NIGHTVISION4CE tackles light pollution: a growing cross-border challenge in Central Europe, which affects biodiversity, ecological connectivity, human wellbeing and the quality of landscapes across administrative boundaries. Current monitoring systems, data and practices remain fragmented, while public awareness is low and territorial capacities differ significantly.

The project’s objective is to enhance the transnational ability of regions to monitor, understand and manage light pollution, strengthening the evidence base and stimulating a shared public debate on Dark Skies. By integrating and capitalizing on outputs from five previous Interreg projects, NIGHTVISION4CE introduces an innovative approach that combines photometric data, human-activity patterns and nocturnal biodiversity information into a coherent, comparable and multifunctional framework.

The project will deliver a harmonised monitoring system, two pilots—an urban green-space pilot in Wrocław and a visitor-management pilot in the Eisenwurzen nature reserve—and two transferable solutions: the Dark BioBox for urban areas and a Dark Skies Visitor-Management Methodology for natural parks. These will benefit municipalities, protected-area managers, environmental agencies, researchers, NGOs and citizens by providing practical tools, evidence and engagement formats.

Implementation is based on coordinated transnational work: joint monitoring, shared pilot design, common communication formats and co-creation of a Transnational Dark Skies Action Plan.

Cooperation across borders is essential because artificial light spreads beyond jurisdictions, requires comparable evidence and demands a shared cultural narrative that no single region can build alone. NIGHTVISION4CE prepares the ground for long-term adoption of Dark Skies practices throughout Central Europe, effectively capitalizing on previous efforts.