The IBU has joined the European Union’s Erasmus+ funded BENCHES project to assess sport’s impact and dependency on nature.

The three-year project running from 2024-2027 will investigate the interdependence of sport and surrounding ecosystems, examining its dependency and impact on the natural environment.

Led by the Sant’Anna School of Advanced Studies in Pisa, the BENCHES project (Biodiversity, Ecosystems and Nature Conservation Helped and Enhanced by Sports) aims to enhance understanding and awareness while developing tools and practices to measure, manage and mitigate the adverse impacts of sport on biodiversity.

In collaboration with sports partners including World Athletics, the International Biathlon Union, World Sailing, the Italian Canoe Kayak Federation and S.L. Benfica of Lissabon, Portugal, the consortium will produce various deliverables, including research papers, reports, webinars, workshops, conferences and a specific tool assessing both the impact of sports on biodiversity and how sports benefit from ecosystem services.

In collaboration with partners like World Athletics, World Sailing, the Italian Canoe Kayak Federation and the football team of S.L. Benfica of Lisbon, Portugal, BENCHES will produce research papers, reports and a custom-developed tool for assessing sports' impact on biodiversity and the benefits of ecosystem services.

Key part of IBU strategy

Biathlon is an outdoor sport that leverages the natural environment as its stage. Biathletes spend the majority of their training time out in nature and many of them, like Julia Simon, have observed a decline in species and insufficient maintenance of trees and vegetation when training and spending time on forest trails and other natural environments.

Recognising the importance of biodiversity conservation, the IBU has made it a priority in its 2020-2030 Sustainability Strategy, aiming to educate the biathlon community on their role in nature conservation.

The IBU’s strategic targets include educating event hosts, venues and member national federations about biodiversity considerations, as well as sharing best practices with the wider community.

To learn more about the BENCHES project, visit: https://erasmus-benches.com/

Photo: IBU