Project
Growth fund NL2120
In this knowledge programme, governments, nature organisations, engineering firms, dredging companies and knowledge and professional institutions work together on nature-based solutions for major challenges in the areas of climate, nature-inclusive agriculture, biodiversity and housing.
In recent years, Nature-based Solutions have become part of international treaties, such as the European Green Deal and the United Nations Global Biodiversity Framework. Well-known examples in the Netherlands are coastal reinforcement with sand, and city parks for water collection and cooling. The market for Nature-based Solutions is growing rapidly. For example, expenditure from international climate funds is expected to increase to 700 to 800 billion euros in 2050.
The knowledge program focuses, among other things, on subsidence areas. In Friesland, the consortium will be experimenting in a 105-hectare innovation polder where the water level will be raised. The aim is to slow down subsidence and the large amount of greenhouse gases that are released as a result. It is an example of concrete solutions that should lead to new, future-proof and economically viable forms of land use. Pilots are underway in the Rotterdam-Dordrecht region with tidal parks, in which hard banks have been replaced by gradually sloping green banks. The influence of ebb and flow returns, which contributes to biodiversity. Another focus is the increase of greenery in the city, which increases the quality of life and reduces heat stress on hot days. They are all examples of natural solutions for concrete challenges that can really make a difference.