This project has received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme, Call H2020-SC5-2016-2017 Greening the economy, under grant agreement No 730338.

ThinkNature Summer

School

Chania, 3 September 2019

Technical

University

Of Crete

D.

Kolokotsa

Technology and Practice

Impact Evaluation Framework

3

Introduction

Projects encouraged and supported by DG RTD &

EASME to cluster and work together

To learn from each other,

enable synergies,

widen networks,

attain a critical mass to ensure wider impact,

communicate/disseminate effectively,

harmonization/standardization of methods/data…

CLUSTERING ≠ INTEGRATION

No necessarily require additional resources!

4

Introduction

Added value for the EC

EU contribution to the evidence base supporting the use of NBS

Allow upscaling of NBS from local to EU scale

Engage the NBS community beyond the EU Horizon 2020 funded projects

Added value for the projects

Saving resources

More impact

A common framework used as a reference at the EU level

Production of common reports/publications

Organization of common events

5

A community of practice on NBS

ThinkNature CSA SC5-10-2016 Establish science-policy-business-society interfaces to allow for continuous

dialogue and interaction

NAIAD RIA SC5-9-2016

Promote the uptake of ecosystem-based approaches for disaster risk reduction

and climate change and the exploration of the concept of the insurance value of

ecosystems

Nature4Cities

Naturvation RIA SCC-03-2016

Enable the systemic integration of NBS into a sustainable urban planning, new

governance, business, financing models and partnerships

CONNECTING Nature

Urban GreenUp

UNALAB

GrowGreen

IA SCC-02a-2016 To provide a robust, EU-wide evidence base and develop a European reference

framework for nature-based solutions in cities (water and climate resilience)

CLEVER Cities

EdiCitNet

URBiNAT

proGIreg

IA SCC-02b-2017 To provide a robust, EU-wide evidence base and develop a European reference

framework for nature-based solutions in cities (inclusive urban regeneration)

OPERANDUM

RECONECT

Phusicos

IA SC5-08-2017 To provide evidence that NBS are flexible, multi-beneficial alternatives to

traditional engineering to cope with extreme hydro meteorological events

REGREEN

CLEARING HOUSE RIA SC5-13-2018

Strengthening international cooperation on sustainable urbanization (EU-CHINA):

nature-based solutions for restoration and rehabilitation of urban ecosystems.

6

NBS Taskforces

NBS projects (2016 calls) working in several Task Forces:

TF1: Taskforce on common knowledge repository and data management

TF2: Taskforce on Impact Assessment Framework (indicators)

TF3: Taskforce on governance and business models

TF4: Taskforce on communication

7

NBS Taskforces

New Taskforces coming from the new projects (2017 calls):

TF5 on co-creation processes

TF6 on NBS for hydro-meteorological risk

(OPERANDUM, PHUSICOS, RECONNECT and NAIAD)

8

Taskforce 2-Objectives

•A common Impact Evaluation

Framework (IEF) based on the one

produced by the Eklipse Working

Group on NBS

As many challenges as possible

A set of “umbrella indicators”,

with at least 1-2 indicators to be

measured by all the projects

Guidance on

protocols/methodologies

Eklipse Impact Evaluation Framework

9

Taskforce 2-Objectives

• Enhance the evidence base for NBS and its usability

meta analyses of the demonstration project's outputs (on the

common indicators)

supporting the use of projects’ results by end-users and promoting

up-scaling of projects’ actions

• Link and contribute to other EU and Global work on sustainable urban

indicators or other relevant ones (e.g. MAES, SDG 11, Eurostat, Urban

Agenda, EEA, EC Smart Cities indicators…)

• Link these developments with the development of a European reference

framework on nature-based solutions

10

Taskforce 2

NBS Challenges identified by EKLIPSE WG

Climate mitigation and adaptation

Water management

Coastal resilience

Green space management (including biodiversity)

Air/ambient quality

Urban regeneration

Participatory planning and governance

Social justice and social cohesion

Public health and well‐being

New economic opportunities and green jobs

11

Taskforce 2-Challenge 1: Climate Mitigation and Adaption

• Tonnes C removed/ stored per unit area per unit time

(Zheng et al. 2013)

• Total C stored in vegetation (Davies et al, 2011)

• Decrease in mean or peak daytime local temperature

(Demuzere et al., 2014)

• Energy Savings from reduced building energy

consumption (kWh/y and t C/y saved)

• Heatwave risr: number of combined tropical nights (>20 C)

& hot days (>35 C) (Fischer, Schar, 2010, Baro et al.,

2015)

• Measures of human comfort, eg ENVIMET PET and/or

PMV

12

Additional metrics:

Total C stored in soil

Energy, water & carbon reduction via urban farming

Increased opportunity for species movement in response to climate

change as a result of NBS

Increase in shadow surface (m2)

Cooling effect of NBS by evapotranspiration and/ or shading

Land surface temperature

Soil (ground) temperature at xx depth

Mean radiative temperature (Tmrt) (Jendritzky and Nubler, 1981)

Surface reflectance

Taskforce 2-Challenge 1: Climate Mitigation and Adaption

13

Taskforce 2-Challenge 2: Water Management

• Runoff coefficient in relation to precipitation quantity (mm/%)

• Flood peak reduction & increase in time to peak (lacob et al.,

2014)

• Water quality (chemical indicators: N&P abatement,

reduction in metal pollutants)

14

Taskforce 2-Challenge 2: Water Management Additional metrics:

Absorption capacity of green surfaces, bioretention structures and

single trees (Armson et al., 2013, Davis et al., 2009)

Intercepted rainfall (m3 year-1)/ rainfall storage (NBS absorption

capacity)

Reduction of inundation risk for critical urban infrastructures

(probability-economic)

Share of green areas in zones in danger of floods (%)

Population exposed to flood risk (% of the total number of

inhabitants), Areas (Ha) and population (inhab) exposed to flooding

15

Taskforce 2-Challenge 2: Water Management Additional metrics:

Drinking water provision (m3 ha-1 year -1)

Water for irrigations purposes (m3 ha -1 year -1)

Volume of water removed from water treatment system, volume of

water slowed down entering sewer system

Increasing groundwater availability

Increased evapotraspiration (measured of modelled)

16

Taskforce 2-Challenge 4: Green Space Management

• Accessibility (measured as distance or time) of urban

green spaces for population (Tamosiunas et al., 2014)

• Distribution of public green space-total surface or per

capita

• Connectivity of green infrastructure (structural &

functional)

17

Taskforce 2-Challenge 4: Green Space Management Additional metrics:

Recreational (number of visitors, number of recreational activities) or

cultural (number of cultural events, people involved, children in

educational activities) value (Kabisch and Haase, 2014)

Weighted recreation opportunities provided by Urban Green

Infrastructure (Derkzen et al., 2015)

Production of food (ton/ Ha/ year)

Sustainability of green areas

Quality f life of elderly people

Pollinator species increase (number)

Perceptions of connectivity and mobility

18

Taskforce 2-Challenge 4: Green Space Management Additional metrics:

Net change in (native) species numbers, functional richness,

vegetation cover, conservation priority species in area affected ny

NBS

Changes in ESS provision in relation to NBS (Derkzen et al., 2015)

Change in blue space (ponds, rivers, lakes) in urban area (%,

hectares or ha/100k)

Changes in species diversity/ number of species within area affected

by NBS

Biotope area factor (ecologically-effective surface areas/ total land

area)

19

Taskforce 2-Challenge 5: Air Quality

•Spatial indicators: pollutant flux per m2 per year (PM10,

PM2.5, NOx, Sox, VOCs, O3) (Manes et al., 2016, Tallis et

al., 2011)

•Non spatial indicators of gross quantities: annual amount of

pollutants captured/ removed by vegetation

20

Taskforce 2-Challenge 5: Air Quality Additional metrics:

Years of life lost (YLL), quality of life impacts of air quality

modelled

Morbidity-chronic bronchitis (NO2, PM10), Mortality-Total mortality

(PM10, PM2.5, O3, NO2)

Annual mean levels of fine particulate matter ( PM2.5 and PM10)

in cities (population weighted) concentration recorded ug/m3

Mean levels of exposure to ambient air pollution (population

weighted) (proposed indicator for SDG target 3.9)

Value of air pollution reduction, total monetary value of urban

forests including air quality, run-off mitigation, energy savings, and

increase in property values. Use of GIVal to calculate the value of

air quality improvements

21

Taskforce 2-Challenge 6: Urban Regeneration

• Green space accessibility:

Distribution of NBS/blue-green space;

Perceived accessibility

• Land use change and green space configuration

22

Taskforce 2-Challenge 7: Participatory Planning and Governance • Openness of participatory process

• Civic engagement: participation, initiation by community

members or groups; ownership over process (e.g. legitimacy

of knowledge, sense of control/influence in decision-making) -

procedural justice; orientation towards the common good

• Trust in decision-making procedures and decision-makers

• Gender equality: involvement of women

23

Taskforce 2-Challenge 8: Social Justice & Social Cohesion • Procedural justice: participation of different social groups;

inclusion of disadvantaged/minority groups

• Provision of cultural and health services accommodating

different group needs

• Social justice in terms of employment/economic opportunity;

distribution of costs and benefits; gentrification; green space

accessibility

• Empowerment: capabilities, belonging, impact, meaning

24

Taskforce 2-Challenge 8: Social Justice & Social Cohesion • Social capital/ social networks: social contact among city

dwellers especially across different social groups

(number and frequency of interactions);

• Quality of social relations:

Trust between neighbors/in community

Solidarity between neighbours

Tolerance and respect

• Safety

Objective: crime/vandalism/bodily integrity indicators

Subjective: feelings/sense of safety

• Sense of place/place attachment/place identity

25

Taskforce 2-Challenge 9: Public Health & Well Being • Active lifestyles:

Restoration-Recreation: Enhanced physical activity

and meaningful leisure (percentages of people

engaged in active leisure; increased frequency,

duration, variety of exercise);

levels of obesity

• Perceived wellbeing/happiness/quality of life/Perceived

overall health

• Air quality

• Noise levels and noise-related disturbance

• Perceived quality of urban green

26

Taskforce 2-Challenge 9: Public Health & Well Being

•Additions to consider

• Life expectancy and healthy life years (expectancy)

• Prevalence, incidence, morbidity and mortality of cardiovascular

diseases (CVDs)

• Prevalence, incidence, morbidity of chronic stress

• Levels of aggressiveness and violence

27

Taskforce 2-Challenge 9: Public Health & Well Being

•Additions to consider

• Physical health: Prevalence and incidence of chronic

autoimmune diseases (AIDs); Prevalence, incidence, morbidity

and mortality of respiratory illnesses and diseases (RIsDs); Heat

reduced mortality; Sustainable food production; sustainable

nutrition adoption

• Mental health: Depression and Anxiety, Improvement in

behavioural development and symptoms of attention

deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD); Exploratory behavior in

children

• Data and analysis per social group: to analyze in-group and

between group

28

Taskforce 2-Challenge 10: Economic Opportunities & Green Jobs

•Number tax deductions or subsidies applied for private NBS

measures (Meulen et al., 2013)

•Change in mean land/ property price (Forestry Commission,

2005)

•Number of jobs created (Forestry Commission, 2005),

gross value added (Forestry Commission, 2005)

•Increased retail activity (m2 retail space ground floor)

29

Taskforce 2-Challenge 10: Economic Opportunities & Green Jobs Additional metrics:

Urban Farming Educative/ participate activities, Learning for

producers

CAPEX/ OPEX for NBS initiatives (multiple metrics)

Avoided cost of run-off treatment

Property betterment

Private finance attracted to the NBS site

30

Taskforce 2

Development of joint report on core indicators for NBS performance

and impact assessment

Compilation of IEF Taskforce work on core indicator and

methodology definition, June 2017-June 2019

Handbook/ guidelines on indicator selection, monitoring scheme

development & monitoring/ measurement method(s)

Presentation of case studies from on-going NBS projects &

summary of best practices

31

Follows us – Join us