Building Sustainable and Resilient Ecosystems with the Convergence of Nature-Based Solutions and Digital Technologies

Project Information

BUSEECO

Grant agreement ID: 101150457

DOI

10.3030/101150457

Project terminated on 8 June 2026

EC signature date 11 March 2024

Start date 1 September 2025

End date 31 August 2027

Funded under

• Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)

Total cost

No data

EU contribution

€ 181 152,96

Coordinated by

UNIVERSIDAD DE SALAMANCA
Spain

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - BUSEECO (Building Sustainable and Resilient Ecosystems with the Convergence of Nature-Based Solutions and Digital Technologies)

Reporting period: 2025-09-01 to 2027-08-31

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

Cities are facing increasing pressure from climate change, urban growth, and the need to improve environmental quality while maintaining social and economic well-being. Nature-based solutions, such as urban green areas, sustainable water management and other forms of green infrastructure, can help cities respond to these pressures by working with natural systems. At the same time, digital technologies can support urban planning through improved monitoring, data analysis and decision-making. Although both areas have developed considerably, there is still a need to better understand how they can be used together in ways that are effective, socially acceptable and appropriate to local conditions.
BUSEECO was conceived to examine the relationship between nature-based solutions and digital technologies in the context of urban climate adaptation and resilience. Particular attention was given to the way environmental measures and technological tools interact with urban policies, institutions, stakeholders and communities. Rather than considering technological and environmental measures separately, the project proposed to study their combined use and the wider social, ethical and governance questions associated with their application.
The overall objective was to develop a better understanding of how nature-based solutions and digital technologies could be brought together in urban planning and climate adaptation. The project was designed to examine existing approaches, identify the main opportunities and difficulties associated with their integration, and consider how such approaches could support more sustainable and resilient cities. It also intended to assess relevant economic, environmental and social aspects and to examine issues related to governance, data use and responsible implementation.
The proposed research was relevant to wider European priorities concerning climate adaptation, sustainable urban development, environmental protection and the responsible use of digital technologies. It was also connected with broader international objectives related to sustainable cities, climate action and cooperation for sustainable development.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

The project did not proceed to the active research implementation stage and was closed before the planned scientific activities were carried out. Consequently, no empirical data collection, expert consultation, case-study assessment or quantitative analysis was undertaken within the project. The proposed research programme had been structured around a combination of literature-based analysis, expert consultation, multi-criteria assessment and quantitative analysis. These activities were intended to examine existing examples of nature-based solutions and digital technologies, assess the conditions affecting their combined use, and study their possible contribution to urban climate resilience. As implementation did not begin, the planned research activities and associated scientific outputs were not completed. No project-specific datasets, analytical results, publications, practical tools or research-based recommendations were produced.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

As the project was closed before research implementation, no scientific results were generated and therefore no project results beyond the state of the art can be reported.
The proposed research was intended to address a gap in the understanding of how nature-based solutions and digital technologies can be considered together in urban climate adaptation. Existing work often examines environmental interventions and digital tools separately, whereas the project proposed to study their interaction within the wider social, institutional and policy setting.
A planned contribution of the research was the development of an approach that would consider not only environmental and technological performance, but also economic, social, ethical and governance factors. Such an approach could have helped urban planners and policymakers understand the conditions under which the combination of nature-based and digital solutions may support climate resilience, as well as the practical difficulties and possible social concerns associated with their use.
These expected contributions remained at the level of the proposed research design and were not tested or validated because the project did not enter the implementation phase.