Human activities are driving more species toward extinction than at any other time in history. The ongoing decline in biodiversity threatens to erase millions of species forever, leading to a significant deterioration in vital ecosystem services, such as air and water quality, carbon storage, and soil health.
8 months underway, the eNaBlS project is now officially getting in the thick of it!
In response to these challenges, the Horizon Europe eNaBlS project is leading the charge to halt biodiversity loss through education, collaboration, awareness-raising, and social engagement. A key component of the project is the promotion of Nature-Based Solutions (NBS) – cost-effective, nature-inspired approaches that protect, manage, and restore natural or modified ecosystems. These solutions not only safeguard biodiversity but also deliver substantial benefits to society.
eNaBlS aims to mainstream biodiversity and NBS in higher education and Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) curricula. This should be achieved through a transdisciplinary approach that draws on diverse expertise and contributions from across society. Living Labs will be established in Germany, the Netherlands, Finland, Austria, Lithuania, Greece, and the Czech Republic. These inclusive, multi-actor platforms will ‘give a voice to all’, foster ‘nature-inclusive’ attitudes and drive meaningful change.
The eNaBlS partners have successfully completed the first phase of this endeavour, assessing the current integration of NBS and biodiversity loss into higher education & TVET curricula. This phase also explored societal perceptions, international policy trends, and collaboration schemes both among universities and between universities and TVET institutions. These insights will lay the groundwork for upcoming activities focused on raising biodiversity and NBS awareness, building capacity, and driving the shift towards a nature-positive society.
Looking ahead, eNaBlS will engage professionals in constructive dialogue on existing NBS standards and protocols, position universities and vocational schools as societal role models, and develop and pilot-test NBS training modules in collaboration with the Living Labs.
Stay tuned via the website!
Project contact details
Ann-Catrin Fender, Project coordinator, University of Hohenheim, E.: anncatrin.fender@uni-hohenheim.de
Bart Kapteijns, Projectmanager, Avans Hogeschool / MNEXT, E.: afm.kapteijns@avans.nl
Dafni Delioglani, Dissemination & Communication manager, FOCUS Strategic Thinking Consultants, E.: dafni.delioglani@focus-stc.gr
