Subsidy: LIVING LAB - Urban Ponds

Abstract: The project consists of a cocreative program to meet the needs regarding water retention during both normal and extreme conditions and to meet the needs for experimental space within education and research of several departments (biology, hydrology, etc.). The targeted setup is a functional and educational combination of a wadi and a wetland on the Brussels Humanities, Science and Engineering Campus (Etterbeek). A wadi is a temporary water buffer with the aim of infiltration into the soil. A wetland, on the other hand, is permanently wet and develops a specific ecosystem. The project should be considered as: (1) an application for sustainable technology to promote local water storage, infiltration and purification in an urban context; adapted to extreme precipitation amounts. (2) a living laboratory for education in which the contribution of this wadi and wetland to the creation of a local cooler microclimate, the conservation of biodiversity, the purification of water and the storage of water will be examined annually by teams of students from different study programs from the VUB. Such an approach stimulates transdisciplinary thinking among students about the boundaries of the STEM disciplines. (3) a living laboratory for research into the impacts of environmental change (nutrient enrichment, temperature change) on biodiversity and ecosystem services. (4) a freely accessible didactic open-air project with information boards for visitors and available work packages for high school students to promote awareness of climate issues.