Greek, Spanish and British partners of the NATALIE project attended the “Nature-Based Solutions for Water Security and Climate Adaptation” Conference in Belgrade, Serbia. This event, organized by the RECONECT network project under the Horizon Europe program, with support from the International Water Association (IWA) and the International Association for Hydro-Environment Engineering and Research (IAHR), convened over 120 academics and practitioners from around the globe to discuss advancements in nature-based solutions (NBS).
NATALIE Project Overview
The University of Exeter (UK) introduced the NATALIE project to the conference attendees. They detailed the project's objectives, overall methodology, and the design of various work packages and their interrelationships. Key demonstrators and followers of case studies were highlighted, along with the challenges faced. This presentation aimed to foster collaborations and synergies for upscaling NBS implementations beyond the project's scope, by also introducing the consortium members to the audience.
Stakeholder Ecosystem Identification
Representatives from the University of Thessaly (Greece) and Water Environment and Business for Development (WE&B, Spain) presented a comprehensive framework for stakeholder identification and analysis. Their approach ensures the involvement of a diverse range of stakeholders, including academia, policymakers, the private sector, civil society, and nature-engaged citizens. This method is essential for the successful implementation and co-design of NBS that meets community needs.
The methodology of Stakeholder ecosystem identification benefits from the NATALIE project Case Studies with case-specific data, offering new insights into leveraging the potential of understanding stakeholder ecosystems in different sites through a methodical approach.
Assessment Tools for Nature-based Solutions
AQUATEC (Spain) showcased methodologies and tools used within the NATALIE project to evaluate NBS performance against climate change impacts. These tools support the planning and implementation of NBS interventions. The methodology proposes a streamlined framework that includes modeling hazards and impacts in terms of disaster risk reduction and co-benefits in a participatory multi-criteria decision-making.