Green and blue infrastructure
European countries have long engaged in practices that degrade natural capital, threatening sustainability and resilience against environmental shocks. Ecosystem services—essential benefits from nature like clean water, food, and climate regulation—are often undervalued and overexploited. In response to these challenges, many cities are shifting from traditional grey infrastructure to green and blue infrastructure (GBI).
GBI incorporates natural spaces such as parks, rain gardens, and wetlands, enhancing climate resilience, biodiversity, and overall air and water quality. This approach is supported by significant EU policies, including the Biodiversity Strategy to 2030, the Strategy on Adaptation to Climate Change and the Nature Restoration Law. GBI is not only effective but also cost-efficient compared to conventional solutions.
Local authorities are encouraged to adopt various fiscal and non-fiscal strategies to promote GBI, fostering ecological resilience and sustainable development. This policy brief outlines EU initiatives, policy recommendations, and practical examples of GBI implementation, showcasing successful projects from Interreg Europe that can be replicated in other municipalities.
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Download the policy brief below and start exploring how your region could integrate green and blue infrastructure!
Featured good practices
Green Infrastructure Guidance for Municipalities
It helps municipalities to create successful and effective GI projects by assessing environmental and climate risks and identifying appropriate NBS solutions.
Urban greening on private sites through regulatory standards and funding programs
Bremen has made green roofs mandatory for new buildings and has banned gravel gardens. This is complemented by funding programs for greening and unsealing.
Revalorisation of local public green infrastructure to enhance bee population and biodiversity
Improvement of public green infrastructure to enhance biodiversity and to preserve population of bees with re-flourishing of spontaneous endangered flowers
AQUARes urban distributed controlled micro-retention system
The urban distributed retention system ]for urban area.
Renaturalization of the inland delta of Nida River – LIFE4Delta_PL
Main goal of the project is to improve the water conditions of the Nida River inland Delta, which contributes to the restoration of its unique natural values.
Blue deal Flanders
The Blue Deal is Flanders' action plan to combat water scarcity and drought by enhancing water retention and reducing reliance on water sources
‘La Marjal’ floodable park
Urban park designed as a wetland that can store water in cases where rainfall exceeds the capacity of the existing drainage system in the city.
„CREATE” - Rain gardens in the city of Pula
“CREATE” – Rain gardens in the city of Pula received the Adriatic Adaptation Award award under the CREATE project for design and implementation of rain gardens