Report on Artificial Floating Islands as a Nature-Based Solution for Sustainable Development

Introduction and Alignment with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Artificial floating islands represent an innovative, nature-based solution for environmental management, directly contributing to several UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This report details their function, ecological benefits, and policy relevance based on a recent study.

• Function: These islands are engineered platforms, often made from materials like cork or plastic, planted with native flora. They are deployed in water bodies such as stormwater ponds to perform dual roles of water purification and habitat creation.
• Contribution to SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation): By absorbing pollutants and excess nutrients from urban runoff and eutrophic water, the islands serve as a low-cost method of bioremediation, improving water quality.
• Contribution to SDG 14 (Life Below Water) and SDG 15 (Life on Land): The islands enhance local biodiversity by providing shelter, food, and breeding grounds for various species, thereby restoring and protecting freshwater ecosystems.
• Contribution to SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities): As an affordable and low-maintenance feature for urban stormwater ponds, they support the development of sustainable and resilient urban infrastructure.

Experimental Study and Methodology

Study Design

A long-term experiment was conducted in a 48-metre-perimeter artificial stormwater pond in Portugal to assess the biodiversity impact of floating islands.

• Platform Material: Cork-based rafts were utilized.
• Timeline: The islands were established in 2018 and sampled for analysis in 2022.
• Water Source: The pond was supplied by a mix of water from a secondary pond, stormwater runoff from adjacent woods, and agricultural fields.

Biological Components

The rafts were planted with four species of locally available perennial plants to create a diverse vegetative structure.

1. Bearded iris (Iris germanica)
2. Marsh marigold (Caltha palustris)
3. Sweet flag grass (Acorus gramineus)
4. Bulrush (Typha latifolia)

Assessment Parameters

Researchers evaluated the ecological impact by assessing the communities that colonized the islands.

• Culturable bacterial communities on the floating platform and plant root systems.
• Invertebrate biodiversity associated with the rafts and the pond margin.

Key Findings and Contributions to SDGs

Water Purification and Ecosystem Health (SDG 6 & SDG 14)

The study confirmed the islands’ role in fostering microbial communities essential for water purification and ecosystem health.

• A total of 30 distinct freshwater bacterial strains were identified living on the plant roots and platform surfaces.
• The research found a thriving population of bacteria capable of producing molecules that boost plant growth, thereby enhancing the system’s overall bioremediation capacity.

Biodiversity Enhancement (SDG 15)

The study demonstrated that the floating islands function as significant biodiversity hotspots, promoting ecosystem regeneration.

• The islands provided critical habitat, including shelter, food, and breeding sites for insects.
• Notably, the rafts supported the complete lifecycle of at least 10 different species of dragonflies and damselflies (Odonata). These insects are crucial predators in food webs and serve as biological indicators of aquatic ecosystem health.
• The findings align with other studies showing these platforms can support a wide range of invertebrates, amphibians, fish, reptiles, and birds.

Material Considerations

While the rafts largely maintained their structural integrity, the study noted that the specific type of cork used began releasing particles after six years, suggesting that material selection, such as using cork oak bark, is critical for long-term durability.

Policy Context and Global Frameworks

European Union Initiatives

The use of nature-based solutions like floating islands is supported by significant EU policies aimed at achieving sustainability and biodiversity targets.

• Horizon Europe: The European Commission funds research and innovation in this area to help achieve the SDGs.
• Nature Restoration Regulation: As a key component of the EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030 and the European Green Deal, this regulation mandates member states to implement restoration measures, including active interventions like floating islands.

International Agreements and Partnerships (SDG 17)

The promotion of nature-based solutions is a global priority, reflected in international frameworks and collaborative efforts.

• Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework: Adopted by the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), this framework prominently features nature-based solutions.
• ENACT Partnership: Launched at COP 27, this global partnership aims to scale up nature-based solutions to address climate change, biodiversity loss, and ecosystem degradation, with a focus on restoring aquatic ecosystems.

Conclusion

The research confirms that artificial floating islands are a highly effective, multi-benefit solution that advances several Sustainable Development Goals. They simultaneously address the need for clean water (SDG 6), support aquatic and terrestrial life (SDG 14 & 15), and contribute to sustainable urban environments (SDG 11). The findings broaden the application of these islands from a primary focus on bioremediation to a more holistic approach that includes significant biodiversity enhancement, demonstrating their potential for restoring ecosystems in stormwater and agricultural runoff pools.

Analysis of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the Article

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

• SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation

  The article directly addresses this goal by describing floating islands as a nature-based solution to “absorb and remove pollutants and excess nutrients from wastewater, eutrophic water or urban stormwater runoff.” This process, known as bioremediation, is a method for cleaning contaminated or polluted water, which is central to achieving clean water resources.

• SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

  The use of floating islands in “stormwater ponds” and to treat “urban stormwater runoff” connects the article to this goal. These features are presented as an “affordable, low-maintenance, nature-based solution” for managing water within urban and semi-urban environments, contributing to more sustainable and resilient city infrastructure.

• SDG 14: Life Below Water

  Although the experiment is in a freshwater pond, the principles apply to all aquatic ecosystems. The article highlights how these islands restore aquatic ecosystem health by improving water quality and creating habitats. It mentions that nature-based solutions are being used to protect, conserve, and restore “aquatic ecosystems,” which aligns with the broader objectives of SDG 14.

• SDG 15: Life on Land

  This is a primary focus of the article. The study confirms that floating islands “boost biodiversity” and function as “biodiversity hotspots,” promoting “ecosystem regeneration.” The article details how they provide “shelter, food and breeding sites for insects” like dragonflies and damselflies, and support diverse bacterial communities, directly contributing to the conservation and restoration of freshwater ecosystems and halting biodiversity loss.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

• Target 6.3: Improve water quality by reducing pollution

  The article’s main premise is that floating islands are used for bioremediation to “clean contaminated or polluted water.” They achieve this by absorbing and removing pollutants, which directly contributes to the goal of improving water quality by reducing pollution from sources like agricultural and urban runoff.

• Target 11.6: Reduce the adverse environmental impact of cities

  The application of floating islands in “stormwater ponds” to manage “urban stormwater runoff” is a direct measure to mitigate the environmental impact of cities. By treating polluted runoff before it enters larger water bodies, this solution helps manage a key aspect of urban waste and pollution.

• Target 14.2: Protect and restore marine and coastal ecosystems

  The article’s focus on using nature-based solutions for “ecosystem regeneration” and restoring aquatic ecosystem health is aligned with this target. While the study is on a freshwater pond, the technique is a form of active intervention to restore a degraded aquatic ecosystem, a core principle of Target 14.2.

• Target 15.1: Conserve and restore terrestrial and inland freshwater ecosystems

  The research demonstrates a method for restoring biodiversity in an “artificial stormwater pond,” which is an inland freshwater ecosystem. The findings show the potential of these islands for “establishing biodiverse communities” and addressing “ecosystem degradation” in such environments.

• Target 15.5: Protect biodiversity and natural habitats

  The article explicitly states that the islands “boost biodiversity” and function as “biodiversity hotspots.” By providing habitat and supporting the complete lifecycle of species like dragonflies, the floating islands are an action to “reduce the degradation of natural habitats” and “halt the loss of biodiversity.”

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

• Water Quality Improvement

  While the article doesn’t provide specific measurements, it implies that an indicator for Target 6.3 is the reduction of pollutants and excess nutrients in water. The primary purpose of these islands is “bioremediation,” and their effectiveness would be measured by testing the concentration of contaminants in the water before and after their introduction.

• Biodiversity Levels

  The article provides several direct and measurable indicators for Targets 15.1 and 15.5. These include:

  • The number and diversity of bacterial strains: The study “identified 30 freshwater ecosystem bacterial strains living among the plant roots.”
  • The number and diversity of insect species: Researchers found the rafts supported “the complete lifecycle of at least 10 different species of dragonflies and damselflies (Odonata).”
  • Presence of biological indicator species: The article notes that dragonflies and damselflies “are used as biological indicator species of aquatic ecosystem health,” making their presence and population health a key metric for ecosystem recovery.

4. Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: environment.ec.europa.eu