EU HORIZON project SELINA shows real-world examples of how knowledge on biodiversity, ecosystems and ecosystem services can be used to support evidence-based public and private decision-making.
The SELINA project achieved a significant milestone with the official launch of its Demonstration Projects (DPs), which was held online on 7 June 2023. Hosted online by Capitals Coalition (Netherlands) and the University of Trento (Italy), the meeting attracted over 90 participants including SELINA consortium members and representatives of public institutions and private companies associated with the DPs. They had the opportunity to delve into the progress of each of the 15 projects and gain insight into their future plans.
The DPs are real-world innovative examples of how knowledge on biodiversity, ecosystems and ecosystem services can be used to support evidence-based public and private decision-making processes. The 15 DPs that will be studied within SELINA come from 12 countries - Spain, Lithuania, Italy, Belgium, France, Switzerland, Latvia, Bulgaria, Norway, Malta, Finland, and the Netherlands.
The DPs kick-off meeting aimed to showcase the goals and advancements of the 15 public and private DPs that have been divided into four clusters: i) Agriculture and water; ii) Forestry and finance; iii) Coastal and marine; iv) Spatial planning. Potential synergies between the two SELINA working groups that study public and private DPs respectively, were also presented. A brief introduction of the Task Force of private representatives added further value to the meeting.
The meeting's outcomes and discussions yielded valuable insights for guiding future steps. Notably, an ongoing initiative is underway to develop a summary of indicators and anticipated data usage for each project. This mapping will facilitate effective collaboration and informed decision-making among the research-oriented SELINA work packages. Furthermore, the diverse DPs will gain practical insights into potential uncertainties that limit the uptake of ecosystem services evidence and strategies for overcoming them. By tackling these kinds of challenges head-on, SELINA's DPs aim to enhance overall impact and overcome common obstacles for the generation of scientific-based public and private policies.
“We were delighted to welcome almost 100 participants at the meeting that marked a pivotal moment and put the foundations of the synergies between the SELINA demonstration projects. After being presented with the potential that lies within each project, we are now positive that through effective cooperation we would facilitate the uptake and integration of ecosystem services evidence into both public and private sector decision-making processes.”, highlighted Jarumi Kato Huerta from the University of Trento which was one of the organisers of the meeting.
In conclusion, SELINA's official Demonstration Project kick-off served as a platform to showcase achievements and goals, fostering fruitful interactions where participants actively contributed ideas on enhancing collaboration within and outside the project boundaries.
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SELINA receives funding from the European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 101060415.