OPERANDUM webinar on Nature-based Solutions for improved water quality & waterbody conditions

Time

13h30 CET

About this event

Hydrometeorological hazards and environmental degradation caused by climate change, pollution and habitat loss are increasingly threatening the livelihoods of vulnerable communities particularly in rural areas. Nature-based Solutions (NBS) can be used to effectively address these risks and build resilience while providing environmental, social, and economic benefits.

Ecosystem restoration and water protection measures in forest management operations for example can be applied to regulate the flow and preserve the quality of inland water. Examples of such solutions are implemented within the OPERANDUM project at the Open-Air Laboratories (OAL) Italy and Finland.

These OALs are among the 7 European rural territories working to reduce hydro-meteorological risks by co-creating, testing, and demonstrating the effectiveness of innovative NBS. Each OAL has unique environmental and socio-cultural conditions and is exposed to different types of hazards. The OALs integrate NBS research and development processes through a holistic approach by collaboratively exploring, experiencing, and assessing innovative ideas, scenarios, concepts, and technological features in real-life use cases.

Join the launch of the OPERANDUM OAL webinar series in commemoration of the International Day for Biological Diversity 2021 and gain insights and take-aways based on the continuous co-creation process of exploring, testing, and adapting innovative NBS at OALs.

OAL activities in a nutshell

OAL Italy extends to the Po Di Goro where local communities and particularly agricultural activities are exposed to the risks of salt intrusions. Advanced monitoring techniques are deployed on site and novel lab experiments are being developed to determine specific deep-rooting plant species that can effectively function as resilient natural barriers to salt intrusions to protect agricultural lands, reinforce the riverbank and preserve inland water quality.

OAL Finland is located in the Lake Puruvesi catchment in the eastern part of Finland. Due to forest harvesting and extreme weather events the lake is at risk of eutrophication and siltation which would have a severe impact on biodiversity, recreational activities, and local fishery. NBS are deployed to mitigate export of nutrients and suspended solids to the lake, by reducing flow velocity and capturing eroded suspended solids and particulate nutrients released from the active forest management area before entering the water body. Such NBS include e.g. sedimentation ponds, constructed wetlands and overland flow areas.

Who are our experts?

• Beatrice Pulvirenti, Associate Professor of Applied Physics in the Department of Industrial Engineering, University of Bologna, Italy
• Liisa Ukonmaanaho, PhD, Senior Researcher, Natural Resources Institute Finland
• Eija Pouta, Research Professor of Environmental Economics, Natural Resources Institute Finland

For more information on the OPERANDUM Project, please visit the website: https://www.operandum-project.eu/