Periodic Reporting for period 2 - NBSoil (Nature Based Solutions for Soil Management)
Reporting period: 2024-06-01 to 2025-11-30
NBSOIL (Nature Based Solutions for Soil Management) is a four-year project coordinated by the Institute of Soil Science and Plant Cultivation (PL). Its overall objective is to design an attractive blended learning programme to enable soil advisors to implement a holistic vision of soil health through Nature Based Solutions (NBS) and collaborate effectively across different temporal and spatial scales.
NBSOIL focuses on 6 multifunctional NBS categories to develop a holistic approach to land management and soil health fully in line with the IUCN Global Standard for NBS (IUCN, 2020): organic fertilisers from locally available biowastes, cover crops, paludiculture, forest diversification, bioremediation, and blue - green infrastructure in urban and periurban areas. NBSOIL builds on previous research results and available Open Source technology to deliver the following NBSOIL thematic packs: Knowledge base, Academy, Soil Health assessment, monitoring and mapping resources, Policy Navigator, and Marketplace.
Approximately 300 participants from 8 countries (PL, AT, CH, UK, FR, NL, IT, ES) are expected to complete the full 2 years training offered in 6 languages (English, Polish, German, Dutch, French, Italian, Spanish). The 2 years training programme will provide an immersive, interactive, flexible learning experience, through an introductory Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) followed by four advanced modules on 1. Soil and NBS, 2. Living Labs facilitation, 3. Digital tools for Soil Health monitoring and 4.Improving soil related decision making in business and policy, and a Final Project.
The NBSOIL consortium will contribute decisively to achieve the Soil Health Mission by mainstreaming NBS knowledge and advice for soil management, providing Soil Health Living Labs facilitators, making soil monitoring and mapping tech user friendly and inclusive and embedding soil care across all land management and land related decision making processes.
NBSOIL focuses on 6 multifunctional NBS categories to develop a holistic approach to land management and soil health fully in line with the IUCN Global Standard for NBS (IUCN, 2020): organic fertilisers from locally available biowastes, cover crops, paludiculture, forest diversification, bioremediation, and blue - green infrastructure in urban and periurban areas. NBSOIL builds on previous research results and available Open Source technology to deliver the following NBSOIL thematic packs: Knowledge base, Academy, Soil Health assessment, monitoring and mapping resources, Policy Navigator, and Marketplace.
Approximately 300 participants from 8 countries (PL, AT, CH, UK, FR, NL, IT, ES) are expected to complete the full 2 years training offered in 6 languages (English, Polish, German, Dutch, French, Italian, Spanish). The 2 years training programme will provide an immersive, interactive, flexible learning experience, through an introductory Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) followed by four advanced modules on 1. Soil and NBS, 2. Living Labs facilitation, 3. Digital tools for Soil Health monitoring and 4.Improving soil related decision making in business and policy, and a Final Project.
The NBSOIL consortium will contribute decisively to achieve the Soil Health Mission by mainstreaming NBS knowledge and advice for soil management, providing Soil Health Living Labs facilitators, making soil monitoring and mapping tech user friendly and inclusive and embedding soil care across all land management and land related decision making processes.
NBSOIL project ambition is to develop training program for soil advisors who would facilitate improved soil management across land use types and sectors. Within first 36 months of the project, substantial effort was dedicted to prototyping the Soil Academy. The activities were started with exploration of existing knowledge resources to develop a 6-hour MOOC (Massive Open Online Course) to raise soil literacy and engage new and existing soil advisers. The Academy concept and content was developed through the co-creation process. The overall Academy structure have been developed to consist with 4 modules (Module 1 – Soil and nature based solutions, Module 2 – Facilitating soil health Living Labs, Module 3 – Digital tools for soil health monitoring and mapping, Module 4 - Improving soil-related decision making in business and policy). The Academy launch webinar was organized on June 6, 2024 as one of the project milestones. All Academy modules, as well as the MOOC, were developed and uploaded to the Moodle platform. All 4 advanced modules are developed in 3 levels that are written in English. Furthermore, all modules have a first level available in 7 languages (project languages: English, Polish, German, Dutch, French, Italian, Spanish) that sets the scene, and is followed by 2 upgraded levels. All other WPs supported the Soil Academy providing knowledge basis for the content of modules and opportunities for demonstration of soil regeneration, NBS and various tools.
The important steps were integration and provision of advanced versions of knowledge base on NBS. The NBSOIL Marketplace has already covered hundreds of entries in various languages. The middle versin of Handbook on Soil Nature Based Solutions has been released. Th efonal version of ARIES NBSOIL modelling package has been delivered and incorporated to the NBSOIL GIS tool. Medium version of the Remote Sensing Handbook has been delivered as a product providing extended knowledge to soil advisors on a use of remote soil monitoring technologies. Final version of NBSOIL cards has been delivered. The key achievement was the Policy Navigator and Briefs, providing a comprehensive overview of policy instruments that influence soil health at the European level.
The important steps were integration and provision of advanced versions of knowledge base on NBS. The NBSOIL Marketplace has already covered hundreds of entries in various languages. The middle versin of Handbook on Soil Nature Based Solutions has been released. Th efonal version of ARIES NBSOIL modelling package has been delivered and incorporated to the NBSOIL GIS tool. Medium version of the Remote Sensing Handbook has been delivered as a product providing extended knowledge to soil advisors on a use of remote soil monitoring technologies. Final version of NBSOIL cards has been delivered. The key achievement was the Policy Navigator and Briefs, providing a comprehensive overview of policy instruments that influence soil health at the European level.
NBSOIL has the ambition to contribute to achieving Soil Mission objectives through scientific developments and its impacts in societal and economic fields. The results that go beyond the state of the art are also decisive for the project impact. NBSOIL relies on producing new and integrating existing knowledge on NBS effects for soil health, innovative soil health monitoring, using digotal tools in soil and NBS testing, developing soil advice business cases, facilitating improved soil management across land use types.
Regarding mainstreaming NBS advice in soil management NBSOIL scientific results are included in the project’s Knowledge base and the Soil and NBS handbook. The Knowledge base initial version, is a portfolio of NBS effects for soil health. Soil and NBS handbook is a first set of 19 nature-based practices for different ecosystems. For each practice contribution to IUCN NBS criteria is evaluated to enable better understanding of benefits from their application. Soil Sensing handbook (initial version delivered in M18) is a compilation of scientific and practical knowledge on the use of sensing in monitoring of soil health and effects of NBS implementation.
The learning module 2 of the Soil Academy is designed in a way to provide the participants the knowledge and tools needed to facilitate implementation of Living Labs and Lighthouses in their work; for example understanding what they are, how to implement them, or how to assess and share results collected within a lighthouse. Provision of soil monitoring knowledge using digital and user frendly techniques is a key element of assumed project impact. Capacity building and upskilling of soil advisors with appropriate tools will support wider adoption of NBS and soil regeneration by all users across all land use types. NBSOIL follows Soil Mission ambition to address soil health in all types of land management. Therefore NBSOIL focuses on NBS categories beneficial for agricultural, forest, industrial and urban lands which aligns with the Soil Mission objectives and goes beyond todays practice. Since any land related decision making must obey the existing regulations, the key tool for this strategy is the Policy Navigator and Briefs.
Regarding mainstreaming NBS advice in soil management NBSOIL scientific results are included in the project’s Knowledge base and the Soil and NBS handbook. The Knowledge base initial version, is a portfolio of NBS effects for soil health. Soil and NBS handbook is a first set of 19 nature-based practices for different ecosystems. For each practice contribution to IUCN NBS criteria is evaluated to enable better understanding of benefits from their application. Soil Sensing handbook (initial version delivered in M18) is a compilation of scientific and practical knowledge on the use of sensing in monitoring of soil health and effects of NBS implementation.
The learning module 2 of the Soil Academy is designed in a way to provide the participants the knowledge and tools needed to facilitate implementation of Living Labs and Lighthouses in their work; for example understanding what they are, how to implement them, or how to assess and share results collected within a lighthouse. Provision of soil monitoring knowledge using digital and user frendly techniques is a key element of assumed project impact. Capacity building and upskilling of soil advisors with appropriate tools will support wider adoption of NBS and soil regeneration by all users across all land use types. NBSOIL follows Soil Mission ambition to address soil health in all types of land management. Therefore NBSOIL focuses on NBS categories beneficial for agricultural, forest, industrial and urban lands which aligns with the Soil Mission objectives and goes beyond todays practice. Since any land related decision making must obey the existing regulations, the key tool for this strategy is the Policy Navigator and Briefs.