BIOMIMICRY – Promoting biomimicry-inspired habitat design solutions for biodiversity protection and restoration

Programme:
Interreg VI-B IPA ADRION (Adriatic-Ionian) 2021–2027, Priority 2 “Supporting a
greener and climate resilient Adriatic-Ionian region”, Specific Objective 2.3
“Supporting environment preservation and protection”

Opis projekta:

Decades of intensive construction have sealed large areas of soil with impervious materials. The result is uncontrolled flooding and fragmented habitats that have lost their connections, while climate change speeds up biodiversity loss.

Biomimicry learns from nature: it emulates the models, systems and processes of living organisms to solve design challenges. BIOMIMICRY connects the countries of the Adriatic-Ionian region in researching habitats and finding effective, innovative solutions that help protect and restore biodiversity.

Objectives

The solutions and policy instruments developed in the project will help local, regional and national public authorities bring biomimicry-inspired principles into spatial and urban planning. The project works in three steps:

1. Habitat assessment and mapping, and an overview of existing biomimicry practices, as the basis for a joint strategy.
2. Pilot actions at five sites: Macerata (Italy), Čakovec (Croatia), Rakičan (Slovenia), Žabljak (Montenegro) and Campitelli (Italy).
3. Knowledge transfer through training modules and workshops, and the foundations of a ‘biomimicry-inspired’ mark of excellence.

Expected results

• A joint strategy for bringing biomimicry-inspired design into planning and landscaping practice
• Five action plans for realising the concept designs at the pilot sites
• Pilot actions testing biomimicry-inspired methods for biodiversity protection and restoration at five sites
• A joint solution and guidelines on developing and implementing biomimicry-inspired habitat design in the Adriatic-Ionian region
• An action plan for integrating the ‘biomimicry-inspired’ mark of excellence into the DGNB certification system
• An online biomimicry tool
• An agreement among 11 organisations to continue cooperating after the project ends