The UPSURGE project, led by BURST, focuses on urban Nature Based Solutions (NBS) for biodiversity and climate change. BeeOdiversity, a key partner, introduces the BeeOmonitoring tool, utilizing bees to gather environmental data. This innovative approach requires minimal effort from beekeepers and facilitates collaboration via an online dashboard. Past projects in Belgium show promising results in biodiversity and pollution reduction. Dr. Nguyen’s vision emphasizes integrating economic, environmental, and social aspects for sustainable change, aligning with NBS.
The UPSURGE project, initiated a year ago, addresses biodiversity loss and climate change through Nature Based Solutions (NBS) in urban environments. Led by BURST, the project focuses on researching, testing, and digitalizing NBS interventions across five pilot cities. After ten months of preparatory work, including feasibility studies and selecting NBS interventions, the project is progressing. One key partner in the project is BeeOdiversity, a Belgian enterprise introducing innovative bee-based solutions.
BeeOdiversity's main contribution is the BeeOmonitoring tool, developed by Dr. Bach Kim Nguyen. This tool utilizes bees to collect pollen samples, which are then analyzed for environmental factors such as pollutants. The technology minimizes impact on the bees and provides valuable data for environmental analysis.
The BeeOmonitoring tool is implemented in collaboration with beekeepers, requiring minimal effort on their part. Results are accessible via an online dashboard, facilitating collaboration with clients and stakeholders for environmental transformation.
BeeOdiversity's approach suits entities covering large areas, such as cities and water producers. Collaboration with stakeholders involves strategic planning tailored to specific environmental challenges. For example, in Knokke-Heist, Belgium, BeeOdiversity's efforts led to significant improvements in biodiversity and pollution reduction.
While BeeOdiversity's involvement in the UPSURGE project is pending precise pilot implementation, their past projects indicate a promising future impact.
Dr. Nguyen remains optimistic about the potential to reverse biodiversity loss through collaborative efforts and innovative solutions like NBS. Dr. Nguyen, a biological engineer with a PhD in bee protection, emphasizes the need to integrate economic, environmental, and social aspects for sustainable change. His vision aligns with creating an intersection of these domains through tools like NBS, fostering collective action towards a healthier ecosystem.
UPSURGE
UPSURGE bridges the gap between the existing knowledge base on Nature Based Solutions and their step-by-step practical implementation for regenerative development of cities focusing on air pollution alleviation and climate neutrality.
Our main aim is to reroute cities and fast forward their regenerative transition benefiting from the potential of Nature Based Solutions (NBS).
UPSURGE is the response to the challenges faced by cities in their efforts to decrease the impacts of urban existence on climate change, mitigate air pollution and its health effects and reduce climate change stressors.
To help European cities enter the regenerative transition pathway, UPSURGE will provide an EU Urban Regenerative Lighthouse to serve as a reference framework and a reference network to accelerate, transfer and upscale the use of NBS and mainstream them into the agenda of urban policies through co-creation and co-design processes with citizens and other stakeholders.
UPSURGE will provide fit for problem NBS together with supportive digital, and governance solutions for urban space regeneration deployed and tested in 5 real-life demo cities in Europe.
Project details
- Project title: City-centered approach to catalyze nature-based solutions through the EU Regenerative Urban Lighthouse for pollution alleviation and regenerative development.
- Funding scheme: The project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 under grant agreement No. 101003818
- Duration: 48 months (1 September 2021- 31 August 2025)
- Project coordinator: E-ZAVOD, ZAVOD ZA PROJEKTNO SVETOVANJE, RAZISKOVANJE IN RAZVOJ CELOVITIH RESITEV, Slovenia
- Project website: https://www.upsurge-project.eu