Nature-based solutions : EU-funded NbS research projects tackle the climate and biodiversity crises.
Date: 2025-09-10
Institutions: European Research Executive Agency
Subjects: EU financing, biodiversity, climate change policy, nature-based solution, project funding, research project

Water 
management

Natural and Climate 
Hazards

Soil, land 
and sea management 
and planning

Biodiversity  
enhancement

New economic 
opportunities and  
green jobs

Health and 
well-being

Place 
regeneration

NATURE(cid:25)BASED 

EU-FUNDED NBS RESEARCH  
PROJECTS TACKLE THE CLIMATE 
AND BIODIVERSITY CRISES

SOLUTIONS

Nature-based solutions (NbS) are inspired and supported by nature, they are  
cost-effective, simultaneously provide environmental, social and economic benefits 
and help build resilience; such solutions bring more, and more diverse, nature and 
natural features and processes into cities, landscapes and seascapes, through locally 
adapted, resource-efficient and systemic interventions. NbS must benefit  
biodiversity and support the delivery of a range of ecosystem services.

Air quality

Capacity building  
for sustainable 
transformation

Participatory planning 
and governance

Social justice and 
social cohesion

Food security

Climate resilience

EU-funded research and innovation projects tackle the climate  
and biodiversity crises implementing nature-based solutions  
in different environments.

research and 
innovation

105 PROJECTS

1.774 PARTNERS 

EUR 887M

(EC contribution)

85 COUNTRIES

NBS IN URBAN AREAS 
CLIMATE RESILIENCE 

Urban GreenUP  
UNaLab
Regreeneration1
Commit2Green1

Connecting Nature 
Grow Green
GreenInCities1
URBREATH1
ClimaGen1 

WATER SECURITY

MULTISOURCE
NICE

INCLUSIVE URBAN REGENERATION

CLEVER Cities
EdiCiNet
NATURVATION
Nature4Cities

ProGIreg
URBINAT
UNP+

NATURE PROTECTION AND RESTORATION 

EU-CHINA: 
CLEARING HOUSE 
REGREEN

EU-CELAC: 
CONEXUS 
INTERLACE

HEALTH AND WELLBEING

EUPOLIS
GO GREEN ROUTES

IN-HABIT

AIR QUALITY

DivAirCity
JUSTNature

1 Project funded under the EU Missions  
  ‘Adaptation to Climate Change’ and ‘Climate-neutral and Smart Cities’.
2 Project funded under the EU Mission ‘Adaptation to Climate Change’.

CROSS-CUTTING PROJECTS 
NATURE POSITIVE ECONOMY, FINANCE AND 
INSURANCE 

NAIAD
Invest4Nature
NATURANCE 
BIO-CAPITAL 
CircHive

EDUCATION  

NBSEduWORLD

GoNaturePositive
BIOFIN
Nature-3B
A-Track
RISE-IN2

ENABLS

INCLUSION AND CO-GOVERNANCE  

COEVOLVERS
TRANS-Lighthouses

NATURESCAPES
JUSTSAFE2 

HEALTH AND WELLBEING 

GREENME
NATURELAB

RESONATE

SUSTAINABLE, INCLUSIVE AND BEAUTIFUL
BUILT ENVIRONMENT 

INNATURE

Sleeping Beauty

NETWORKNATURE+
Key knowledge broker and information resource  
fostering and strengthening the European  
nature-based solutions community. NN+ supports 
EU-funded R&I projects on NbS by offering  
collaboration opportunities and dissemination 
services.

European Biodiversity Partnership BIODIVERSA+
The Partnership aims to connect science, policy and 
practice for transformative change for biodiversity, 
including contribution to high-end knowledge for 
deploying NbS.

NBS BEYOND URBAN AREAS
CLIMATE RESILIENCE

• 

FRESHWATER

DRYvER
PONDERFUL
GENESIS3
SpongeWorks3

SpongeScapes2 
SpongeBoost2

•  MARINE AND COASTAL  

FutureMARES
MaCoBioS
COAST-SCAPES2

•  MOUNTAINS

MountResilience2

• 

FOREST

ForestPaths

DUNEFRONT
TRANSEATION

Trees4Adapt2

•  MULTIPLE ECOSYSTEMS  

LAND4CLIMATE2
NATALIE2
NATURE-DEMO2
SMARTER2
CARDIMED2 (Mediterranean)
DesirMED2 (Mediterranean)

ARCADIA2
NURISH2
SystR2
NBRACER2
DRYAD2 (Mediterranean)
Med-IREN2 (Mediterranean)

NATURAL AND CLIMATE HAZARDS

OPERANDUM
PHUSICOS
GRACE2
REHUBS2

RECONECT
NBS4Drought
Watergrid

AGROECOLOGY AND SOIL MANAGEMENT 

ECONUTRI
trans4num
NBSoil

AGROSUS
CANALLS

FOREST MANAGEMENT 

TRANSFORMIT

2  Project funded under the EU Mission  
   ‘Adaptation to Climate Change’.
3 Project funded under the EU Missions 
    ‘Adaptation to Climate Change’,  
    ‘Restore our Ocean and Waters’ 
    and ‘A Soil Deal for Europe’

Would you like to find out more about 
nature-based solutions? Visit our website

ISBN: 978-92-95234-73-4
Catalog number: JW-01-25-028-EN-N 
DOI: 10.2848/2744053
Image sources: VectorMine, Shutterstock 
© European Union, 2025

NATURE PROTECTION AND RESTORATION 

• 

TRANS-EUROPEAN ECOLOGICAL NETWORK 

NaturaConnect

• 

FRESHWATER   

AMBER
MERLIN

WaterLANDS
EcoAdvance

•  MARINE AND COASTAL   

Marine SABRES
MSP4BIO 
REDRESS

MERCES
REST-COAST
MarinePlan 
MPA Europe

• 

FOREST 

SUPERB

N b S   p r o j e c t s   c o l l a b o r a t e   i n   d i f fe r e n t   t h e m a t i c  
Task  Forces  facilitated  by  NetworkNature+:  TF1  Data  
management  and  knowledge  repository,  TF2  Impact  
evaluation framework, TF3 Business models and financial 
mechanisms,  TF4  Communication,TF5  Education,  TF6 
Co-creation and co-governance. NbS hubs - one-stop shops 
for NbS knowledge within a country/region.

This visual features research  
and innovation projects managed by  
the European Research Executive Agency (REA)  
and European Climate, Infrastructure  
and Environment Executive Agency (CINEA).

@EUGreenResearch 

European Research Executive Agency