Cityscape of Dresden and the river Elbe.
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ReBioClim

Project overview

Restoring urban streams to promote Biodiversity, Climate adaptation and to improve quality of life in cities

Ecological restoration could help overheated cities with improving micro-climatic conditions and halting the decline of biodiversity. However, restoring green and blue nature corridors still lacks widespread acceptance among urban planners. The ReBioClim project addresses the many barriers and challenges for their nature-based solutions and strengthen the provision of sustainable biodiversity and ecosystem services. The partners focus on the re-establishment of urban streams. They analyse concrete challenges in four central European pilot areas, create and implement restoration plans, and produce a good-practice guide.

2,51m €

Project Budget

80%

of the Budget is funded by ERDF

Layer 1

5

Countries

7

Regions

12

Partners

2

Pilots

Duration

Start date

End date

Project progress

14%

About the project

ReBioClim will develop nature-based approaches for the restoration of urban streams in densely settled areas. In other words, this means giving small streams in cities more space and a more natural appearance. The primary aim is to improve the quality of life in cities and at the same time to promote biodiversity and climate adaptation. Together with many different stakeholders strategies and action plans will be developed to foster successful implementations in the four project areas of ReBioClim along streams in Dresden (DE), Jablonec nad Nisou (CZ), Poznań (PL), and Senica (SK). In Dresden and Senica, implementation is scheduled to start even during the project period. Furthermore, a best practice guide on preferable implementations as well as a handbook giving practical guidance to urban stream restoration will be developed. These outputs shall enable urban planners and decision-makers in several central European cities to utilize similar approaches for multifunctional urban areas strengthening biodiversity and ecosystem services.

Project partnership

Project partners

Deutschland (DE)

Lead partner

Technische Universität Dresden

Department of hydro sciences / Institute of hydrobiology (IHB)
Address
Zellescher Weg 40
01217 Dresden
Country
Germany (DE)
Web
https://tu-dresden.de/

Project partner

Research Area Landscape, Ecosystems and Biodiversity
Address
Weberplatz 1
01217 Dresden
Country
Germany (DE)
Web
https://www.ioer.de
Total partner budget
340,458 €
Department of Environment and Municipal Utilities
Address
Grunaer Straße 2
01069 Dresden
Country
Germany (DE)
Web
https://www.dresden.de
Total partner budget
324,156 €
Institute for Economic and Environmental Policy
Address
Moskevská 54
40096 Ústí nad Labem
Country
Czechia (CZ)
Web
www.ujep.cz
Total partner budget
218,592 €
Department of Land and Water Resources Management / Faculty of Civil Engineering
Address
Radlinského 11
81005 Bratislava
Country
Slovakia (SK)
Web
https://www.stuba.sk/english
Total partner budget
151,315 €
Department Envionment and Greenery
Address
Štefánikova 1408/56
90525 Senica
Country
Slovakia (SK)
Web
http://senica.sk/
Total partner budget
213,624 €
Address
Pribišova 7
841 05 Bratislava
Country
Slovakia (SK)
Web
www.alcedorc.eu
Total partner budget
57,120 €
Faculty of Environmental Engineering and Mechanical Engineering/Department of Land Improvement, Environmental Development and Spatial Management
Address
Wojska Polskiego 28
60-637 Poznań
Country
Poland (PL)
Web
https://puls.edu.pl/
Total partner budget
179,544 €
Department of Urbanism / Section of Urban Design
Address
Stevinweg 1
2628 CN Delft
Country
Nederland (NL) (NL)
Web
https://www.tudelft.nl/
Total partner budget
226,993 €
Climate and Environment Department
Address
Gronowa 22a
61-655 Poznań
Country
Poland (PL)
Web
wos@um.poznan.pl
Total partner budget
26,612 €
Address
Serbska 3
61-696 Poznań
Country
Poland (PL)
Web
https://www.aquanet-retencja.pl/
Total partner budget
26,612 €
Stategy planning department
Address
Mírové náměstí 3100/19
46601 Jablonec nad Nisou
Country
Czechia (CZ)
Web
www.mestojablonec.cz
Total partner budget
112,166 €

Roadmap

1

Challenges

View of an urban stream flowing in an artificial bed.
H. Hensel/IOER Media

Urban streams have become increasingly invisible: overbuilt, channelized, or degraded. But in times of global warming, declining biodiversity, and continued pressures of urbanization, revitalized urban streams become highly valuable to form green and blue corridors contributing to climate adaptation in overheated cities or providing fresh air corridors. Restored streams can also be or connect floral and faunal habitats. Mainly, they are important recreational areas for human wellbeing. However, the restoration of streams in urban areas may face a lot of barriers and challenges: amongst others the lack of space, property rights of surrounding land, different stakeholder interests, few acceptances, and issues of flood protection.

2

Empowering cities for stream restoration

R.-U. Syrbe

ReBioClim will perform an integrated analysis of the institutional, ecological, socio-economical, and spatial perspectives on urban stream restoration to face the challenges. For this purpose, the project team representing researchers, local public authorities, and practitioners will work together with many different stakeholders to identify the current opportunities. The focus in ReBioClim is on four project areas located in Dresden (DE), Jablonec nad Nisou (CZ), Poznan (PL), and Senica (SK). We address the following questions: How is the restoration of urban streams affected by institutional settings? Is it possible to alter the settings in order to enable the stream restoration in a more efficient and ecologically effective way? The project team is prepared to develop policy letters addressing policy makers and administrations with hints and guidelines for the selection of nature-based approaches in urban streams. Therefore, we arrange strategies and action plans for the stream study areas to foster successful implementation of the chosen approaches.

3

Identifying and implementing nature-based approaches

The Geberbach in Dresden-Prohlis, enriched with several natural materials and structures to make the stream bed and flow speed more variable and give more space for biodiversity
R.-U. Syrbe

A catalog will compile possible nature-based approaches, their assessment and ranking regarding ecosystem services and biodiversity as well as their suitability for several urban contexts. Using the study areas as examples, we develop and demonstrate social-ecologically integrated solutions for urban stream restoration considering spatial conditions, stream morphology and the ecosystem services provided in response to the identified trade-offs. The decision and planning shall happen as co-creation of social-ecologically preferred measures with all relevant stakeholder groups. The project includes initial restoration activities as pilot actions at the core of our project in the case study areas Dresden and Senica and the monitoring of biodiversity effects and residents' appreciation.

4

Mainstreaming urban stream restoration in densely developed areas

View at the Bela Nisa, an urban stream in the densely populated area of Jablonec nad Nisou
R.-U. Syrbe

With a scalar framework, the project will enable the transfer of restoration measures to other locations or cities of comparable urban and climatic settings. ReBioClim will provide sound information needed and translate the science to public and policy. It will bring together different groups of stakeholders involved and affected by urban stream restoration to accompany the planning, co-designing the measures, attending the implementation process and experiencing the benefits. This should raise awareness for biodiversity and ecosystem services and increase the acceptance of nature-based approaches. A best-practice guidance should help for a widespread of applications in urban areas. It will contain a selection of possible measures, assessment criteria, and characteristics important for practitioners or public authorities in stream restoration or urban spatial planning. It will provide information on the ecological impact regarding biodiversity and the benefits for urban life as well as evidence-based knowledge for practical implementation and ecologically oriented political decisions The finally planned Handbook on urban stream restoration will provide practical guidance to apply a multiperspective, multidisciplinary and integrated approach to urban stream restoration.

Events

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ReBioClim

The project lead partner is responsible for the content of this project website.

Project Contacts

Project Manager

Ulrike Haase
Phone: +49 351 463 32329

Finance Manager

Natalia Anekina
Phone: +49 351 463 42427

Communication Manager

Ralf-Uwe Syrbe
Phone: +49 351 4679219