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NetworkNature EU challenged practitioners to articulate the biggest myths about Nature Based solutions

NetworkNature EU challenged practitioners to articulate the biggest myths about Nature Based solutions and then showcased the winners at their Annual Event 2024 | Busting myths: People with Nature

Last week the follow-up came: a friendly, easy-to-understand pamphlet that brought the myth, the truth and proof points together with cartoons!

As an example, take the myth that it is “Biodiversity or Profit” that many consider the choice a business must make.
Myth Buster Carlos Ruiz González of SEO/BirdLife flipped it to : “Biodiversity makes profit” and proved the point in olive groves in Spain where various nature based solutions increased bird, ant, pollinator and plant populations – lower input cost for farmers, increasing profits.

Or the myth that "under climate change, dams are more needed than ever" to store more clean water.
Fish conservation/river restoration expert Carlos Garcia de Leaniz of the EU HORIZON AMBER project (Adaptive management of Barriers in European Rivers) focused on environmental hazards of dams, and that alternative technologies like recharged aquifers, and precision agriculture may provide the same or better results, if upscaled, without the downsides of barrages.
He suggested the mantra: "under climate change, free-flowing rivers are more needed than ever"! With the hashtag#NatureRestorationLaw recently enacted, focus is on how to reconnect rivers and balance needs for renewable energy rather than driving to build dams as the exclusive reaction to climate change.

At EcoAdvance (Horizon Europe) we're constantly searching for the people and projects that make freshwater restoration a success. The Nature-based Solutions (NbS) myth busters have the right approach – NBS is not just techniques but a mindset. Understanding the nuances will bring real progress!

https://networknature.eu/product/32254

Here’s how protecting freshwater ecosystems can help countries meet their biodiversity targets

The latest hashtag hashtag#Cop16 report on the implementation of Kumming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework says 50% of global freshwater systems are degrading!
HALF of the worlds freshwater systems going DOWN!!

Here are the UN Environment Programme ideas (translated approximately):

1. Focus on water related nature based solutions.

2. Invest in water quality monitoring…what we don’t measure and track often won’t happen! In projects in Ireland (such as the Fish Counter at the Adare River Basin, and the Mulkear Life Project) simple trackers are giving policy makers the data they need to make better decisions.

3. Embrace local knowledge – people who have been on the scene for generations have water management knowledge that complements and often exceeds scientific knowledge!

4. New tools offer new pathways and data to understand hydrobasins from aerial perspectives that were not accessible before. The UN’s Freshwater Explorer (see link in comment below) provides whole new data framework for understanding climate change risk.

5. Think holistically about water resources management and freshwater ecosystem restoration by including experts from all disciplines, policy levels, stakeholders and advocates in planning and decision-making. Waste management and water management are really just two sides of the same coin!

EcoAdvance (Horizon Europe) is profiling the people around Europe who are implementing these ideas -- like Ellis Penning in the Netherlands and Jone Lescinskaite in Lithuania. Check out our Showcases!

https://www.unep.org/news-and-stories/story/heres-how-protecting-freshwater-ecosystems-can-help-countries-meet-their

World Soil Day

The World Soil Day next week from FAO and Global Soil Partnership celebrates research and progress in improving soil health around the world.
It is really the other side of freshwater restoration!

Erosion, agricultural over-fertilization, pesticide and herbicide pollution are the core pressures that compromise the quality of our streams and aquifers.

Last year’s theme was Soil and Water – this year emphasis is on improvements in soil data.

How can the restoration community build bridges across these silos?