Bridging Heritage and Nature: A New Approach to Biodiversity and Resilience in European Mountains

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Heritage4NBS: Combining mountain wisdom with modern solutions to protect biodiversity and build resilient communities across Europe’s alpine regions.

In an innovative effort to address climate change, protect biodiversity, and build resilient communities, a diverse consortium of European universities, research institutes, and organizations has proposed the Heritage4NBS project in HORIZON Innovative Action grant call. This ambitious initiative aims to harness the power of cultural heritage in combination with modern Nature-based Solutions (NBS) and the New European Bauhaus (NEB) framework to create more sustainable and inclusive societies in Europe’s mountain regions. 

Target Regions and Concept!

The project, titled “European Heritage in Service of Biodiversity Protection and Building of Inclusive and Resilient Societies: Bridging Nature-Based Solutions and the New European Bauhaus,” focuses on four key mountain areas: the Alps, Carpathians, Caucasus, and the Pyrenees. These regions were chosen for their rich cultural heritage and longstanding traditions of adapting to complex alpine environments. 

Heritage and Nature-Based Solutions (HNBS)

At the heart of the Heritage4NBS project is the concept of Heritage and Nature-Based Solutions (HNBS). These are defined as historically proven practices in building, engineering, livelihood, and resource management that have allowed communities to coexist harmoniously with their natural surroundings for generations. By identifying, systematizing, and analyzing these traditional solutions, the project aims to bridge the gap between cultural heritage and modern approaches to sustainability. 

The main objectives of the project include: 

  1. Creating an open-source online platform to store and share information about HNBS from the target regions. 
  1. Co-creating four pilot projects demonstrating how HNBS can be applied to modern challenges, contributing to key policy goals like the EU Green Deal. 
  1. Transforming intangible heritage solutions into practical policy recommendations for decision-makers at all levels. 
  1. Promoting interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary perspectives by incorporating project results into higher education programs. 

Project Justification

The justification for this project lies in the urgent need to address climate change and biodiversity loss while building more resilient communities. By tapping into the wealth of knowledge embedded in cultural heritage, the Heritage4NBS project offers a unique approach to these global challenges. It recognizes that mountain communities have developed sustainable practices over centuries, which can be adapted and scaled to meet modern needs. 

Partners Consortium

The proposal was drafted by a diverse consortium of 20 partners from across Europe, including universities, research centres, and local organizations. This multidisciplinary team brings together ecology, architecture, heritage preservation, urban planning, and sustainable development experts. 

Here is the full list of the partners: 

  • Univerzita Komenskeho v Bratislave
  • Caucasus Network for Sustainable Development in Mountain Regions
  • Ankara Universitesi
  • Georgian National Committee of International Council on Monuments and Sites
  • Armenian National Committee of The International Council on Monuments and Sites
  • Universita Degli Studi Di Milano
  • Politecnico Di Torino
  • Centro De Investigacion Ecologica Y Aplicaciones Forestales
  • Ajuntament D’àger
  • Institut D’Arquitectura Avancada De Catalunya
  • Euromontana
  • The Chancellor Masters And Scholars Of The University Of Cambridge
  • Universidad De Granada
  • Universite De Geneve
  • Stowarzyszenie Euroregion Karpacki
  • Uniwersytet Jagiellonski
  • University Of Technology
  • Universitat Autonoma De Barcelona
  • Ilia State University
  • European Science Communication Institute (Esci)

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