The study sets up a comprehensive baseline for Mission lighthouses in the Atlantic and Arctic sea basins, Danube river basin and Mediterranean sea basin on the implementation of two Mission objectives: the protection and restoration of marine and fresh water ecosystems and biodiversity (for Danube, Atlantic and Arctic) and the prevention and elimination of pollution in marine and freshwater ecosystems (for Mediterranean).
This baseline study and lighthouse project is part of ,,Restore our ocean and waters by 2030’’- one of five missions of Horizon Europe Regulation. In the ‘development and piloting’ phase the Mission will roll out ‘lighthouses’ in major European sea and river basins, as the Mission sites. Lighthouses will act as hubs and platforms for the development, demonstration and deployment of solutions to those challenges.
The project aims to map each lighthouse area including all relevant stakeholders, establish the status in 2021 for the relevant Mission targets in the basin, checking for possible solutions and options for R&D and to identify synergies that help protect aquatic and marine ecosystems.
Fresh Thoughts is mainly involved with work on the Danube lighthouse case. The Danube is the selected area for the 1st objective of the mission: ,,Protect and restore ecosystems and biodiversity (freshwater)’’.
Fresh Thoughts takes on the lead of work related to the Danube ‘lighthouse area’, and fulfill different tasks, such as:
- Developing Lighthouse-specific baselines
- Analysing Governance structures and stakeholder involvement
- Enabling Citizen engagement and ocean and water literacy
It is also involved with the preparation of the project synthesis and coordination.