Institute for European Environmental Policy                                                                                                         Member of network of academics

SpongeBoost: Upscalling the natural sponge functions of freshwater ecosystems to deliver multi- benefit green deal solutions

How to support sponge functions of freshwater ecosystems in the form of wetlands and other nature-based solutions

A consortium of 10 partners from a total of 7 different European countries aims to find, compile and test innovative solutions to increase the potential of the sponge function of the landscape, especially wetlands. Due to the impacts of climate change, it is essential to find ways to preserve or restore key ecosystem functions and features in the landscape. The main aim of the project is to develop a roadmap to support the further implementation of these measures based on all the evidence from existing research around the world, as well as the results of its own investigations and pilot case studies. In addition to the natural and technical aspects, attention will also be given to economic, social and regulatory aspects and to finding business models that will provide funding for the implementation of wetlands and other nature-based solutions beyond existing subsidies in the form of alternative innovative models.

The IEEP team is responsible for leading one work package and is also significantly involved in the implementation of institutional analysis, barrier analysis and the design and validation of innovative business models.

Funding Agency: Horizon Europe
Duration: 1/2024 – 12/2027
Contact person: Jan Macháč, e-mail: machac@ieep.cz
Researchers: Jan Macháč, Jan Brabec, Lenka Slavíková, Jiří Louda, Marek Hekrle, Lenka Zaňková
In cooperation with: Helmholtz Zentrum für Umweltforschung

Wetlands International-European Association

a další partneři

Assessment of organic and conventional agriculture in terms of their impacts on ecosystem services to support strategic and decision-making processes

Comparison of the impact of conventional and organic farming on the provision of ecosystem services and formulation of arguments for adjusting the setting of support for organic farming.

The project aims to compare the impact of conventional and organic farming on the provision of ecosystem services, using own research, available data and literature. Ecosystem services whose provision is crucial both for the long-term resilience of agrarian ecosystems and for maintaining the resilience of the whole environment will be quantified. By quantifying ecosystem services in biophysical units (in conventional and organic farming) and their subsequent assessment, including life cycle assessment of selected agricultural products, the hitherto insufficiently under-considered added value of organic farming production in relation to the ecosystem services will be analyzed. Arguments and recommendations for (adjusting) the setting of organic farming support in accordance with the Czech Action Plan of organic farming and other related documents will be formulated.

 

Funding agency: Ministry of Agriculture of the Czech Republic
Duration: 01/2023–12/2025
Contact person: Jiří Louda, e-mail: louda@ieep.cz
Researchers: Jan Macháč, Lenka Dubová, Marek Hekrle, Jan Vávra
In cooperation with: Crop Research Institute

University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice

Global Change Research Institute of the Czech Academy of Sciences

Bioinstitut

 

 

 

FOREST-AGRICULTURE-WATER NEXUS: Bilateral Workshops for Supporting Tools for Ecosystem Services Governance

Czech-Norwegian bilateral workshops on the use of floodplain forest buffer zones for improving water quality and reducing soil erosion.

Water quality is often influenced by agricultural production (soil run-off into watercourses, water pollution caused by fertiliser and other chemicals etc.). At the same time, current agricultural practices are contributing significantly to the erosion of valuable fertile soils. The costs of water treatment / purification within the water management infrastructure are increasing; the quality of soil and water, and the biodiversity are decreasing. Only little attention is paid to so called nature-based solutions (NBS), which could help meet these challenges and furthermore they bring also many other benefits to the society in form of various ecosystem services. One of these NBS is floodplain forest buffer zones between agricultural land and watercourses, but so far very little planting has taken place. The practical implementation of this measure faces a number of barriers.

The aim of the project is therefore to support the meetings of scientists and practitioners from the Czech Republic and Norway, enabling the exchange of experience and knowledge in this area, which should result in the submission of a joint bilateral or multilateral project aimed at identifying and evaluating the benefits of the riparian forest buffer zone and the subsequent proposal of support mechanisms for their practical implementation.

Funding Agency:           State Environmental Fund of the Czech Republic, Norway Grants

Duration:                      01/2019–08/2022

Contact Person:            Jiří Louda, e-mail: louda@ieep.cz

In cooperation with:       Norwegian University of Life Science, Global Change Research Institute, Czech Academy of Sciences

 

Improving society’s resilience to effects of crisis by increasing food self-sufficiency

Promotion of establishment of urban community gardens (CG) to mitigate economic and social impacts of crises.

Community gardens brings numerous benefits for their members not only in the form of crop production or promotion of social relations, as well as other city inhabitants. As a green element in the urban environment, they contribute to improving quality of life by providing ecosystem services, including rainwater runoff regulation, air quality regulation and microclimate cooling. In a broader context, they additionally perform educational, recreational and cultural functions, and are a place for safe meetings in the public space, a venue for cultural events, education for children, etc. From elected municipal representatives’ point of view, they meet goals of climate change adaptation strategies and may contribute to development of neglected or otherwise unused urban land. Promotion of urban CG is thus also beneficial for inhabitants not directly affected by impacts of crises.

The objective of this interdisciplinary project is to identify the potential for reducing negative impacts of crises by establishment of community gardens on municipal land leading to increasing food self-sufficiency of city inhabitants. A survey among community garden members, coordinators as well as city inhabitants and elected municipal representatives will identify benefits of community gardens during the COVID-19 crisis, barriers to establishment of urban CG and most appropriate plots of land, along with checking the demand among inhabitants for involvement in urban agriculture in community gardens. Eventually, we will identify the overall potential for CG establishment by municipalities in order to mitigate negative impacts of economic and social crises on inhabitants.

In this project, the IEEP research team follows up on its previous research dealing with benefits of community gardens and motivations of their members. The findings will be dissemination in collaboration with KOKOZA, o.p.s., and will be used to support establishment of specific urban community gardens in selected cities.

 

Funding agency: Technology Agency of the Czech Republic (TL05000718)
Duration: 05/2021 – 12/2023
Contact person: Jan Macháč, e-mail: machac@ieep.cz
Researchers: Jan Macháč, Lenka Dubová, Marek Hekrle, Jan Vávra
In cooperation with: KOKOZA, o.p.s. (project partner)
Project outcomes: The main project outcome will be a Summary Research Report, presenting benefits of CG during crises, demand for urban CG among inhabitants, supply by municipalities and factors of CG sustainability, providing recommendations for elimination barriers to CG establishment, and presenting a procedure for identifying suitable sites for CG establishment in Czech cities.

 

 

WATER IN THE CITY: Blue and Green Infrastructure Interdisciplinary

Development of interdisciplinary tools to support management of rainwater in municipalities.

Implementation of nature-based solutions in urbanized areas has a significant potential for adaptation of municipalities to climate change and reduction of associated negative effects such as floods from torrential rainfall, drought or heat islands. Although Czech municipalities try to prevent these effects, implementation of nature-based rainwater-retaining solutions in reality often faces insufficient capacities and lack of information necessary for their planning, procurement, implementation and promotion. One-sided solutions that do not fully exploit the potential for implementing blue and green infrastructure are often designed for these reasons.

The aim of our interdisciplinary project is to create a methodology that will clarify and facilitate municipalities’ decision-making during planning and implementation of nature-based rainwater-retaining solutions in urbanized areas. Furthermore, particular examples of possible solutions in an urbanized area will be provided, based on the character of the city and its surroundings.

The IEEP research team builds here on previous projects dealing with blue and green infrastructure. Existing outputs and tools will be further developed and applied in this project through interdisciplinary cooperation.

Funding agency: Technology Agency of the Czech Republic
Duration: 05/2019 – 04/2021
Contact person: Jan Macháč, e-mail: machac@e-academia.eu
Researchers: Jan Macháč, Marek Hekrle
In cooperation with: University Centre for Energy Efficient Buildings of the Czech Technical University in Prague
Outputs:          The main output of the project will be a methodology for planning and implementation of nature-based rainwater-retaining solutions in urbanized areas and examples of possible solutions (expected release in April 2021)

Development of methods of economic evaluation of green and blue infrastructure in urban areas

Development of a tool and SMART method for economic evaluation.

The realization of nature based solution fases their low enforceability and awareness of their co-benefits. An economic assessment of specific measures may serve as an important argument for the implementation (planning) of these measeures and leads to an increase in awareness of their importance. The aim of the project was to find, define, systemize and validate methods for the economic evaluation of different categories of nature based solutions (e.g. green walls and roofs, trees, etc.) in intelligent urban areas using green and blue infrastructure. The categories will be quantified both from the point of view of the direct costs and benefits associated with the construction and operation, and from the point of view of the side effects that are currently missing in the decisioin making process. A comprehensive methodology economic assessment was developed within the project, which will serve primarily as a basis for decision-making processes in the public administration.

Funding Agency: Technology Agency of the Czech Republic
Duration: 10/2017 – 07/2019
Contact person: Jan Macháč, e-mail: machac@e-academia.eu
Researchers: Jan Macháč, Lenka Dubová, Jiří Louda, Marek Hekrle, Lenka Zaňková, Jan Brabec
In Cooperation with: The outputs are discussed with practical partners: Czech Landscape and Garden Society; GreenVille service s.r.o. and Ministry of Environment
Outputs: Macháč J. et al. (2019) The methodology for economic assessment of green and blue infrastructure in human settlements. Usti nad Labem: Institute for Economic and Environmental Policy.

 

BIDELIN: Values of Ecosystem Services, Biodiversity and Blue-green Infrastructures in Cities, Exemplified by Dresden, Liberec and Děčín

Detecting, quantifying and evaluating the ecosystem services in the cities Dresden, Liberec and Děčín.

Presently, preservation of biodiversity and functioning of ecosystems belongs to the main challenges for human society. Although services provided by nature affect significantly the quality of life and human well being, there are losses of the services due to a construction development especially in cities. To the green and blue infrastructure is attached great importance as a result of the growing population in cities and increasing risks of manifestation of climate change.
This project seeks to reveal the relation between sustainable nature value creation, the elements of nature in cities and human well-being by utilizing the concept of ecosystem services. The aim is to increase the importance of ecosystem services and value of nature in an urban environment using green and blue infrastructure evaluation in the pilot cities (Dresden, Liberec, Decin) by utilizing methodological approaches of economic assessment. The results of this analysis can be used in decision-making processes in the field of urban planning, nature conservation and work with the public.
In the project our team will focus on the creation of common methodological approaches and on the use of ecosystem services concept valuation of green and blue infrastructure in cities. The project will involve an interlinking of our team’s activities in the area of nature and ecosystem services and nature-based solutions valuation in the cities.

Project outputs are developed in cooperation with Faculty of Environment and Department of Geography of Faculty of Science UJEP. 

 

Funding Agency: Cooperation Programme Free State of Saxony – Czech Republic 2014–2020
Duration: 1/2017–12/2019
Contact Person: Jiří Louda, e-mail: louda@ieep.cz
Researchers: Jiří Louda, Lenka Dubová, Jan Macháč, Kristýna Rybová
In Cooperation with: Leibniz Institute of Ecological Urban and Regional Development (IÖR), Dresden a cities of Liberec, Děčín, Dresden
Web-site: Project BIDELIN Webstite

 

Economic Support for Strategic and Decision-making Processes at the National and Regional Level, Leading to Sustainable Energy use of Agricultural Biomass, while Respecting Food Self-sufficiency and Soil Conservation

Economic assessment of measares for sustainable use of biomass.

The pressure on agricultural land exploitation is ever increasing at present, whether for growing of fodder, energy biomass or food production, resulting in conflicts among these differing interests and uses. The problem is further aggravated by the climate change in progress, which manifests itself by more frequent and longer droughts among other things. Support to renewable sources of energy, including biomass, has a substantial influence as well. The project therefore strives to identify suitable methods for optimization of biomass use with respect to economic efficiency, food self-sufficiency (need to grow food and fodder) and consideration of requirements for soil protection, notably limits on soil exploitation and prevention of soil degradation.
The project follows up and expands on the IS RESTEP tool for optimization of biomass use. The principal objective of the follow-up project is to add an ECONOMICS module to the tool, enabling regional sustainable energy planning. It will thus enable economic analysis of not only agricultural biomass production with a focus on both crops and techniques. In addition, it will enable analysis of subsequent energy use. The project will involve an expansion of the information tool with new sources of information for decision making.
Economic analysis involves not only direct costs of and revenues from growing and use of agricultural biomass for energy purposes. The IEEP team will focus in the project on assessment of externalities associated with biomass production. A choice experiment will be made in this connection. The ecosystem service concept will also be applied. The project will involve an interlinking of our team’s activities in the area of air, energy and ecosystem services.
The implementation of the four-year project as part of the sub-programme “Support to innovative agriculture and forestry by means of advanced procedures and techniques” involves 6 national partners; the Czech University of Life Sciences Prague is the consortium leader.

Funding Agency: Ministry of Agriculture of the Czech Republic, QK – Programe of Applied Research of Ministry of Agriculture of the Czech Republic for the perion 2017–2025 EARTH
Duration: 2/2017–12/2020
Contact Person: Jan Macháč, e-mail: machac@e-academia.eu
Researchers: Ing. Jan Macháč; Ing. Lenka Dubová; Ing. Lenka Zemková
In Cooperation with: Czech University of Life Science Prague
Czech Technology Platform for the Use of Biocomponents in Transport and Chemical Industry
ECO trend s. r. o.
Institute of Agricultural Economics and Information
Research Institute for Soil and Water Conservation

 

Supporting Development of Adaptation Measures and Strategies in Cities

Supporting the climate change adaptation of cities Prague, Brno, Plzen and Ustí nad Labem by promotion of nature-based solutions.

Three quarters of Europe’s inhabitants live in cities that are often vulnerable and poorly prepared for the effects of climate change (heat waves, water scarcity, drought, floods). The IPCC Fifth Assessment Report states that adaptation measures in cities are crucial successful adaptation to climate change. The aim of the project is to support decision-making processes and the development of climate adaptation measures and strategies in pilot cities (Prague, Pilsen, Ústí nad Labem, Brno). Research is based on the methodical approaches of economic valuation, analysis of existing climate adaptation policies (barriers and opportunities), and assessment of the possible implementation of nature-based measures.

Funding Agency: Technology Agency of the Czech Republic
Duration: 1/2016–12/2017
Contact Person: Jan Macháč, e-mail: machac@e-academia.eu
Researchers: Jan Macháč, Lenka Dubová, Jiří Louda
In Cooperation with: CzechGlobe – Global Change Research Institute of the Czech Academy of Sciences
Outputs: MACHÁČ, J., DUBOVÁ, L., LOUDA, J. 2017. Ekonomická analýza přírodě blízkých adaptačních opatření ve městě. Výsledky případových studií z Prahy, Brna a Plzně. Ústí nad Labem: Institut pro ekonomickou a ekologickou politiku (IEEP) Fakulta sociálně ekonomická, Univerzita J. E. Purkyně v Ústí nad Labem.
MACHÁČ, J., LOUDA, J., DUBOVÁ, L., VEJCHODSKÁ, E., SLAVÍKOVÁ, L. 2017. How to Successfully Achieve Urban Adaptation Using Green and Blue Infrastructure? (poster presentovaný na XVI World Water Congress, 29.5.-3.6.2017 Cancun, Mexiko)
LOUDA, J., MACHÁČ, J., DUBOVÁ, L.2017. Green and Blue Infrastructure: An Opportunity for Resilient and Sustainable Cities? (poster presentovaný na Dresden Nexus Conference 2017, 17.-19.5.2017 Dresden, Německo)
VEJCHODSKÁ, E., LOUDA, J. 2017. Partnerství obcí s veřejností při správě městské zeleně. Urbanismus a územní rozvoj, 3/2017. ISSN 1212-0855.
VEJCHODSKÁ, E., LOUDA, J., DUBOVÁ, L. 2017. Urban Green Space – Beneficial but Costly. New Approaches to Financing. In: Matějková L. (ed.). Proceedings of the 21st International Conference Current Trends in Public Sector Research 2017. Brno: Masaryk University, 2017. Pp. 402-409, ISSN 2336-1239, ISBN 978-80-210-8448-3.
Downloads Economic analysis of nature close to adaptation measures in the city 2017 (pdf)

 

UrbanAdapt: Development of Urban Adaptation Strategies Using Ecosystem-based Approaches to Adaptation

Supporting the climate change adaptation strategies development of Prague, Brno and Pilsen with respect to the potential of green and blue infrastructure enlargement.

The aim of the project is to launch and develop the preparation process of adaptation strategy of cities, and to design and evaluate suitable adaptation measures in selected urban areas (Prague, Brno, Pilsen) in the Czech Republic, with the support of ecosystem based approaches. Partial goals of the project are: to perform the risk and vulnerability assessment connected to the climate change on local urban level in cooperation with stakeholders, to identify relevant adaptation measures, to quantify costs and benefits of preferred adaptation measures, to prepare and formulate adaptation strategies of cities following on “Strategy on adaptation to climate change in the conditions of the Czech Republic“, and to launch the process of an implementation of adaptation strategy and related measures. An important part is also the incorporation of the elements of “green and blue infrastructure“ and ecosystem services into the adaptation cycle and into single measures and adaptation alternatives.

Funding Agency: Program CZ02 – Biodiverzita, monitoring a změna klimatu (financováno z EHP fondů 2009–2014)
Duration: 2015–2016
Contact Person: Jiří Louda, e-mail: louda@ieep.cz
Researchers: Jan Macháč, Lenka Dubová, Jiří Louda, Lenka Slavíková, Kristýna Rybová, Eliška Vejchodská, Jiří Moravec
In Cooperation with: CzechGlobe – Ústav výzkumu globální změny AV ČR, v.v.i.
Czech Environmental Partnership Foundation (Nadace Partnerstí)
Faculty of Transportation Sciences, Czech Technical University
Prague Institute of Planning and Development
CI2, o.p.s.
Urban Planning and Development Institut Pilsen
Institute for the Sustainability Studies, University of Iceland
Outputs: MACHÁČ, J., DUBOVÁ, L., LOUDA, J. 2017. Ekonomická analýza přírodě blízkých adaptačních opatření ve městě. Výsledky případových studií z Prahy, Brna a Plzně. Ústí nad Labem: Institut pro ekonomickou a ekologickou politiku (IEEP) Fakulta sociálně ekonomická, Univerzita J. E. Purkyně v Ústí nad Labem.
VEJCHODSKÁ, E., LOUDA, J. 2017. Partnerství obcí s veřejností při správě městské zeleně. Urbanismus a územní rozvoj, 3/2017. ISSN 1212-0855.
VEJCHODSKÁ, E., LOUDA, J., DUBOVÁ, L. 2017. Urban Green Space – Beneficial but Costly. New Approaches to Financing. In: Matějková L. (ed.). Proceedings of the 21st International Conference Current Trends in Public Sector Research 2017. Brno: Masaryk University, 2017. Pp. 402-409, ISSN 2336-1239, ISBN 978-80-210-8448-3.
MACHÁČ, J., DUBOVÁ, L., LOUDA, J. 2017. Ekonomické zhodnocení společenské přínosnosti zeleně na příkladu Parku pod Plachtami. Zahrada-park-krajina, 1/2017. ISSN 1211-1678
Downloads: Economic analysis of nature close to adaptation measures in the city 2017 (pdf) 
Web-site: Project UrbanAdapt Website
Use of Results: Background to city (strategy) planning, publications for public administration and the general public