Europe, towards a sustainable transport infrastructure for biodiversity

– For the first time, the European Union is providing €3,000,000 in funding for a project of a strategic nature aimed at committing Europe’s transport infrastructure to a better mainstreaming of biodiversity.
– The BISON project started on January 1, 2021 for a period of 30 months.
– A consortium of 39 members is involved in the BISON project. The partners are representatives of governments, research institutes, companies, and associations.
– The BISON project covers the EU and associated countries and combines in a balanced way the competences related to transport and biodiversity.

In Europe, the need to make infrastructure more sustainable for biodiversity while ensuring its reliability and efficiency is urgent.

Indeed, Europe needs to adapt its existing infrastructure to new climatic conditions (floods, droughts …), as well as find innovative and sustainable solutions to reduce the impact of invasive species and address the decline of native species and ecosystem fragmentation. Simultaneously, the sharp rise in the development of new transport infrastructure, especially in Eastern Europe, must support economic development while paying particular attention to the local biodiversity, which is often endemic.

Faced with these needs, for the first time the European Union funds a 3 million euros coordination and support action project on the topic of transport and biodiversity issues. As part of the last calls under H2020, the BISON project is timely to set the ground and upscale research on these topics in the next European research framework programme 2021-2027 (HORIZON EUROPE).

This project led by a consortium of 39 European members and associated countries aims to tackle the integration of biodiversity in the development of infrastructure, including roads, railways, waterways, airports, ports, or energy transport networks. The BISON project will meet the above aim through the specific objectives below:

– To identify future research and innovation needs for a better integration of biodiversity with infrastructure.
– To identify construction, maintenance and inspection methods and materials which are long-lasting and resilient and can be used by different transport modes to mitigate pressure on biodiversity.
– To support European Member States in fulfilling their international commitments by engaging all stakeholders into biodiversity mainstreaming for infrastructure planning and development.
– To support European Member States in becoming political leaders through collaboration and support of European research