MERLIN [1]stands for Mainstreaming Ecological Restoration of freshwater-related ecosystems in a Landscape context: INnovation, upscaling and transformation. MERLIN is a European Horizon 2020 project (2021-2025) with 44 partner organisations across Europe.
MERLIN aims to enable transformative ecosystem restoration, mainstreaming Nature-based Solutions to respond to climate change and loss of biodiversity which threaten economic prosperity, human well-being and societal cohesion. It aims to contribute to Europe’s Green Deal and its Green Recovery. MERLIN will deliver sector-specific and overall cross-sectoral strategies to support such transformative restoration. To make these strategies meaningful and practical, we need to work closely with sectors that affect, and are affected by, the restoration of freshwater environments using Nature-based solutions (NbS). These sectors are: agriculture, hydropower, insurance, navigation, peat extraction and water supply.
Hutton’s role in MERLIN
The James Hutton Institute co-leads, together with WWF, work on transformation (Work Package 4). In this work, we focus on designing strategies for transformation that can 'mainstream' restoration across sectors, in order to deliver societal benefits and contribute to Europe's Green Deal objectives (climate resilience, improved biodiversity, zero pollution, sustainable food systems, health and wellbeing). The benefits of restoration should be relevant to many sectors to help them deal with future challenges, but many lack experience in thinking or working on NbS. Hutton also contributes to other parts of MERLIN, ranging from demonstrating and implementing best-practice restoration, upscaling transformation (especially by working with new sources of finance and funding) and working on knowledge exchange and networking.
The following activities are planned:
The institute PI for MERLIN is Kirsty Blackstock; please contact Kirsty.Blackstock@hutton.ac.uk [26] or Alhassan Ibrahim alhassan.ibrahim@hutton.ac.uk [27] with any queries.
Links:
[1] https://project-merlin.eu/
[2] https://www.hutton.ac.uk/sites/default/files/files/EC Policy webinar_presentation_v4 for circulation.pdf
[3] https://www.hutton.ac.uk/sites/default/files/files/2023-05-02_MERLIN Peat extraction RT2_presentation-slidedeck1.pdf
[4] https://www.hutton.ac.uk/sites/default/files/files/2023-07-27_Peat Extraction RT2 Final Report_v_3(1).pdf
[5] https://www.hutton.ac.uk/sites/default/files/files/Summary report from 2nd Insurance Roundtable.pdf
[6] https://www.hutton.ac.uk/sites/default/files/files/Navigation RT2 Final report_FN-for dissemination.pdf
[7] https://www.hutton.ac.uk/sites/default/files/files/MERLIN Deliverable D4_1 Briefing on national_EU sector perceptions workshops and tailored briefings per sector_final 18th January 23.pdf
[8] https://www.hutton.ac.uk/sites/default/files/files/MERLIN-all sector questionnaire report_20221125.pdf
[9] https://www.hutton.ac.uk/sites/default/files/files/22_10_EU COM Report_final.pdf
[10] https://www.hutton.ac.uk/sites/default/files/files/Final Slide Deck.pdf
[11] https://vimeo.com/758673482/25f9746af8
[12] https://www.hutton.ac.uk/sites/default/files/files/06_ Transformation_Plenary_06.pdf
[13] https://youtu.be/8sVs8ZqncC0
[14] https://www.hutton.ac.uk/sites/default/files/files/Note of Hydro RT meeting v 3_0_final.pdf
[15] https://www.hutton.ac.uk/sites/default/files/files/Anonymised ShortNotes_Insurance_Merlin_Roundtable_31-03-2022_corr.pdf
[16] https://www.hutton.ac.uk/sites/default/files/files/Note of Navigation RT meeting v 3_0_final.pdf
[17] https://www.hutton.ac.uk/sites/default/files/files/Note of Peat RT meeting v 3_0_final.pdf
[18] https://www.hutton.ac.uk/sites/default/files/files/Note of Water Supply RT meeting v 3_0_final.pdf
[19] https://ec.europa.eu/eip/agriculture/en/focus-groups/nature-based-solutions-water-management-under
[20] https://www.iucn.org/resources/publication/iucn-global-standard-nature-based-solutions-first-edition
[21] https://www.hutton.ac.uk/sites/default/files/files/SAT reporting and qus 21Feb22 FINAL.pdf
[22] https://www.hutton.ac.uk/sites/default/files/files/MERLIN WP1-2-Guideline for Stakeholder Mapping and CSB_13-12-2021.pdf
[23] https://project-merlin.eu/files/merlin/downloads/deliverables/MERLIN_D5.2_Website%2BLeaflet_Jan2022.pdf
[24] https://doi.org/10.1002/9781119410010
[25] https://www.hutton.ac.uk/sites/default/files/files/2023-03-31-MiniSAT Questionnaire_Privacy statement and glossary of terms.pdf
[26] mailto:Kirsty.Blackstock@hutton.ac.uk
[27] mailto:alhassan.ibrahim@hutton.ac.uk
[28] https://www.hutton.ac.uk/staff/kirsty-blackstock
[29] https://www.hutton.ac.uk/staff/alhassan-ibrahim
[30] https://www.hutton.ac.uk/staff/esther-carmen
[31] https://www.hutton.ac.uk/staff/keith-matthews
[32] https://www.hutton.ac.uk/staff/kerry-waylen
[33] https://www.hutton.ac.uk/staff/matthew-england
[34] https://www.hutton.ac.uk/news/new-report-river-restoration-and-biodiversity-launched