Science and Collaboration: By developing an open-access NbS knowledge platform, this project will enable cross-border collaboration, knowledge sharing, and capacity building.

Support Policy and Decision-Making: The standardized monitoring protocols and predictive modeling will equip policymakers with reliable data to make informed environmental and urban planning decisions.

Promote Cost-Effective and Scalable Solutions: The project leverages open-source tools, reducing financial barriers for future NbS adoption and implementation at different scales.