Nature-based solutions (NBS) are not only good for the environment and human health, but can form the foundation of creative and lucrative business models. ICLEI Member Hamburg (Germany) is bringing this knowledge to schools by linking NBS to academic science content, the agricultural industry, and water purification. How? Aquaponics!

Aquaponics is an economically viable farming system that is effective when space and water is limited. It combines aquaculture, the cultivation of fish or aquatic plants for food production, and hydroponics, the cultivation of plants in a nutrient rich water solution, are combined.

Hamburg, in partnership with the Stadtteilschule (High School) Fischbek-Falkenbek, entrepreneur and aquaponics expert Leif Lorenzen, Steg, and the local district council, has continued this long tradition by financing two mobile, specially designed aquaponics systems for use in local classrooms. Over the course of two days, students constructed the aquaponics systems, with the ultimate goal is for these mobile systems to serve as an interactive and engaging learning tool across subjects for students of all ages. This process fostered a sense of ownership for the mobile aquaponics systems, and can easily be adapted to other school communities.

While students are out on summer break, aquatic bacteria capable of breaking down the ammonia produced by fish will be added to the system and given time to flourish. When students return in the fall and add fish and plants to the system, these bacteria will turn ammonia into plant-ready nutrients–cleaning the water and fertilizing produce. Students will closely co-monitor the health of the fish and the growth of the edible plants and ideally be able to harvest greens at the end of the semester, outside of the standard growing season. Meanwhile, a local aquaponics expert will compile a manual for replicating these aquaponic systems across Europe, with input from students and teachers, drawing from their first hand experience. Ultimately, this project hopes to serve as an example for how meaningful NBS with lasting impacts can be created with limited budget and space. Hamburg financed this initiative via the EU Horizon 2020 CLEVER Cities project, in which ICLEI plays a leading role.

Read more about the project here.