NRP 82 is supporting 15 projects with 11.2 million francs and a new approach
The National Research Programme “Promoting Biodiversity and Sustainable Ecosystem Services for Switzerland” (NRP 82) is supporting 15 projects with a total of 11.2 million francs. All projects are transdisciplinary in nature.
Biodiversity is essential to human life. Among other benefits, it ensures clean water, fertile soil and climate regulation. In Switzerland, it remains under pressure. Although conservation measures have local impact, species diversity continues to decline. According to the Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN), one third of all species and half of all habitat types in Switzerland are endangered.
The National Research Programme “Promoting Biodiversity and Sustainable Ecosystem Services for Switzerland” (NRP 82) seeks to counter this trend. The aim is to conduct a comprehensive analysis of the conservation, management and use of biodiversity and ecosystem services in Switzerland. The programme also examines Switzerland's footprint on biodiversity and ecosystem services abroad. The research projects supported will develop practical solutions for the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity and ecosystem services.
“Consistently transdisciplinary approach”
With this call, NRP 82 has broken new ground. "We are Switzerland's first National Research Programme to pursue a consistently transdisciplinary approach from the outset," says Markus Fischer, President of the NRP's Steering Committee. "All of the approved projects were developed in close collaboration between academic and societal stakeholders. This ensures that the research is closely linked to practice."
A total of 84 project ideas were submitted in response to the call for proposals. Of these, 33 were shortlisted, and 15 have now been selected to receive a total of 11.2 million Swiss francs in funding over the next few years. The approved projects focus on topics such as lake biodiversity, global value chains and near-natural areas (see the box for more detailed examples).
Solving contemporary problems
National Research Programmes contribute to solving current problems of national importance. The Federal Council selects the research topics and delegates the responsibility of implementing the programmes to the SNSF
From near-natural areas to value chains
- The research team led by Tobias Schulz (Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research, WSL) and Norbert Kräuchi (Department of Construction, Transport and Environment, Canton of Aargau) aims to initiate a dialogue in the Lenzburg-Seetal region (AG) on how more near-natural areas can be created in harmony with agriculture. The participants will focus on common interests and thus exploit synergies for the region’s agricultural and natural development. The project is also investigating how new policy tools (e.g. compensation measures) can support this process, taking the interests of agriculture, forestry and urban development into account. The overarching goal of the project is to develop a method that other regions in Switzerland can use to plan their biodiversity targets.
- Current global value chains are partially responsible for the irreversible loss of biodiversity. The research team led by Matthias Stucki from the Zurich University of Applied Sciences (ZHAW) is developing practical solutions for companies to adapt their value chains to protect biodiversity without significantly impacting value creation. The interdisciplinary project team brings together expertise from a variety of fields. It also includes the Association for Sustainable Business [Verband für nachhaltiges Wirtschaften (öbu)], which has a large network that includes major Swiss companies such as Coop, Implenia and Swiss Post.
- Lakes are important for biodiversity and form the basis of Switzerland's high quality of life. However, there is still no national overview of the state of biodiversity in Swiss lakes and how society benefits from them. The research team led by Anita Narwani from the Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology (Eawag) plans to conduct an assessment in collaboration with the Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN). The researchers will investigate the biodiversity of plankton, macrophytes, macrozoobenthos and fish in at least 240 lakes. They are also probing how important improving the quality of lakes is to the Swiss population.