The GeoIKP Platform

What does GeoIKP mean?

GeoIKP stands for Geospatial Information Knowledge Platform and serves as a hub for sharing knowledge on Nature-based Solutions (NBS).

What are Nature-based Solutions?

Nature-based Solutions (NBS) are solutions inspired and supported by nature, which are cost-effective, simultaneously provide environmental, social and economic benefits and help build resilience.

What is this platform about?

On the GeoIKP, you can

→ explore and browse Nature-based Solutions around the world, and

→ get guidance through the first steps for starting your own Nature-based Solution project. 

Who is behind the GeoIKP?

The GeoIKP was developed within the H2020 OPERANDUM project.

Before you start exploring

Get inspired! Start browsing Nature-based Solutions around the world: 

How do you start your own Nature-based Solution project? Follow these steps and get started:

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title Register
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title	Step 1: Sign up Enter your details and click on the ‘Register’ button. Image Removed
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Info

NBS Catalogue

Browse Nature-based Solutions around the world!

NBS_CAT_A.mp4

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title Search and filter!
Search and filter the Nature-based Solutions for your needs! The blue search bar offers to search for and filter Nature-based Solutions. 1. Type your keywords in the search field or select filters for a specific Nature-based Solution Type or Hazard (if you click on the two arrows, you will get more filter options). 2. Select your choice and press the search button. 3. The results will be shown on the map and listed underneath the map.  Image Modified Info What do these filters mean? → Hazard: hydrometeorological hazards (e.g., flood & drought). → Global Challenge: the SDG targets the NBS is tackling (e.g., water management). → Policy Level: the level where policies influence the implementation (e.g., local or global). → Ecosystem: local landscapes (e.g., forest). → NBS Approach: the degree of intervention in nature (e.g., conservation, management). → NBS Type: The actual NBS that was chosen to be implemented (e.g., green roof).

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title Share Nature-based Solutions with your peer!
Can I share a Nature-based Solution? Yes, once you have clicked on one Nature-based Solution and you see more information, you find share buttons under the table of content on the left side (see image below). Simply select the social media channel or only ‘Copy NBS link’ and share the solution with your peer! Image Modified Info Can I print the information? Yes, underneath the share button you find a Print NBS information button which creates a .pdf version for you!

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title Compare Nature-based Solutions with each other!
How can I compare different Nature-based Solutions? 1. In the results list, on the bottom of each Nature-based Solution, you find a ✓ 2. Click the ✓ of the ones that interest you (up to 5) and the tick will double 3. Click on the orange button (see image below) to compare the selected case studies 4. A new page will open for comparing them Image Modified

Best Practices

What are Best Practices?

Best Practices are selected esxamples from Nature-based Solutions that were tested in projects. Here, you can find more detailed information location, problems, and how Nature-based Solutions are implemented to solve these problems.

Citizen Stories

How to start a Nature-based Solution project?

Learn from citizens and associations starting their projects, which challenges they faced and which solutions they found:

Interactive Map

Are you looking for information on an area of your interest? For example, which soils are there?

This interactive map offers you a lot of maps to explore! Compare different maps to see whether the are is suitable for your Nature-based Solution. Below you can see the main functions of the interactive map

Actions:

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title Overview
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What is the layer manager?

It is the place where you can get information about the layers or where you can change settings (e.g., change the opacity). Have a look at the figure below to see which buttons do what:

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Use case example:

Open the Interactive Map. At first glance, you can see a map and on the left side you can see which layers are opened at the moment. You want to identify areas with flood potential that are close to your home to find a suitable location for your retention pond.

Step 1: Add layers

At the moment, there are only an NBS and OAL map visible. To add more layers, you can click on the categories on the left side.

Environment > Soil > Global Hydrological Soil Groups

Risk > Flood > Flood Hazard Map (RP10y)

Step 2: Remove unnecessary maps

Now, you can organize the layers: remove the layers Open-Air Laboratories and the NBS layer by clicking, firstly, on the wheel next to the layer name and then on the remove button.

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Step 3: Zoom in to the location of your interest

Zoom in to the city Leichlingen (where you live) by typing the city name in the search bar.

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Step 4: Get familiar with the maps

Click on the wheel of each map to learn more about the maps. Now, you can see the legend of the flood hazard map. By clicking on the information button on the bottom, a box will pop up with more information on the map.

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Step 5: Analyze the maps

After familiarizing yourself with the maps, you can change the opacity of the global hydrological soil group map so that you can see the map below presenting the roads and so on.

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From the hydrological soil map, you can see that not the entire city has a high surface runoff potential but mostly the center of the city through which a river flows.

From the flood map, you can see the river flood potential for the city.

You know that the River Wupper flows from north to south in this view. Next to the icon, you see that there is a minor flooding potential. To examine this area better, you can hide the hydrological soil map for a moment by clicking on the eye button next to the wheel button.

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You can see that the area with the minor flooding potential is close to the green area which can function as water storage area.

Step 6: Identify a suitable area for your Nature-based Solution

Since the north of the city is very rural with water storage areas, you suggest to build the retention pond rather in the center of the city where there is a high runoff and river flood potential. By hiding all layers, you can see that this area is densely built but there area some parks which could gain a retention pond. Adding a retention pond to the park will simultaneously increase the attractiveness of the park.

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Step 7: Get more insights with additional maps

Now, you identified a potential location and can continue with an in-depth analysis.

Policy Catalogue

Are you looking for policies related to flooding? Or other policies?

Here, you can browse more than 2000 policy documents (maily from Europe)! To find policies faster, you can search by country, by key word, or set filters:

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Action:

What does the Policy Catalogue has to offer?

→ you can open the policy document directly

→ it shows you a selection of similar policies

→ it presents you which NBS case studies (from the NBS Catalogue) are linked to this policy document

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Use case example:

Step 1: Filter policy documents

Now, you want to know more about it. Open the Policy Finder and search for ‘directive’.

The results are shown below the map. The Floods Directive is presented with a brief summary. You can click on the file button to download and read the document.

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Step 2: Find similar policies for Germany

Click on ‘Show similar policies’ to explore other important EU level policies.

You want to explore more flood related policies for Germany? Remove your directive search and make a new one: click on Germany on the map and from the mind map select hazard, (zoom out a bit) and then flood.

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Step 3: Study the policies

Now, you can browse the policies that might affect your Nature-based Solution implementation.

Permitting Paths

What is a permitting path?

A Permitting Path is a path from planning a Nature-based Solution and reviewing all policies and legislations that need to be taken into account until the official permission to implement the planned Nature-based Solution. 

What does this tool offer?

We have analysed different permitting paths from Nature-based Solutions in Europe and summarised them in a more general permitting path. The permitting path is always different depending on the country, Nature-based Solutions, etc. but you here we have summarised the main policies that you might need to consider for your Nature-based Solution project. Main policies can be related to:

→ Environmental legislation

→ Hazard and ecosystem legislation

→ Administrative legislation

→ Building & Landscape legislation

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Check out how a permitting path could look like?

Simply select an OPERANDUM case study (so-called OAL) from the drop-down menu and browse through the different legislations:

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NBS Toolkit

What does this toolkit offer?

This NBS Toolkit suggests you Nature-based Solutions that could be suitable for your area.

Step 1 (criteria): All you need to do is to set the 'criteria':

1. select one hazard

2. an area of your interest, and

3. click ‘Analysis’

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Step 2 (interventions):

After clicking on Analysis, you will a list of suitable solutions. Here, you can either

1. make a quick check of the NBS,

2. check the NBS in more detail, or

3. compare an NBS with other NBS.

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Add your NBS

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NBS Toolkit

What does this toolkit offer?

This NBS Toolkit suggests you Nature-based Solutions that could be suitable for your area.

These 5 steps (image below) will guide you through the NBS Toolkit. You can always go back by clicking on the buttons.

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Step 1 (criteria):

All you need to do is to set the 'criteria':

1. select one hazard

2. an area of your interest, and

3. click ‘Analysis’

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Step 2 (interventions):

After clicking on Analysis, you will a list of suitable solutions. Here, you can either

1. make a quick check of the NBS,

2. check the NBS in more detail, or

3. compare an NBS with other NBS.

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Step 3 (compare):

You have selected 2 to 5 Nature-based Solutions? Compare them by clicking on the compare button (see image below) which appears in the middle at the bottom of the page after adding at least one Nature-based Solution to compare.

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After clicking on this orange button, you will get to a page where you can see all selected Nature-based Solutions.

Step 4 (future):

This step is still under development and will be available soon.

Step 5 (co-creation):

Now, you have selected one or more Nature-based Solutions which could be suitable for your area and you have explored how the hazard might change in the future (Step 4); thus, the final step is to actually start designing and planning the solution. In this co-creation step, you can explore furture steps to do to get started with your Nature-based Solution project.

Interactive Map

Are you looking for information on an area of your interest? For example, which soils are there?

This interactive map offers you a lot of maps to explore! Compare different maps to see whether the are is suitable for your Nature-based Solution. Below you can see the main functions of this interactive map:

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title Get an overview of all the tools
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title Organise the maps
What is the layer manager? It is the place where you can get information about the layers or where you can change settings (e.g., change the opacity). Have a look at the figure below to see which buttons do what: Image Added Info By clicking on the tool wheel, you get more information and tools for managing one map. Here, you can change the transparency of a map to see two overlaying maps at a time, you can remove maps, you can get more information on the map and see the legend.

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title Use case example: Your association wants to build a retention pond in your city and you want to find the most suitable location to convince the mayor to get approval and funding.
Open the Interactive Map. At first glance, you can see a map and on the left side you can see which layers are opened at the moment. You want to identify areas with flood potential that are close to your home to find a suitable location for your retention pond. Step 1: Add layers At the moment, there are only an NBS and OAL map visible. To add more layers, you can click on the categories on the left side. Environment > Soil > Global Hydrological Soil Groups Info The map global hydrological soil groups describes the characteristics of the soil to take in water (from rainfall). For instance, urban areas with surfaces like roads are able to let water into the soil. If the water cannot infiltrate into the soil it will flow on e.g., the road to lower areas. This process is called surface runoff. On this map you can see which areas are good for infiltrating water and which not. Risk > Flood > Flood Hazard Map (RP10y) Info The flood hazard map presents area that are potentially affected by rivers exceeding their banks. The map you added presents the potential flood water depth for a flooding event that may happens once in 10 years (= RP10y). Step 2: Remove unnecessary maps Now, you can organize the layers: remove the layers Open-Air Laboratories and the NBS layer by clicking, firstly, on the wheel next to the layer name and then on the remove button. Image Added Step 3: Zoom in to the location of your interest Zoom in to the city Leichlingen (where you live) by typing the city name in the search bar. Image Added Step 4: Get familiar with the maps Click on the wheel of each map to learn more about the maps. Now, you can see the legend of the flood hazard map. By clicking on the information button on the bottom, a box will pop up with more information on the map. Image Added Step 5: Analyze the maps After familiarizing yourself with the maps, you can change the opacity of the global hydrological soil group map so that you can see the map below presenting the roads and so on. Image Added From the hydrological soil map, you can see that not the entire city has a high surface runoff potential but mostly the center of the city through which a river flows. From the flood map, you can see the river flood potential for the city. You know that the River Wupper flows from north to south in this view. Next to the icon, you see that there is a minor flooding potential. To examine this area better, you can hide the hydrological soil map for a moment by clicking on the eye button next to the wheel button. Image Added You can see that the area with the minor flooding potential is close to the green area which can function as water storage area. Step 6: Identify a suitable area for your Nature-based Solution Since the north of the city is very rural with water storage areas, you suggest to build the retention pond rather in the center of the city where there is a high runoff and river flood potential. By hiding all layers, you can see that this area is densely built but there area some parks which could gain a retention pond. Adding a retention pond to the park will simultaneously increase the attractiveness of the park. Image Added Step 7: Get more insights with additional maps Now, you identified a potential location and can continue with an in-depth analysis.

Policy Catalogue

Are you looking for policies related to flooding? Or other policies?

Here, you can browse more than 2000 policy documents (mainly from Europe)! To find policies faster, you can search by country, by key word, or set filters:

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Permitting Paths

What is a permitting path?

A Permitting Path is a path from planning a Nature-based Solution and reviewing all policies and legislations that need to be taken into account until the official permission to implement the planned Nature-based Solution. 

What does this tool offer?

We have analysed different permitting paths from Nature-based Solutions in Europe and summarised them in a more general permitting path. The permitting path is always different depending on the country, Nature-based Solutions, etc. but you here we have summarised the main policies that you might need to consider for your Nature-based Solution project. Main policies can be related to:

→ Environmental legislation

→ Hazard and ecosystem legislation

→ Administrative legislation

→ Building & Landscape legislation

Image Added

Check out how a permitting path could look like?

Simply select an OPERANDUM case study (so-called OAL) from the drop-down menu and browse through the different legislations:

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Add your NBS

Do you know any existing Nature-based Solutions?

Yes, then share it with the community by adding it to the NBS Catalogue:

Go step-by-step through this form (image below) and fill as much information as you know. Fields marked with an * are mandatory to be filled.

Fill in the information page by page.

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Actions:

Your Feedback

You wish to share some thoughts with us?

Send us an email: info[at]kajoservices.com