Actions
The Nature-based Solutions research program aims to address 12 actions to improve knowledge and the implementation of NbS across France. These actions are organized around three key challenges for their effective deployment:
Organizational challenge
Scientific challenge
Knowledge transfer and training challenge
Organizational challenge
Structuring the French scientific community working on Nature-based Solutions (NbS)
While France hosts high-level research on biodiversity, the French scientific community is not yet well structured to meet the challenges of NbS. The goal of this program is therefore to structure and strengthen an innovative research community on NbS. This includes identifying scientists working on NbS and related topics, while fostering synergies within the research and innovation ecosystem across disciplines, territories, and ecosystems.
This organizational challenge also involves promoting the sharing of experiences and encouraging collaboration between academic and non-academic stakeholders.
Scientific challenge
Better understanding Nature-based Solutions (NbS) to guide their design, management, and evaluation in the context of global change
This knowledge challenge aims to support French research consortia in addressing four key scientific issues for the development of NbS:
Each of these scientific challenges is supported by a dedicated expert group of 12 to 15 members, which works alongside the program to refine priority research questions and bring the community’s vision and expectations to the program’s governance.
The research questions will be explored through four case studies reflecting the main socio-ecosystems and types of NbS addressed by the program:
- NbS in protected areas
- NbS in coastal zones
- NbS in rural/agricultural regions
- NbS in urban areas
This challenge will rely on actions that promote bottom-up contributions from the French scientific community, complemented by top-down strategic actions led by the program team.
These will include:
- Two open calls for proposals (via ANR) to stimulate ambitious inter- and transdisciplinary collaborations addressing the four scientific challenges. Funded projects will need to focus on transformative change, using a systemic approach.
- The development of six Knowledge Hubs, each composed of expert groups and a postdoctoral researcher, tasked with exploring a specific NbS research issue without generating new primary data.
- Support for selected French research consortia responding to European “Horizon Europe” calls on the topic of NbS, through preparation meetings and networking activities prior to proposal submission.
- The establishment of international chairs to fill key gaps in the French scientific community related to essential expertise in the field of NbS.
- An “ANR Challenge”-type call to support pre-maturation actions for the design and implementation of NbS.
Knowledge transfer and training challenge
Maximizing access to knowledge and expertise, and adapting higher and professional education on Nature-based Solutions (NbS)
This challenge aims, on one hand, to facilitate access to scientific knowledge and expertise on NbS for all stakeholders, and on the other hand, to better train field practitioners and future researchers in NbS.
The goal is to strengthen the scientific foundations for the design and deployment of NbS in France by radically transforming how information is shared between researchers, academics, practitioners, and policymakers.