Funding theme 9: Nature conservation and water protection

Water and biodiversity are an important basis for life on earth. Through diverse ecosystem services and functioning cycles, they provide clean air and water, fertile soil, crops and wood as well as natural recreation and quality of life.

The intensification and standardization of land and water use have led to an unabated loss of biodiversity. Substance inputs and changes to soil and water structures are worsening the quality of ecosystems and leading to the loss of valuable habitats in inland and coastal areas. Ongoing climatic changes, for example due to droughts and heavy rainfall events, are also having a negative impact.

Food security, energy and raw material supply, recreation, biodiversity and climate protection are often in competition with each other and place different demands on terrestrial habitats and water bodies. In order to overcome these complex conflicts of use and sustainably develop and protect habitats in compliance with planetary guard rails and in line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), multifunctionality and interdependencies between individual sectors (nexus phenomena) must be recognized. These conflicting goals can be addressed in a solution-oriented manner with the help of targeted innovations in agriculture, forestry and water management. The aim here is to involve relevant stakeholders, pursue multi-benefit strategies and at the same time strengthen the resilience of ecosystems.

Projects are characterized by practical relevance and effectiveness after the end of the project. Inter- and transdisciplinary approaches with the participation of committed citizens (e.g. citizen science) and the use of digital tools can make significant contributions to solutions.

Eligible applicants include, but are not limited to:

• Development of multi-benefit strategies at landscape level, including the valorization of ecosystem services;
• Development of innovative methods, forms of use and management approaches to protect biodiversity and ecosystem services from the farm to the landscape level;
• Cross-sectoral regional development concepts, ideally based on functional territorial units such as water catchment areas;
• Development and testing of transformative governance processes for integrative landscape management, taking into account nexus phenomena and promoting community responsibility (stewardship) through “caretakers” and “pioneers of change”;
• Preparation and implementation of real experiments and real laboratories in landscapes and regions;
• Projects with a special focus on digitalization in the form of AI methods, interoperability, simulation and big data (e.g. sustainable design of supply chains in agriculture and forestry, development of satellite and sensor-based technologies or species, population and ecosystem management);
• Approaches to reduce environmentally relevant substance inputs into water bodies, agricultural landscapes and protected areas (e.g. pesticides and fertilizers);
• Increasing the resilience of the water balance, including innovative technologies for efficient water use (e.g. grey water, drip irrigation) and dynamic protection against flooding and extreme weather events;
• Development of measures for education, further education and training as well as sustainability communication with a special focus on children, young people, voluntary work and civil society.

Project examples from this funding topic:

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In addition to project funding, the DBU also awards doctoral scholarships to promote young scientists and fellowships for university graduates from Central and Eastern Europe (CEE).

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