Through Connecting Nature Framework, Nicosia Development Agency team aims to help delivering NbS as part of a strategic plan that places environmental objectives and healthy, attractive, and natural surroundings for the local population higher on development agendas. More specifically, Connecting Nature Framework of Nicosia has been approached as a tool that aims to include NbS as policy theme in national and local strategies, which in turn would prepare and facilitate projects on the ground.
The Agency, as part of the CN project, decided to work further on the implementation of a very ambitious large-scale project: a Network of open and green spaces that will cover the district of Nicosia, which will promote the health and wellbeing of people, improve their quality of life, and enhance the environmental quality of the area of intervention (air quality management actions to reduce air pollution and its associated health impacts).
During the application of the Connecting Nature Framework a number of challenges addressed such as: Limited understanding of NbS and related concepts; Limited knowledge on the NbS implementation process; Lack of clear policies and legislation on co-production; Lack of a “common language” that caused troubles in communication between the involved actors, especially at the very early stages of the project; Limited funding for this scale of projects etc. All these challenges were identified throughout the process and additional actions were taken in order to overcome them. It is worth mentioning, that Nicosia Development Agency has worked closely with the Directorate
General for European Programmes, Coordination and Development of the Ministry of Economy as well as with its member municipalities to find the best possible way to achieve that. After several discussions, brainstorming sessions and meetings with several key people (policymakers), Nicosia Development Agency has managed to include the majority of the projects (parks) developed in the context of the Connecting Nature Framework, in the Integrated Spatial Development Strategy (OXA) plan for Nicosia. The OXA plan was submitted in February 2021 and was approved for funding in September 2021.
Concluding, Nicosia Development Agency approach the Connecting Nature Framework as a living document that will be continually updated and revised according to the city’s and people’s changing needs.
