Learning outcomes

After going through this Module, you will know ...

  • ... how to assess the suitability of different funding sources, in particular those arising from the private sector.

  • ... how to develop financing solution for your restoration project.

Module curriculum

    1. The MERLIN Learning Module on “The economics and financing of freshwater restoration”

    2. Introduction video

    3. Basic terms in economics and financing

    1. The MERLIN Financial Planning Workflow

    2. Figure – The MERLIN Financial Planning Workflow

    3. Pillar A – Drafting a project plan & strategy – part 1

    4. Pillar A – Drafting a project plan & strategy – part 2

    5. Pillar A – Test your knowledge

    6. Pillar A – Further reading

    7. Pillar B – Assessing costs and benefits

    8. Pillar B – Test your knowledge

    9. Pillar B – Further reading

    10. Pillar C – Characterising funding & revenue streams

    11. Pillar C – Test your knowledge

    12. Pillar C – Further reading

    13. Pillar D – Developing a financial strategy

    14. Pillar D – Test your knowledge

    15. Pillar D – Further reading

    16. Summary document – The MERLIN Financial Planning Workflow

    1. The MERLIN Off-the-Shelf Instruments

    2. Introduction to the Off-the-Shelf Instruments

    3. Grants

    4. Grants – Test your knowledge

    5. Donation-based and reward-based crowdfunding campaigns

    6. Donation-based crowdfunding – Guidance document

    7. Donation-based and reward-based crowdfunding campaigns – Test your knowledge

    8. Corporate donations

    9. Corporate donations – Guidance document

    10. Corporate donations – Test your knowledge

    11. Tourism and agriculture activities

    12. Tourism and agriculture activities – Guidance document

    13. Tourism and agriculture activities – Test your knowledge

    14. Off-the-Shelf Instruments – Further reading

    15. Debt instruments – Guidance document

    1. Other resources

    2. MERLIN webinar – Sien Kok & Sanja Prokrajac: Why freshwater ecosystem restoration makes (economic) sense

    3. MERLIN webinar – Louis Costa: Corporate and private funding - its value for conservation

    4. MERLIN webinar – Paul Jepson: Nature Impact Tokens as a means unlock "nature positive" investment

    5. MERLIN webinar – Stephen Hart: Investing in nature-based solutions? – Finance for nature in Europe

    6. MERLIN webinar – José Fernando Figueiredo: Mutual Guarantee & Environmental Sustainability: Collaborative Efforts for Green Future

    7. MERLIN webinar – Malte Schneider: Unlocking the potential of Carbon Credits in freshwater and nature restoration: practical insights

About this Module

  • Free
  • 41 lessons
  • 1 hour of video content

And here are your instructors

Module 3 Manager Josselin Rouillard

Josselin is a senior fellow at Ecologic Institute. A socio-economist by training, his work spans both academic research and consultancy services supporting the implementation of water, climate and agricultural policies in Europe.

Gerardo Anzaldua

Gerardo is a senior fellow at Ecologic Institute. His fields of work include water economics, innovation management, and conservation finance.

Esther Carmen

Esther is an interdisciplinary qualitative environmental social scientist. Her current research focuses on strengthening environmental governance in Scotland and across Europe to better involve private sector actors and mainstream nature-based solutions.

Yulia Demus

Yulia is a project manager at Connectology. Her main fields of work are innovation, access to finance and climate tech projects.

Sien Kok

Sien is a PhD candidate working on economics and financing of river restoration at Deltares and Wageningen University and Research. Additionally, she has more than 7 years experience in working as environmental economist focusing on nature-based solutions in urban, coastal and fluvial climate adaptation, specializing in economic valuation and payment for ecosystem services.

Viviane Malveira Cavalcanti

Viviane is a climate adaptation advisor at Deltares. Her main field of work comprises finding solutions to the socio-economic challenges related to climate change and how to foster sustainable financing.

Vladyslav Saviak

Vladyslav is an Innovation Manager at Connectology, responsible for transformative project leadership. His expertise extends to startup evaluation, with a specialised focus on sustainability, energy, infrastructure, mobility, and deep tech sectors.

Levin Scholl

Levin is a researcher at the Ecologic Institute, where he explores the economics of nature-based solutions. Other areas of his work include agricultural development, value chains, and sustainable business.

Reviews of this Module

5 star rating

Awesome & highly recommended!

Elisabeth Weber

I recently completed Module 3 and am thoroughly impressed with its overall quality and delivery. The content presented is state-of-the-art, reflecting the la...

Read More

I recently completed Module 3 and am thoroughly impressed with its overall quality and delivery. The content presented is state-of-the-art, reflecting the latest advancements and best practices in the field. Each video presentation is meticulously crafted, making it both engaging and easy to follow. The speakers are not only knowledgeable but also deliver the material with clarity and enthusiasm, enhancing the learning experience. The course design is highly professional, from the visual and audio quality to the seamless integration of multimedia elements. I found the tasks interspersed throughout the modules particularly useful in reinforcing key concepts and ensuring that I could apply what I had learned. These interactive components helped to solidify my understanding and kept me actively engaged. Additionally, the inclusion of supplementary literature is a fantastic bonus. It provides valuable resources for those who wish to delve deeper into the topics covered and expand their knowledge beyond the course material. Overall, the layout and execution of this project are exemplary. It has been a pleasure to work through this course, and I have gained a lot from the experience. I highly recommend this course to anyone seeking to enhance their skills and knowledge in this area. The effort and expertise that have gone into creating this course are evident and much appreciated.

Read Less
5 star rating

Nice course

Franziska Wenskus

Module 3 was a nice course, not too long and not too short. Videos and presentations look neat and the speakers seem to really know their stuff. Will definit...

Read More

Module 3 was a nice course, not too long and not too short. Videos and presentations look neat and the speakers seem to really know their stuff. Will definitely recommend!

Read Less