European economic stability is closely tied to the security of global energy routes. The Strait of Hormuz is the perfect example: a “bottleneck” only 33 kilometres wide through which about 20% of the world’s oil and gas passes. A blockage in this area does not just mean more expensive petrol, but puts at risk the raw materials needed to produce medicines and agricultural fertilisers. Without these resources, agriculture slows down and the costs of basic necessities become unaffordable for families.
How can we change course? Can nature help us address the energy crisis?
What happens when dependence on fossil fuels brings the system to collapse?
Analysts foresee scenarios in which Europe is forced to take drastic measures: reduced public transport, cancelled flights and industries forced to shut down so that the remaining energy goes only to essential services. Even if tensions were resolved quickly, the economic damage caused by such fragility would remain visible for a long time.
This vulnerability shows us that accelerating the transition to renewable energy is essential, but installing solar panels or wind turbines is not enough. We need an overall vision that includes nature: it is the silent infrastructure that allows technologies to work and helps us respond to external shocks through Nature-Based Solutions (NBS).
What are Nature-Based Solutions?
Nature-Based Solutions (NBS) are solutions based on nature that follow a rigorous scientific protocol. IPBES and IPCC scientists have organised them into four fundamental pillars:
- protection: preserving existing ecosystems, such as forests and peatlands, to avoid the release of CO2 and maintain the benefits they already provide;
- restoration: repairing degraded soils and wetlands, returning them to their function as thermal and water sponges;
- management: promoting sustainable agriculture that keeps the soil fertile without depending on chemical fertilisers produced from fossil sources;
- regeneration: building new pieces of nature where there are none left, such as urban forests or green roofs, to cool cities and reduce energy demand.
How are Nature-Based Solutions put into practice? Our case studies
Moving from theory to practice means transforming the territory to respond to the energy and food crisis. At WOWnature we do this through projects that generate measurable benefits.
A concrete example is the fight against urban heat islands. Scientific data show that on a summer day asphalt can reach 65°C, while a lawn does not exceed 40°C. Under the shade of a tree, the ground temperature can drop by as much as 19°C. This happens thanks to evapotranspiration, a process in which plants release water vapour, absorbing heat from the environment. To reduce the use of air conditioners and save energy, we are working in urban settings, such as Barcelona, to mitigate the effect of excessive heat.
On the food and soil management front, we apply agroforestry. In the Mezzaluna della Biodiversità project in Vicenza, we create a synergy between trees and agricultural crops. This method reduces the need for pesticides and chemical fertilisers, making agriculture more resilient and less dependent on fossil market fluctuations.
Finally, restoring degraded areas makes it possible to create multifunctional forests such as Bosco Limite, in Padua. Where there was once a cornfield, there is now a forest able to recharge aquifers with over a million cubic metres of water a year.
These interventions show that regenerating nature with a scientific method is not just an environmental act, but an economic strategy to mitigate the climate and energy crisis.
Can nature help us address the energy crisis?
Reforesting and managing the territory with a scientific method is our concrete answer to today’s challenges. To understand how we turn science into resilient forests, watch our video.
If you want to contribute directly, you can choose to adopt or give a tree in one of our projects. You will support concrete actions to counter the climate and energy crisis, actively taking part in the regeneration of the territory. We look forward to seeing you in the field!
