Towards an\u2028 EU research and innovation policy agenda for nature-based solutions & re-naturing cities. Final report of the Horizon 2020 expert group on nature-based solutions and re-naturing cities.

1. Nature-based solutions harness the power and sophistication of nature to turn environmental, social and economic challenges into innovation opportunities. They can address a variety of societal challenges in sustainable ways, with the potential to contribute to green growth, 'future-proofing' society, fostering citizen well-being, providing business opportunities and positioning Europe as a leader in world markets. \u2028 2. Nature-based solutions are actions which are inspired by, supported by or copied from nature. They have tremendous potential to be energy and resource-efficient and resilient to change, but to be successful they must be adapted to local conditions. \u2028 3. Many nature-based solutions result in multiple co-benefits for health, the economy, society and the environment, and thus they can represent more efficient and cost-effective solutions than more traditional approaches. \u2028 4. An EU Research & Innovation (R&I) agenda on nature-based solutions will enable Europe to become a world leader both in R&I and in the growing market for nature-based solutions. For this, the evidence base for the effectiveness of nature-based solutions needs to be developed and then used to implement solutions. Both need to be done in conjunction with stakeholders. The potential for transferability and upscaling of solutions also requires further investigation. There is also a need to develop a systemic approach that combines technical, business, finance, governance, regulatory and social innovation. \u2028 5. Four principal goals have been identified that can be addressed by nature-based solutions: �� Enhancing sustainable urbanisation through nature-based solutions can stimulate economic growth as well as improving the environment, making cities more attractive, and enhancing human well-being. \u2028 �� Restoring degraded ecosystems using nature-based solutions can improve the resilience of ecosystems, enabling them to deliver vital ecosystem services and also to meet other societal challenges. \u2028 �� Developing climate change adaptation and mitigation using nature-based solutions can provide more resilient responses and enhance the storage of carbon. \u2028 �� Improving risk management and resilience using nature-based solutions can lead to greater benefits than conventional methods and offer synergies in reducing multiple risks. \u2028 6. Based on the four goals, seven nature-based solutions for R&I actions are recommended to be taken forward by the European Commission and Member States: �� Urban regeneration through nature-based solutions \u2028 �� Nature-based solutions for improving well-being in urban areas \u2028 �� Establishing nature-based solutions for coastal resilience \u2028 �� Multi-functional nature-based watershed management and ecosystem restoration \u2028 �� Nature-based solutions for increasing the sustainability of the use of matter and energy \u2028 �� Nature-based solutions for enhancing the insurance value of ecosystems \u2028 �� Increasing carbon sequestration through nature-based solutions \u2028This report was produced by the Horizon 2020 Expert Group on 'Nature-Based Solutions and Re- Naturing Cities', informed by the findings of an e-consultation and a stakeholder workshop. \u202

Implications of EU environmental policies on agriculture in Europe and beyond

The European Union is taking several policy initiatives to combat climate change and the loss of biodiversity with direct impact on agriculture. For farmers the European Commission is promoting an instrument called OECM, Other effective area-based conservation measures. Other effective area-based conservation measures (OECMs) are a new conservation approach, separate from protected areas, where conservation is achieved mainly as a by-product of other management. OECMs can be counted towards the EU target if: i) Conservation objectives and measures are in place; ii) the area is covered by a national or international legal or administrative act or a contractual arrangement achieving long-term conservation outcomes and iii) effective management and monitoring of the biodiversity in the area is in place. A new growth strategy that aims to transform the EU into a fair and prosperous society with a modern, resource-efficient and competitive economy where there are no net emissions of greenhouse gases in 2050 and where economic growth is decoupled from resource use. While those initiatives mainly impact the life and work of European farmers, there is as well an indirect impact to farmers elsewhere in the worl

Implications of EU environmental policies on agriculture in Europe and beyond

The European Union is taking several policy initiatives to combat climate change and the loss of biodiversity with direct impact on agriculture. For farmers the European Commission is promoting an instrument called OECM, Other effective area-based conservation measures. Other effective area-based conservation measures (OECMs) are a new conservation approach, separate from protected areas, where conservation is achieved mainly as a by-product of other management. OECMs can be counted towards the EU target if: i) Conservation objectives and measures are in place; ii) the area is covered by a national or international legal or administrative act or a contractual arrangement achieving long-term conservation outcomes and iii) effective management and monitoring of the biodiversity in the area is in place. A new growth strategy that aims to transform the EU into a fair and prosperous society with a modern, resource-efficient and competitive economy where there are no net emissions of greenhouse gases in 2050 and where economic growth is decoupled from resource use. While those initiatives mainly impact the life and work of European farmers, there is as well an indirect impact to farmers elsewhere in the world</jats:p

The uptake of colloidal melanin from seawater by marine bivalves

A number of coastal organisms (e.g. bivalves) are known as important consumers of particulate organic carbon (POC) in the sea. In this paper we present new evidence that they are also important consumers of 'dissolved' organic carbon (DOC) in the colloidal size range down to about 0.2 μm in diameter. Those colloids play an important role in the global flux of carbon in the seas. We compare the uptake of colloidal DOC by marine bivalves of the North Sea and of the western Indian Ocean. To measure this uptake we made use of colloidal melanin as an alternative way to measure the uptake of colloidal DOC.SCOPUS: ar.jFLWINinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishe

Diagnosis of gastroesophageal reflux disease in general practice: a Belgian national survey.

BACKGROUND AND STUDY AIMS: The aim of the present study was to analyze the results of a prospective national survey conducted in Belgium to investigate discrepancies between general practitioners' attitudes and the available guidelines on the management of new patients with symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). METHODS: A total of 641 general practitioners (GPs) were asked to complete a questionnaire on each consultation by a patient with suspected GERD. RESULTS: The study population included 2234 patients (mean age +/- SD: 47.37 +/- 16.23 years; 52 % aged 45 or older) consulting for the first time for GERD symptoms, without previous endoscopy. Symptoms were classified as mild, moderate, or severe in 39.5 %, 48.0 %, and 11.3 % respectively, and as typical, atypical, or "alarm" in 87.5 %, 16.8 %, and 10.5 % respectively. Upper gastrointestinal endoscopy was requested by GPs in 24.7 % of patients (553 of 2234; including 186 cases that were not justified according to the guidelines), while it should have been requested in 56.6 % (1266 of 2234) if the GPs had respected the national guidelines. Only 28.4 % of the 1171 patients aged 45 or older and 52.6 % of the 95 patients under 45 presenting with alarm symptoms had an endoscopy requested at the first visit. A stepwise multiple logistic regression analysis showed that anemia and symptom severity were the two main factors prompting the GPs to request endoscopy for these patients. CONCLUSIONS: There are major discrepancies between GP practice and national or international guidelines for GERD diagnosis. GPs clearly underused endoscopy in patients with alarm symptoms of GERD and in older patients with a new onset of GERD symptoms. GPs are more strongly influenced by the severity of symptoms than by the type of symptoms.Journal ArticleResearch Support, Non-U.S. Gov'tinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishe

Ecomorphology of Crassostrea cucullata (Born, 1778) (Ostreidae) in a mangrove creek (Gazi, Kenya)

Variations of shell form and shell length were studied for oysters growing in the mangroves of Gazi Creek, Kenya, and related to different environmental factors. For the study of the form, Fourier analysis was performed on the circumference of 85 oysters. The resulting coefficients were compared among specimens using cluster analysis. The correspondence between this classification and substrate diameter is virtually perfect (only one misclassification out of 85 oysters). For the clusters based on height above chart datum, 9 specimens, all on intermediate height levels, were misclassified. Orientation with respect to tidal current had 13 misclassifications. Mangrove species seemed to influence form only marginally, if at all. In the study of the size of Crassostrea cucullata, the length of 956 oysters, growing along two transects were measured, and correlated with several environmental factors. Oyster length was not related to substrate diameter or its orientation with respect to the main current. Length was not influenced by density up to a cover of 70%. For densities higher than 70%, there was a fairly strong negative correlation (r2 = 0.634, n = 217). Length was not correlated with height above bottom (base of the tree) for heights lower than 20 cm, while oysters growing closer to the bottom were smaller. The correlation with height above chart datum was negative but very low (r2 = 0.060, n = 957). However, if all measurements of oysters closer than 20 cm to the bottom, and all from a density of more than 70% cover are deleted from the data set, the correlation with height increased dramatically, the slope still being negative (r2 = 0.859, n = 543). © 1992 Kluwer Academic Publishers.SCOPUS: ar.jinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishe

Food preferences in Neosarmatium meinerti de Man (Decapoda :Sesarminae) and its possible effect on the regeneration of mangroves

info:eu-repo/semantics/publishe