Calling all COP16 Colombia attendees!
Side event announcement: Upscaling Nature Based Solutions in Water Infrastructure: The Biodiversity Connection
We invite you to join our session this week on Wednesday October 23 from 1300 – 1415 COT, in the Dutch Pavilion at COP Biodiversity in Colombia! This session explores the integration of biodiversity into infrastructure projects in rivers, deltas and coastal areas. It will focus on enhancing and monitoring biodiversity outcomes of Nature-Based Solutions (NBS) in water infrastructure by presenting a recent study by EcoShape on biodiversity integration in water infrastructure projects, the IUCN NBS standard, and an interactive case study to put the lessons learnt into practice. The session is organized by EcoShape partners, Arcadis and Wetlands International, and IUCN Netherlands.
Over the past decades, water infrastructure projects have rapidly expanded across the globe. As the effects of climate change accelerate, the need for innovative solutions to tackle societal issues grows ever more urgent. Nature has been a key ally in finding these solutions, leading to the concept of “Nature-based Solutions” – working with nature to address societal challenges.
While the relevance of these solutions is clear, large-scale uptake of NBS has not yet been realized. In this session, we will explore ways to integrate biodiversity into water infrastructure development. To facilitate progress on this topic, this session will present a study by EcoShape on experiences in biodiversity integration in water infrastructure projects, the IUCN NBS standard as one of the tools that can support biodiversity inclusion in water infrastructure projects, and an interactive case study to put the lessons learnt into practice.
Speakers:
- Coenraad Krijger, Director, IUCN NL
- Pieter van Eijk, Programme Head Deltas and Coasts, Wetlands International
- Bruna Pasquini, Project Manager – Environmental Management, Biodiversity and Nature, Arcadis
Participants can expect to:
- Learn about the advancements in NBS, with a focus on two key messages: the importance of monitoring biodiversity in water infrastructure and incorporating biodiversity considerations early in the development process.
- Be introduced to a widely applicable and proven tool for incorporating biodiversity thinking: the IUCN standard and self-assessment tool.
- Experience how to integrate biodiversity considerations into project development through an interactive case study.
View the full programme of Partners for Water here.
