Horizon Europe project SELINA launched with a Kick-off Meeting in Hannover, Germany
The SELINA (Science for Evidence-based and sustainabLe decisIons about NAtural capital) kick-off meeting was held in the city of Hannover, Germany during the second week of September. This project was coordinated by the Leibniz University Hannover, and brought together experts from 50 partner organisations from all 27 EU member states, associated countries and EU overseas regions with stakeholders from various public and private sectors.
Ecostack Innovations is a partner within the SELINA project, in which we continue building on our work focusing on biodiversity monitoring and ecosystem service assessments, and the integration of scientific outcomes in decision-making in the private and public sectors.
The objective of SELINA is to provide guidance for evidence-based decision-making that supports the protection, restoration, and sustainable use of our environment. This will also help to “…improve the uptake of Biodiversity, Ecosystem Conditions, and Ecosystem Services information” - SELINA. Moreover, this project will contribute to achieving the goals of the European Biodiversity Strategy 2030 and the Green Deal to “…protect nature and reverse the degradation of ecosystems” – European Commission.
During the meeting, Ecostack Innovations Senior Scientist Martha Arambula Coyote presented the Demonstration Project that is being led by Ecostack Innovations. She explained that the goal of this project is to provide an understanding of the importance of nature-based tourism in Malta and how it is relevant to the commitments towards restoration. At Ecostack Innovations, we are working on the development of this project by exploring and assessing landscapes of unique social-ecological value. Additionally, we are also working on the engagement of the private sector to demonstrate how nature-based tourism can support economic development.
At the end of the project meeting, the coordinators organised a field tip to the historic silver ore mine “Grube Samson” and to the UNESCO Cultural and Natural Heritage Site of the Upper Harz Regale Water Management System. We also had a closer look at the effects of the bark beetle infestation in the Harz forest.
This project receives funding from the European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 101060415.