Coastal resilience and marine protection (SDG 14)

Neptune Grass or Mediterranean tapeweed (Posidonia oceanica) is endemic to the Mediterranean Sea. This priority seagrass species forms large underwater meadows that are an important part of the marine ecosystem. However, there have been declines in its population due to mechanical damage, coastal development and eutrophication.
The main objective of the intervention was to safeguard and to restore 2 Natura 2000 network sites for the conservation of P.oceanica habitat in the Lazio region(1), being the NBS intervention the restoration/protection of the underwater meadows and the improvement of the awareness/importance of this marine habitat type, a priority for conservation(EU Habitats Directive).

The Fechenheimer Mainbogen is the largest undeveloped floodplain area in Frankfurt am Main and a special recreational area in the Frankfurt Green Belt Internal link. Today, the Main Arch is mainly used for agriculture, but still contains numerous relics of a typical floodplain landscape, such as smaller floodplain trees, meadows and wet bank areas. Since 2015, the curve of the Main has been transformed back into a near-natural meadow landscape with water, alluvial forests and meadows in several steps. Animals and plants are given new valuable habitats and places of retreat, and people are given attractive recreational spaces in nature (10).

The city of Napoli has implemented a comprehensive plan of urban regeneration of the Bagnoli coastal area. The national agency Invitalia has been in charge by the government to develop a plan of regeneration. In particular, the main points of the project related to NBS concern the development of a waterfront, namely the regeneration of the coast including the main park, the beach, and the experimentation of botanical species to reduce the environmental impact of the area. This plan is finalized for the requalification and restoration of the green area, as well as to help with the mitigation of urban pollution (Ref.1).
The project is in its planning stage (2020), according to the national agency that coordinates the project. On the official website of the project it is mentioned that in January 2020, 20 candidates have been selected in order to present their ideas. In July 2020 the agency met with the local community for discussions. At the moment the state agency initiated a PRELIMINARY MARKET CONSULTATION (Ref.1).

The center of the project is the lake Patria, which is the subject of a regeneration process with the creation of an archaeological and environmental park, providing several ecosystem services with the creation of green and blue corridors. There are a few challenges to this project, such as lack of financial support, urban and social fragmentation, and possible privatization of public spaces (Ref.3).
The project is still in its planning phase, 11 years after the feasibility study was published. In the local media, it is mentioned that in 2019 the authorities awaited the green light by the Region which will have to issue the impact assessment certificate. Once the certificate has been obtained, they will proceed with the approval of the executive project in order to then be able to call the tender (Ref. 4).

The once rich in fish Nidda river in the north of Frankfurt was canalized and dammed in the 20th century. River loops were pierced, filled in or made into oxbow lakes. Newly built weirs stopped the fish migration. The expansion provided good protection against flooding, but the river became a canal (2).
In the 1990s, the Nidda neighbours developed a program for the renaturation of the river, the concept "Natural Nidda". It was decided by the city council of Frankfurt am Main in 1998 (2). The project consisted of many measures aiming at the restoration of the natural course and ecosystem of the Nidda river, the creation new habitats for flora and fauna, the expansion of the floodplain area and thus the river's retention capacity, the deconstruction of weirs, the renovation and building of bridges and the reconnection of disconnected branches of Nidda. Besides the environmental aspects, another project goal was to make the riverside more accessible for local offering various ways for relaxation and recreation. (2,7)

The major objective of the project is the ecological recovery of five of the most important lakes of Bucharest in order to strengthen its tourist potential and attract new investments and tourists. The following lakes went under construction: Băneasa, Herăstrău, Floreasca, Tei, Pantelimon II. (1)

Bryggen, the old wharf of Bergen, is a reminder of the town’s importance as part of the Hanseatic League’s trading empire from the 14th to the mid-16th century and is on UNESCO's list of the world's cultural heritage. For about 30 years, large amounts of groundwater leaked, threatening the survival of the ancient site. In order to address this, sustainable water treatment and climate adaptation measures (involving the largest rain garden of Norway, swales etc.) at Bryggen were used to restore the water balance at Bryggen. (Ref. 1)

The project revitalized beaches around three lakes near Poznan: Kierskie, Strzeszynskie, and Rusalka. Over 1000-ha of forest and three lakes located within the city borders make this a unique recreational area for the inhabitants of Poznan and its surroundings. The project aims to modernize the neglected beaches and build basic infrastructure and communication paths. The plans involved cleaning of the area, planting greenery, regulation of the lake beachline, introducing environmentally friendly solutions (e.g. solar lamps), open-air playgrounds and gyms, and renovation/installation of the new bridges over the lakes [1].

The "PROSIT" project aimed at undertaking a series of actions based on environmentally compatible mechanisms to protect and recover the coastal rural territory of Cinque Terre. Today, the terraced landscape is characterised by intense processes of land abandonment and disuse, caused both by practical and economic difficulties of maintenance and by social changes. There is a risk that the damage caused by land abandonment can compromise the area's delicate hydrogeological balance, especially in an area where landslides and floods are highly common (1). A demonstration project to recover abandoned terraces was carried out in five areas of the park (1).

"The National Park of Circeo, established in 1934, on the Tyrrhenian coast south of Rome, contains ecosystems of invaluable scientific interest. The site is, however, regularly invaded, during the summer season, by thousands of holidaymakers who tend to
park their cars on the sand dunes near the beach with a consequent heavy impact on the whole dune system. The LIFE project aimed to complete the preventative and natural restoration measures started under two earlier projects financed by the EU" (1).