Connecting Nature

Outline

Connecting Nature was a €11.4m five year project funded by the European Commission’s Horizon 2020 Innovation Action Programme (2017-2022). The aim of the project was to scale out nature-based solutions in cities, by working together with 30 project partners from industry, local authorities, local communities, NGO’s and research in 16 countries, and hubs in Brazil, China, Korea & The Caucasus (Georgia and Armenia).

Designing and implementing nature-based solutions on a scale that delivers economic, environmental and social co-benefits, builds resilience and benefits biodiversity is complex with many different issues to consider: What is the best solution for the area? Who will manage it? How will it be financed? Who needs to be involved in the design, implementation and maintenance? How to measure economic, environmental and social impact? Will it support innovation and generate jobs? How to manage change?

Results

In response to this uncertainty, Connecting Nature developed a process tool to help cities and other organisations navigate the path towards the large scale implementation of nature-based solutions: The Connecting Nature Framework. This tool has been successfully implemented in 10 cities, and has resulted in new innovations and enterprises.

The Connecting Nature Framework places the nature-based solution at the core of an interactive process. The process runs through three distinct phases of development for a nature-based solution: planning, delivery and stewardship. For more information about the framework, see the Connecting Nature Framework Handbook.

Partners

Connecting Nature has 39 partners all over the globe, based in Connecting Nature's Front Runner Cities, including: Genk (Belgium), Glasgow (UK), Poznań (Poland) and Fast Follower Cities are A Coruña and Malaga (Spain), Burgas (Bulgaria), Ioannina and Pavlos Melas (Greece), Nicosia (Cyprus), Sarajevo (Bosnia and Herzegovina). 

Funding

Connecting Nature is funded by the Horizon 2020 Framework Programme of the European Union Grant Agreement No 730222.