Periodic Reporting for period 1 - BISON (BIODIVERSITY AND INFRASTRUCTURE SYNERGIES AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR EUROPEAN TRANSPORT NETWORKS)
Reporting period: 2021-01-01 to 2022-06-30
The growing international interest in mainstreaming biodiversity in transport infrastructure (roads, railways, waterways, ports, airports and energy related networks) offers new opportunities to develop innovative solutions. Whether technological, organisational, managerial, or methodological, these solutions can simultaneously benefit mobility, trade, energy, climate change and
biodiversity policies. From an environmental point of view, there is an urgent need to address land use change and ecosystem fragmentation, which are the main drivers of biodiversity loss in the world, caused in particular by transport infrastructure. As a result, new regulations with stricter biodiversity standards can be expected in the wake of the negotiation of a new global framework for biodiversity within the Convention on Biological Diversity.
The main objectives of the BISON project are:
● To identify future research and innovation needs for a better integration of biodiversity with infrastructure planning, construction, operation and decommissioning. The project will develop a Strategic Research and Deployment Agenda (SRDA) which can be deployed at multiple scales, within the EU research framework programme, or by other regional, national or local programmes, in order to improve the knowledge-base on infrastructure and biodiversity.
● To make linear infrastructure more high performing and reliable while taking into account the specific needs of Western and Eastern Europe. In Western Europe, there is an increasing need to adapt existing long-lived infrastructure to new climate conditions, as well as finding innovative and sustainable solutions to reduce the impact of invasive species and support declining native species, while in Eastern Europe, there is significant land-use change and habitat fragmentation due to the surge in infrastructure developments to provide economic opportunities that are threatening the local, and very often endemic biodiversity. The project will identify the construction, maintenance and inspection methods and materials which are long-lasting and resilient and can be used by different transport modes to mitigate pressure on biodiversity.
● Support European Member States to fulfill their international commitments by engaging all stakeholders into biodiversity mainstreaming for infrastructure planning and development. It will do so by providing recommendations to minimise the impacts of infrastructure on biodiversity through supporting existing and developing projects.
biodiversity policies. From an environmental point of view, there is an urgent need to address land use change and ecosystem fragmentation, which are the main drivers of biodiversity loss in the world, caused in particular by transport infrastructure. As a result, new regulations with stricter biodiversity standards can be expected in the wake of the negotiation of a new global framework for biodiversity within the Convention on Biological Diversity.
The main objectives of the BISON project are:
● To identify future research and innovation needs for a better integration of biodiversity with infrastructure planning, construction, operation and decommissioning. The project will develop a Strategic Research and Deployment Agenda (SRDA) which can be deployed at multiple scales, within the EU research framework programme, or by other regional, national or local programmes, in order to improve the knowledge-base on infrastructure and biodiversity.
● To make linear infrastructure more high performing and reliable while taking into account the specific needs of Western and Eastern Europe. In Western Europe, there is an increasing need to adapt existing long-lived infrastructure to new climate conditions, as well as finding innovative and sustainable solutions to reduce the impact of invasive species and support declining native species, while in Eastern Europe, there is significant land-use change and habitat fragmentation due to the surge in infrastructure developments to provide economic opportunities that are threatening the local, and very often endemic biodiversity. The project will identify the construction, maintenance and inspection methods and materials which are long-lasting and resilient and can be used by different transport modes to mitigate pressure on biodiversity.
● Support European Member States to fulfill their international commitments by engaging all stakeholders into biodiversity mainstreaming for infrastructure planning and development. It will do so by providing recommendations to minimise the impacts of infrastructure on biodiversity through supporting existing and developing projects.
The work performed and the results achieved are as follows:
1. To provide an overview about the ‘State of Play’, identifying good practice for mainstreaming biodiversity in transport infrastructure in European countries with potential to be replicated and expanded.
Good practices have been collected though the BISON Questionnaire, desk-based literature research and compiling information provided by BISON partners. Methodology and criteria to evaluate good practices have been developed. MAMCA analyses has started to select best practice.
2. To compile and provide evidence-based guidelines that can be applied in both existing and future transport infrastructure planning, construction, and operation.
Information compilation continues, based on desk-based research developed by the project. Life cycle phases names and description and definition of ‘Best’ and ‘Good’ practice were agreed. The common Glossary based on the IENE Wildlife and Traffic is being produced and European transport infrastructure
statistics overview has been compiled.
3. Provision of a series of research initiatives that should be taken and achieved in the short to long term to support the development and implementation of solutions for more biodiversity-friendly transport infrastructures in Europe
The 718 PIR of milestone MS 4.1 have been processed to deepen their scientific value, remove redundancy, merge similar issues, improve wording, leading to a first list of 146 Research Actions (RA) proposals in view of BISON members consulting (months M18-M19). The main connecting themes (n = 16) of these RAs have emerged from the list. Each RA is bound to 1 to 3 themes.
Infrastructure types and life stages regarded by each RA have been specified. Analysis of the state of development of each RA in view to contribute to the definition of the time horizon for its achievement has started. The process will lead to SRA V1 (M21) with a shorter list of around 120 RA with their concerned Infrastructures, Life stages, Themes and Term, for
external consultation by stakeholders.
4. Assess the maturity level, gaps and needs of the EU Member States in policy, legislative and implementation levels on integrating the provisions of the EU Strategy for Green Infrastructure (EU SGI) into transport infrastructure development for all transport modes.
An alignment assessment of national transport policies with the EU SGI has taken place, identifying gaps for the EU Members States and considering all transport modes, while and it has reviewed how EU SGI & Biodiversity Strategy are integrated into the National Transport Master Plans and how biodiversity and ecological connectivity are addressed in the Strategic
Environmental Assessments (SEAs). The methodology for this action used has been also fed by the Interreg project HARMON. Moreover, the integration level (legal gaps, obstacles & inconsistencies) of the provisions of the EU SGI and the EU Strategy on Biodiversity in EU transport and biodiversity legislation to EU Member States has been also analysed.
5. Prepare for the future by considering emerging trends and uncertainties and developing plausible scenarios and propose research priorities by allocating to these scenarios the most suitable innovative solutions that would address the stakeholders’ needs and requirements, based on WP4 outcomes.
The definition of the methodology has been realised that will be used for the development of the scenarios regarding the future relationship between infrastructure development and biodiversity conservation. Moreover, the definition of 23 variables has taken place acting as the main drivers because of their combined influence on
infrastructure and biodiversity at the European scale. These prospective variables have also been clustered into thematic dimensions and have been analysed by the project partners and experts.
1. To provide an overview about the ‘State of Play’, identifying good practice for mainstreaming biodiversity in transport infrastructure in European countries with potential to be replicated and expanded.
Good practices have been collected though the BISON Questionnaire, desk-based literature research and compiling information provided by BISON partners. Methodology and criteria to evaluate good practices have been developed. MAMCA analyses has started to select best practice.
2. To compile and provide evidence-based guidelines that can be applied in both existing and future transport infrastructure planning, construction, and operation.
Information compilation continues, based on desk-based research developed by the project. Life cycle phases names and description and definition of ‘Best’ and ‘Good’ practice were agreed. The common Glossary based on the IENE Wildlife and Traffic is being produced and European transport infrastructure
statistics overview has been compiled.
3. Provision of a series of research initiatives that should be taken and achieved in the short to long term to support the development and implementation of solutions for more biodiversity-friendly transport infrastructures in Europe
The 718 PIR of milestone MS 4.1 have been processed to deepen their scientific value, remove redundancy, merge similar issues, improve wording, leading to a first list of 146 Research Actions (RA) proposals in view of BISON members consulting (months M18-M19). The main connecting themes (n = 16) of these RAs have emerged from the list. Each RA is bound to 1 to 3 themes.
Infrastructure types and life stages regarded by each RA have been specified. Analysis of the state of development of each RA in view to contribute to the definition of the time horizon for its achievement has started. The process will lead to SRA V1 (M21) with a shorter list of around 120 RA with their concerned Infrastructures, Life stages, Themes and Term, for
external consultation by stakeholders.
4. Assess the maturity level, gaps and needs of the EU Member States in policy, legislative and implementation levels on integrating the provisions of the EU Strategy for Green Infrastructure (EU SGI) into transport infrastructure development for all transport modes.
An alignment assessment of national transport policies with the EU SGI has taken place, identifying gaps for the EU Members States and considering all transport modes, while and it has reviewed how EU SGI & Biodiversity Strategy are integrated into the National Transport Master Plans and how biodiversity and ecological connectivity are addressed in the Strategic
Environmental Assessments (SEAs). The methodology for this action used has been also fed by the Interreg project HARMON. Moreover, the integration level (legal gaps, obstacles & inconsistencies) of the provisions of the EU SGI and the EU Strategy on Biodiversity in EU transport and biodiversity legislation to EU Member States has been also analysed.
5. Prepare for the future by considering emerging trends and uncertainties and developing plausible scenarios and propose research priorities by allocating to these scenarios the most suitable innovative solutions that would address the stakeholders’ needs and requirements, based on WP4 outcomes.
The definition of the methodology has been realised that will be used for the development of the scenarios regarding the future relationship between infrastructure development and biodiversity conservation. Moreover, the definition of 23 variables has taken place acting as the main drivers because of their combined influence on
infrastructure and biodiversity at the European scale. These prospective variables have also been clustered into thematic dimensions and have been analysed by the project partners and experts.
The main outcome of the BISON project in the short term is to mainstream biodiversity with infrastructure research, innovation, development and maintenance/upgrade operations. The project will also facilitate collaboration between researchers and practitioners across all types of infrastructure.
In addition, further outcomes will include:
1. An opportunity to form partnerships of a network of researchers and practitioners from all transport modes that shares knowledge;
2. A cross-modal field of research, as evidenced by research project calls;
3. A framework to support and streamline the implementation of innovative biodiversity-friendly techniques when developing future infrastructure and performing maintenance and adaptation operations on existing and outdated infrastructure.
In addition, further outcomes will include:
1. An opportunity to form partnerships of a network of researchers and practitioners from all transport modes that shares knowledge;
2. A cross-modal field of research, as evidenced by research project calls;
3. A framework to support and streamline the implementation of innovative biodiversity-friendly techniques when developing future infrastructure and performing maintenance and adaptation operations on existing and outdated infrastructure.