Visioconférence - The European Green Deal and Nature-based Solutions, for people, biodiversity and climate
Lundi 14 décembre de 14h à 17h
L'évènement en ligne de la présidence allemande de l’UE pour le Pacte vert européen et les solutions fondées sur la nature, organisé conjointement avec le Programme des Nations Unies pour l’environnement (PNUE) et l’Union internationale pour la conservation de la nature (UICN) avait vocation à présenter les concepts et les enjeux auxquels répondent les solutions fondées sur la nature.
Ont été présenté les effets internes et externes du Pacte vert, avec un tour d'horizon de l'action de l'UE et de ses États membres, et des actions dans le monde.
Cet évènement réunissait des représentants des gouvernements de haut niveau, des organisations, la société civile et le secteur financier.
La deuxième session réunissait des acteurs techniques, qui ont présenté les défis et les opportunités de mise en œuvre que représentent les solutions fondées sur la nature.
Gilles Lecuir, chargé d'études à l'ARB îdF, y a témoigné de l'action des collectivités françaises identifiées grâce au concours Capitale française de la Biodiversité.
Revoir son intervention de vidéo (à 01:48:00)
Evénement en langue anglaise.
Voici le verbatim de l'intervention de Gilles Lecuir, et sa présentation visuelle est disponible en téléchargement en bas de page.
Mr Gilles LECUIR’s speech :
I am not an expert on European policies but rather a specialist in French local authorities, through the French Capital of Biodiversity Award, which I have been running for 10 years.
It was launched as a LIFE program, and has continued since, so thx again to EU fundings.
Since 2010, this competition has enabled us to identify, promote and disseminate good practices in metropolitan areas, towns or villages.
Among them, I have selected 5 examples of nature-based solutions for adaptation to climate change, especially risk reduction.
To deal with the increasingly frequent and intense heatwaves, Greater Lyon is implementing a canopy plan coupled with a sponge city plan. The objective is to increase the surface area covered by the shade of the trees from 27% today to 30% in 2030, and to provide water to these trees during a heat wave, in order to benefit from the additional cooling effect provided by evapotranspiration. 70% of the planting effort has to be supported by private owners, this therefore requires a general mobilization.
In Rennes, a new urban park has been created in the heart of the city, intended as a flood expansion area for the river, a nature reserve and leisure activities. A very good example of multifunctionality of urban green infrastructure.
For more than ten years, the city of Paris has greatly developed the protection of its drinking water resources, which it will seek up to 140 km away...
With farmers in catchment areas, but also by managing the rights-of-way of its aqueducts which form important ecological continuities from rural to urban habitats.
In the North of France, the erosion of agricultural soils during thunderstorms is already causing mudslides, dangerous for people and with costly consequences. And we know these thunderstorms will increase in the future.
This is why Maubeuge recreates hedges and grassy strips with volunteer farmers to protect local residents, and obviously restore agro-ecological infrastructure welcoming to crop auxiliaries.
Last but not least, coastal erosion is a huge problem, especially for the French overseas tropical islands. On Reunion Island, the city of Saint-Paul transforms the beach along its lagoon, by moving back human activities and by planting local plant species to retain sand in place of exotic trees planted years ago which aggravate the phenomenon of erosion. A work that requires a significant participation of the local stakeholders, of course.
As you can see, French local authorities are already involved in the deployment of nature-based solutions, and our 2021 theme, Water & Biodiversity, will bring out new exemplary actions.
The challenge is to massify, to develop a culture of systematic choice for green infrastructure wherever it is less expensive and more efficient than grey infrastructure.
And this is very often the case, whether in terms of investment or maintenance.
The European Union can play its role of accelerator alongside the Regions and the State. Our local champions will be glad to share their achievements with their French, Europeans and even International neighbours.
