FLOW-BIOS

Water — Jun 01, 2026
Nature-based solutions play a vital role in addressing the rising risk of flooding across the Alps, but this requires land that is often privately owned. That is why the FLOW-BIOS project, in collaboration with Austrian and Swiss UNESCO biosphere reserves, is investigating how nature-based solutions can be successfully implemented on private land.

Flood risks represent a significant societal challenge that will continue to grow in the coming years and decades. Climate change, in particular, is altering the frequency and intensity of flood events and is expected to lead to greater economic and social damage. In addition to biophysical challenges, important social and political developments such as the EU Renaturation Act are raising new questions about how rivers will be managed in the future. Nature-based solutions, in particular, can make an important contribution here: they however require land that goes far beyond what can be provided by the public sector. The need to use private land also often leads to significant conflicts. This is where biosphere reserves can play a vital bridging role and, specifically, drive the implementation of nature-based solutions. The FLOW-BIOS project is working with Austrian and Swiss biosphere reserves to investigate how nature-based solutions can be successfully implemented on private land.

Full project name

FLOW-BIOS
Land use and nature-based solutions for flood risk management in biosphere reserves

Project objectives

  • Development of tools for cooperation, exchange and stakeholder participation in the project
  • Structured reflection on context-specific nature-based solutions
  • Implementation on private land through innovative, practical strategies to support the implementation process in biosphere reserves
  • Focus on nature-based solutions as a central element of flood risk management
  • Promotion of biodiversity, climate protection and adaptation as key, positive side effects
  • Support for a transdisciplinary process to analyse societal challenges during implementation
  • Integration into national and international research programmes and policy guidelines
  • International cooperation to ensure the transferability of results to other European and non-European biosphere reserves
  • Contribution to new knowledge on biosphere reserve resilience strategies for managing flood risks

Activities

  • Four co-creation workshops: two online, two face-to-face, with on-site excursions
  • The final workshop will focus on joint reflections and insights regarding the transdisciplinary research process and the results
  • Dissemination of research results:
    •    At least two scientific publications in specialist journals (BOKU)
    •    Scientific presentations at at least two events (BOKU)
    •    Policy brief (BOKU)
    •    Press releases in local media (Biosphere Reserves)
    •    alpMedia newsletter, special issue “Szene Alpen” (CIPRA International)
    •    Working groups of the Alpine Convention and Eusalp (CIPRA International)

Duration

May 2026 – April 2028

Project partners

  • CIPRA International
  • University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna (Landscape Planning, Social Ecology)
  • The following UNESCO biosphere reserves are participating in the project: Wienerwald Biosphere Reserve/A, Salzburger Lungau & Kärntner Nockberge Biosphere Reserve/A, Murtal/A, Großes Walsertal Biosphere Reserve/A, UNESCO Biosfera Engiadina Val Müstair/CH

Project languages

German, English

Contact

Wolfgang Pfefferkorn, wolfgang.pfefferkorn@cipra.org

Funding

The two-year research project is funded by the Austrian Academy of Sciences with 275,000 euros as part of UNESCO’s “Man and the Biosphere” (MAB) programme.

Topics
Water