Coastline restoration, water management, regenerative agriculture, estimation of the effectiveness of Nature-based Solutions: the curtain of the first Naturethon initiative falls rewarding the best inspiration solutions submitted by the citizen groups.
The first call of the NATURANCE’s citizen engagement initiative ran from June to September 2024 and successfully engaged over 600 participants, with more than 300 citizens registered, 250 webinar attendees, and about 120 contributors that submitted project proposals. The proposals include a wide variety of topics and countries, coming from Europe (France, Italy, Portugal, Slovakia, Spain), Africa (Ethiopia, Nigeria, South Africa) and the Middle East (Iran).
The Naturethon committee, comprised of 6 experts with different backgrounds (economists, architects, environmental scientists, and communicators), evaluated the proposals submitted in terms of feasibility, innovation, and creativity. The committee found that four proposals in particular stood out amongst the rest:
- Regenerative agriculture and food security (Nigeria)
The submission reflects on the use of regenerative agriculture, particularly on the benefits of nitrogen-fixing crops, such as legumes, in crop rotations. When planted, these crops naturally enhance soil fertility by converting atmospheric nitrogen into a form that plants can use. This project suggests replacing or minimizing the need for synthetic fertilizers, bringing not only environmental benefits, but also economic advantages for the farmers, who can rely on more sustainable yields and lower production costs.
- Os rapazes de mathos’ (Portugal)
The project focuses on Matosinhos Beach, which is ruined by a concrete walkway that makes storm water drainage and storm recovery more difficult. The group suggests replacing the walkway with a system of dunes and gangways to reduce the coastal erosion and to improve the landscape. The team suggests financing the project by imposing a tourist tax, to reduce the weight of the cost on the local community. - Green Laboratory for the estimation of the effectivity of the NbS (Slovakia)
This group of Slovak students and experts is working on the realization of two green roofs (one of which will be experimenting with new techniques in terms of choosing the type of plants and soil) and three green walls in Bratislava. The project puts specialist research at the service of the community by experimenting with structures that can improve the quality of life in Bratislava.
- Green infrastructures for water management in Valencia (Spain)
The project focuses on three urban consequences of climate change in Valencia: the recurrent droughts and growing water scarcity, the frequent urban flooding, and the urban heat. To deal with this, the group proposes the integration of green infrastructure strategically implemented to capture, manage, and reuse rainwater such as green roofs, permeable pavements, and rain gardens. These structures not only will provide environmental benefits like flood reduction and aquifer recharge, but also social benefits like the improvement of the quality of life in the city and the promotion of knowledge on the matter of NbS through the engagement of the University of Valencia.
The four selected proposals will be rewarded with the planting of a tree in honor of the group, a custom water bottle for each member, and the invitation to be showcased at the upcoming Naturance Webstival (February, 11-13). A representative of each group will be invited to share a few highlights from the submission to the attendees, which includes professionals working on nature-based solutions and finance from across Europe and globally.
Moreover, a special reward has been assigned to one of the groups that participated in the hackathon “Hack for Climate Justice” in Padua, Italy. This event has been the first of the Naturethon+ series, which includes a round of in-person meetings that will run during the winter season.