SAFEGUARDING EUROPEAN WILD POLLINATORS (SAFEGUARD)

(Lead: CSIC; UMONS). Safeguard will mobilise EU experts and data, following the IUCN Red List process, to (i) perform a re-assessment of the European bee and butterfly Red Lists; (ii) provide the first national bee Red Lists for Mediterranean countries; and (iii) update checklists for bees in all Member State (MS). Safeguard will also compile and make available distributional and key trait data for bees, butterflies, moths and hoverflies.

(Lead: UFZ; UWUE). WP2 will address knowledge gaps regarding pollinator responses to global change by analysing the cumulative and interacting effects of multiple anthropogenic pressures at the levels of species, communities, plant-pollinator networks and plant reproduction. WP2 combines three complementary and synergistic approaches by (i) synthesising knowledge from data available within Safeguard; (ii) establishing systemic empirical research in the Safeguard modular site network; and (iii) integrative modelling.

(Lead: SLU; INRAE). This WP will assess the multiple values associated with pollinators. Building upon the IPBES ‘Pollination’ assessment and ‘Multiple values of nature and its benefits methodological assessment’, we will: (i) assess the co-benefits of interventions; (ii) quantify the wider socio-cultural values of pollinators and pollinator-dependent habitats including their aesthetic, symbolic, cultural, recreational and religious dimensions; (iii) adapt state-of-the-art models of pollinator populations to map and project pollinator natural capital across Europe; (iv) co-develop models to assess the impacts of pollinator losses on value chains, employment and human health for both EU-grown and ex-EU products.

(Lead: WU; UNIPD). This WP investigates two broad areas with outstanding knowledge gaps identified by both researchers and stakeholders: (i) novel approaches to test and quantify effectiveness of interventions at the landscape scale; and (ii) opportunities and risks for pollinators from current approaches to mitigate biodiversity loss across agricultural, urban and protected areas.

(Lead: ULUND; INRAE). WP5 will build an Integrative Assessment Framework that uses existing and new knowledge generated by Safeguard, and associated projects, incorporating three key steps: (i) accurately framing the specific problem/issue/aspect; (ii) integrating different knowledge sources; and (iii) experimentation and testing of response options, decision-making processes or tools.

(Lead: IEEP; IUCN). This WP will assess current and developing international, EU and MS policies to identify current inclusion and future entry points for Safeguard work. It will develop a roadmap for engaging with EU policies; European Pollinators Initiative (EPI; Nature Directives and Natura 2000; MS implementation and policy tools (CAP Strategic Plans); and Internationally (IPBES, CBD, SDG, UNEP, FAO, IPCC).

(Lead: PENSOFT; UREAD). This WP will foster communication, knowledge exchange and impact development by (i) undertaking a stakeholder mapping process ; (ii) framing an overall knowledge exchange strategy and (iii) developing a detailed knowledge exchange plan to ensure effective impact. We will (i) make the novel methodologies, user-friendly tools and best practice guides available for the stakeholder community ; (ii) synthesize the project findings ; (iii) participate in Civil Dialogue Groups on pollinators and actively engage with the EU Bee Partnership to ensure widespread dissemination of outputs. We will bring together Safeguard outputs with other fragmented knowledge sources to feed into the SAFE-Hub knowledge exchange platform as a one-stop place to access data, tools, online GIS maps, practice guides and multi-media materials for policymakers, researchers, industry, NGOs and the public. WP7 will engage widely with the public to raise awareness around pollinator declines to encourage wider societal support for other stakeholders to take positive actions.

(Lead: UWUE). Safeguard will be led by UWUE providing overall coordination to the consortium. UREAD will provide support as co-coordinator with both partners having complementary expertise and long-standing experience in coordinating EU and other international projects. The external advisory board will foster the implementation and assure continuous multidirectional exchange with the scientific and stakeholder community.

The Safeguard consortium will closely collaborate with Chinese partners who will receive funding from the Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology-MOST within the EU-China Horizon 2020 cooperation programme. The participating universities, China West Normal University-CWNU (coordinator of the Chinese project part), Northwest A&F University-NWAFU, Nankai University-NU will establish coordinated research in China and will closely interact with European partners through meetings, data exchange and synthesis, experimental work using standardised protocols and study designs, and transfer of concepts for environmental management to promote pollinators and maintain ecosystem services to China.