The objective of Working Group (WG) 4 of the COST Action NET4Age-Friendly is to examine existing policies, advocacy, and funding opportunities and to build up relations with policy makers and funding organisations. Also, to synthesize and improve existing knowledge and models to develop from effective business and evaluation models, as well as to guarantee quality and education, proper dissemination and ensure the future of the Action. The Working Group further aims to enable capacity building to improve interdisciplinary participation, to promote knowledge exchange and to foster a cross-European interdisciplinary research capacity, to improve cooperation and co-creation with cross-sectors stakeholders and to introduce and educate students SHAFE implementation and sustainability (CB01, CB03, CB04, CB05). To enable the achievement of the objectives of Working Group 4, the Leader of the Working Group, the Chair and Vice-Chair, in close cooperation with the Science Communication Coordinator, developed a template (see annex 1) to map the current state of SHAFE policies, funding opportunities and networking in the COST member countries of the Action. On invitation, the Working Group lead received contributions from 37 countries, in a total of 85 Action members. The contributions provide an overview of the diversity of SHAFE policies and opportunities in Europe and beyond. These were not edited or revised and are a result of the main areas of expertise and knowledge of the contributors; thus, gaps in areas or content are possible and these shall be further explored in the following works and reports of this WG. But this preliminary mapping is of huge importance to proceed with the WG activities. In the following chapters, an introduction on the need of SHAFE policies is presented, followed by a summary of the main approaches to be pursued for the next period of work. The deliverable finishes with the opportunities of capacity building, networking and funding that will be relevant to undertake within the frame of Working Group 4 and the total COST Action. The total of country contributions is presented in the annex of this deliverable.
The EU Water Framework Directive aims to ensure restoration of Europe's water bodies to "good ecological status" by 2027. Many Member States will struggle to meet this target, with around half of EU river catchments currently reporting below standard water quality. Diffuse pollution from agriculture represents a major pressure, affecting over 90% of river basins. Accumulating evidence shows that recent improvements to agricultural practices are benefiting water quality but in many cases will be insufficient to achieve WFD objectives. There is growing support for land use change to help bridge the gap, with a particular focus on targeted tree planting to intercept and reduce the delivery of diffuse pollutants to water. This form of integrated catchment management offers multiple benefits to society but a significant cost to landowners and managers. New economic instruments, in combination with spatial targeting, need to be developed to ensure cost effective solutions – including tree planting for water benefits - are realised. Payments for Ecosystem Services (PES) are flexible, incentive-based mechanisms that could play an important role in promoting land use change to deliver water quality targets. The PESFOR-W COST Action will consolidate learning from existing woodlands for water PES schemes in Europe and help standardize approaches to evaluating the environmental effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of woodland measures. It will also create a European network through which PES schemes can be facilitated, extended and improved, for example by incorporating other ecosystem services linking with aims of the wider forests-carbon policy nexus.
In: Valatin , G , Abildtrup , J , Accastello , C , Said Al-Tawaha , A R M , Andreucci , M-B , Atanasova , S , Avdibegović , M , Baksic , N , Banasik , K , Barquin , J , Barstad , J , Bastakova , V , Becirovic , D , Begueria , S , Bethers , U , Bihunova , M , Blagojevic , B , Bösch , M , Bournaris , T , Cao , Y , Carvalho-Santos , C , Chikalanov , A , A. Cunha e Sá , M , Czyżyk , K , Daly , H , Davies , H , Del Campo , A , de Groot , R , De Vreese , R , Dostál , T , El Mokaddem , A , Finér , L , Evans , R , Fiquepron , J , Frac , M , Futter , M , Garcia , S , Gatto , P , Geneletti , D , Gezik , V , Giupponi , C , González-Sanchís , M , Gordillo , F , Gorriz , E , Grigorova , Y , Heinsoo , K , Hochbichler , E , Högbom , L , Image , M , Jacobsen , J B , Japelj , A , Jelic , S , Junk , J , Juhasz , C , Kagalou , I , Kelly-Quinn , M , Klamerus-Iwan , A , Kluvankova , T , Koeck , R , Konovska , I , Krajter Ostoic , S , Krc , J , Lavnyy , V , Leonardi , A , Libiete , Z , Little , D , Lo Porto , A , Loukas , A , Lyubenova , M I , Maric , B , Martínez-López , J , Martinez , I , Maxim , A , Metslaid , M , Melvin , A , Costică , M , Mincev , I , Morkvenas , Z , Nevenic , R , Nisbet , T , O'hUallachain , D , Olschewski , R , Östberg , J , Oszust , K , Ovando , P , Paletto , A , Parpan , T , Pettenella , D , Pezdevšek Malovrh , Š , Planinšek , Š , Podlipná , R , Posavec , S , Potočki , K , Prokofieva , I , Quinteiro , P , Radocz , L , Ristic , R , Robert , N , Rugani , B , Sabanovic , J , Sarvasova , Z , Savoska , S , Schleppi , P , Schueler , G , Shannon , M , Silgram , M , Srdjevic , B , Stefan , G , Stijovic , A , Strange , N , Tattari , S , Teofilovski , A , Termansen , M , Thorsen , B J , Toth , A , Trebs , I , Tmušić , N , Vasiliades , L , Vedel , S E , Ventrubová , K , Vuletic , D , Winkel , G , Yao , R , Young , S , Yousefpour , R , Zahvoyska , L , Zhang , D , Zhou , J & Žižková , E 2017 , ' PESFOR-W : improving the design and environmental effectiveness of woodlands for water payments for ecosystem services ' , Research Ideas and Outcomes , vol. 3 , e13828 . https://doi.org/10.3897/rio.3.e13828
The EU Water Framework Directive aims to ensure restoration of Europe's water bodies to "good ecological status" by 2027. Many Member States will struggle to meet this target, with around half of EU river catchments currently reporting below standard water quality. Diffuse pollution from agriculture represents a major pressure, affecting over 90% of river basins. Accumulating evidence shows that recent improvements to agricultural practices are benefiting water quality but in many cases will be insufficient to achieve WFD objectives. There is growing support for land use change to help bridge the gap, with a particular focus on targeted tree planting to intercept and reduce the delivery of diffuse pollutants to water. This form of integrated catchment management offers multiple benefits to society but a significant cost to landowners and managers. New economic instruments, in combination with spatial targeting, need to be developed to ensure cost effective solutions – including tree planting for water benefits - are realised. Payments for Ecosystem Services (PES) are flexible, incentive-based mechanisms that could play an important role in promoting land use change to deliver water quality targets. The PESFOR-W COST Action will consolidate learning from existing woodlands for water PES schemes in Europe and help standardize approaches to evaluating the environmental effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of woodland measures. It will also create a European network through which PES schemes can be facilitated, extended and improved, for example by incorporating other ecosystem services linking with aims of the wider forests-carbon policy nexus. ; The EU Water Framework Directive aims to ensure restoration of Europe's water bodies to "good ecological status" by 2027. Many Member States will struggle to meet this target, with around half of EU river catchments currently reporting below standard water quality. Diffuse pollution from agriculture represents a major pressure, affecting over 90% of river basins. Accumulating evidence shows that recent improvements to agricultural practices are benefiting water quality but in many cases will be insufficient to achieve WFD objectives. There is growing support for land use change to help bridge the gap, with a particular focus on targeted tree planting to intercept and reduce the delivery of diffuse pollutants to water. This form of integrated catchment management offers multiple benefits to society but a significant cost to landowners and managers. New economic instruments, in combination with spatial targeting, need to be developed to ensure cost effective solutions – including tree planting for water benefits - are realised. Payments for Ecosystem Services (PES) are flexible, incentive-based mechanisms that could play an important role in promoting land use change to deliver water quality targets. The PESFOR-W COST Action will consolidate learning from existing woodlands for water PES schemes in Europe and help standardize approaches to evaluating the environmental effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of woodland measures. It will also create a European network through which PES schemes can be facilitated, extended and improved, for example by incorporating other ecosystem services linking with aims of the wider forests-carbon policy nexus.