The Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA) has secured funding for three new EU projects. They address key challenges related to societal transformation, biodiversity monitoring, and integration of nature’s values into political and economic decision-making
Illustration photo: Dag Alexander Hultgren Olsen/NINA
– Our involvement in these projects strengthens NINA’s role as a key actor in European biodiversity research and ensures that Norwegian expertise contributes to addressing shared societal challenges across Europe, says Jørgen Rosvold, Research Director at NINA.
– In fact, NINA is part of both winning consortia under the call addressing alternative socio-economic models for improvement of biodiversity. This places NINA in a central position in exploring and shaping tomorrow's new, nature-friendly socio-economic models, he says.
New socio-economic models for nature and justice
The project SPARK4B+ explores how societies can develop beyond today’s growth-oriented economic systems, which contribute to increased biodiversity loss, climate change and rising inequality.
– By developing and testing alternative socio-economic models, the aim is to contribute to more sustainable, resilient and just societies in the future, says NINA Senior Advisor Maja Vasilijevic.
SPARK4B+ brings together researchers and societal actors from ten European countries. NINA plays a key role in analysing barriers and drivers of societal change, developing models to assess how different choices affect biodiversity and society, and contributing to scenario development and policy design.
Next-generation biodiversity monitoring
The project BEAGLE will develop the next generation of biodiversity monitoring in Europe, covering terrestrial, freshwater and marine ecosystems. The project combines new technologies such as automated sensors, environmental DNA (eDNA), artificial intelligence and citizen science to generate more detailed and comparable data on the state of biodiversity.
The project is set to deliver up to 1 billion new data points from various camera traps and acoustic recorders deployed in nature. Combined with new AI methods we will be able to fill gaps in biodiversity monitoring across Europe and strengthen efforts to protect biodiversity, explains NINA researcher Benjamin Cretois.
The data will help policymakers, researchers and businesses track biodiversity trends and evaluate the impacts of restoration and conservation measures.
Bringing nature’s values into decision-making
The aim of RELATE4NATURE is to ensure that the values of nature are better reflected in societal decision-making. Today, economic considerations often dominate, while values such as wellbeing, justice and people’s relationships with nature receive less attention.
– The project will develop and test new models for integrating these values into decision-making in areas such as agriculture, energy development, urban and regional planning, and nature management, says Bálint Czúcz, Senior Researcher at NINA.
NINA contributes expertise in nature valuation, decision support and policy-relevant research.
SPARK4B+ contact: Maja Vasilijevic
BEAGLE contact: Benjamin Cretois
RELATE4NATURE contact: Bálint Czúcz