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MERLIN Newsletter November 2024

MERLIN Academy: a gateway to freshwater restoration knowledge

The MERLIN Academy is an online platform offering free resources, courses, and webinars on freshwater restoration. It aims to support practitioners, students, and policymakers in implementing effective restoration projects. The Academy's content will cover topics such as the economics of restoration, nature-based solutions, and stakeholder engagement. For now the first Module about economics and financing of freshwater and wetland restoration is online. You can register here for free to see the videos and accompanying documents regarding this topic. Little quizzes between the lectures will help you to consolidate your knowledge.

Read our Blogpost Visit the MERLIN Academy

MERLIN Marketplace: a hub for nature restoration innovation

The new MERLIN Marketplace is a digital platform connecting suppliers of innovative nature restoration tools with those seeking such solutions. It offers a wide range of products and services, from river barriers to manage plastic pollution and AI-powered forest conservation systems to drone-based monitoring tools for wetland restoration and biochar solutions for soil health. By fostering collaboration between suppliers and users, the Marketplace aims to accelerate the adoption of sustainable restoration practices across Europe.

If you want to feature your products or services on the MERLIN Marketplace, please sign up here.

Calling all Freshwater Innovators

The MERLIN Innovation Award 2025 is now open for submissions! Do you have a groundbreaking solution for restoring freshwater ecosystems? We want to hear from you if your product or service is market-ready and can restore or enable financial benefits for freshwater ecosystems. Submit your innovative ideas by 13 December 2024 to showcase your innovation to a global audience and contribute to a sustainable future for our freshwater environments!

MERLIN Innovation Award 2025

Updated MERLIN Case Study portal

Dive deeper into inspiring examples of freshwater restoration in action!

We are thrilled to announce the update of our Case Study portal, a treasure trove of knowledge on innovative approaches to freshwater restoration. Explore the 18 real-world examples spearheaded by MERLIN's dedicated demonstrators, and gain valuable insights into the challenges and rewards of restoring our vital freshwater ecosystems. Features include videos, interviews with Case Study convenors and Regional Scalability Plans.

Visit the MERLIN Case Study Portal

Four new deliverables on our website

We are excited to announce four new deliverables on our website, including “Just Transformations: Sectoral Stakeholder Engagement, Processes and Perceptions of Mainstreaming Nature-based Solutions (NbS)” (September 2024). This deliverable delves into the equitable approaches to NbS implementation, ensuring all stakeholders benefit. It explores how NbS can align economic interests with ecosystem restoration through win-win scenarios and highlights our collaborative work with six key economic sectors to promote knowledge sharing and collaboration on NbS. The research also addresses challenges such as financial feasibility and the need for clear metrics to showcase NbS effectiveness. It emphasizes the importance of including local voices in NbS initiatives and highlights the need for EU-level engagement to address policy and regulatory barriers.

The other deliverables, such as "Value Chain Analysis in Key Economic Sectors" and "Synthesis of the final Regional Scalability Plans (RSPs) ", offer valuable insights into the economic potential of NbS and the strategies for upscaling restoration initiatives across Europe. The Regional Scalability plans are now also available for the individual case studies and featured on the website.

Read our deliverables

Find out more about the individual RSPs

New podcast episodes

Our latest podcast episodes delve into the world of freshwater restoration, highlighting the importance of community engagement.

In Episode 8: "Stories from the water's edge: getting freshwater restoration done in Europe", we explore the challenges and triumphs of restoring rivers, streams, and wetlands across the continent. Hear from experts and project leaders as they share their experiences, from the complexities of dam removal to the significance of local involvement. In Episode 9: "Why community matters to freshwater restoration", we focus on the crucial role of communities in driving positive change. From Israel to Germany, learn how diverse groups of people are coming together to restore their local waterways.

Listen to our podcasts

Listen to our podcasts also on Apple podcasts, RSS.com or Spotify

Dive deeper with our interactive infographics

Do not miss our infographic on the state of freshwater ecosystems in Europe! We've just added a cool slider feature, making it even easier to explore the key challenges and opportunities surrounding freshwater restoration. Take a look and discover the current threats facing freshwater ecosystems, the economic and societal benefits of restoration, and the innovative solutions being implemented across Europe.

And there's more to come! Three additional infographics will be released soon, each focusing on a specific Case Study Cluster within the MERLIN project. Stay tuned to learn more about the unique challenges and restoration approaches for rivers & lakes, wetlands, and peatlands.

Check the infographics