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Severe hydro-meteorological phenomena are having a high impact on European territories and are of global concern. Over the past year, extreme heatwaves have caused widespread wildfires and prolonged droughts in many parts of the world including China, Europe, India and the United States. Record rains occurred in Australia and New Zealand. Severe floods left one-third of Pakistan under water. The science behind these natural hazards is complex and advancement in knowledge relies on progress in data acquisition and forecasting which improves real-scenario interventions.

Nature-based approaches can offer sustainable solutions to cope with climate change mitigation and adaptation challenges. However, the deployment of Nature-based Solutions (NBS) to mitigate the impact of hydro-meteorological hazards has not been adequately demonstrated and is still uncoordinated at the European level, and therefore is not reaching its full potential. Actions to achieve the highest NBS impact require strategies to enhance technical capacities, societal acceptance, and policy coherence while demonstrating advantages for market development. 

Recognizing the potential of healthy ecosystems for disaster resilience, UNESCO promotes the use of Nature-based Solutions to reduce the impact of natural hazards and climate change. Examples include the construction of wetlands to protect coastal communities from flooding and the restoration of degraded land to prevent soil erosion and landslides. UNESCO collaborates with international experts to mainstream this approach in development and planning at global, national and local levels. 

The International Conference on Nature-based solutions to manage hydro-meteorological risks, hosted at UNESCO HQ on 13-16 December 2022, aims to highlight the potential of Nature-based Solutions to enhance resilience across Europe and beyond while addressing their current and potential future place in the EU and global environmental agenda. 

The conference will revolve around three major themes which represent essential considerations for Nature-based Solutions in the European Union. As such, experts will discuss the Global and EU agenda regarding Nature-based solutions, touching on the science and policy gaps as well as the challenges of NBS implementation in Europe. The second theme of the conference will outline good practices for NBS co-creation based on a range of case studies. Experts will then demonstrate the role of large-scale EU-funded NBS projects and provide evidence for the adoption of Nature-based Solutions in response to major societal challenges. 

Roundtable on Nature-based solutions in the EU environmental agenda

Science & policy gaps and challenges of NBS implementation in Europe.

First Session: 9.30-11.00 

Opening: Soichiro Yasukawa, Chief of Disaster Risk Reduction Unit, UNESCO  

Panelists: 

• Paola Lepori, Policy Officer - Biodiversity & Nature-based Solutions at European Commission, Directorate-General for Research & Innovation 
  
  Nature-based Solutions: A European (Commission) perspective 

• Sebastian Penzini, Deputy Chief, United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction 
  
  The implementation of the Sendai Framework in the European Union: roadmap for Disaster Risk Reduction  

• Promoting multi-dimensional disaster risk management in support of EU policy  

• Milo Fiasconaro, Executive Director, Aqua Publica Europea  
  
  NBS: opportunities and challenges from public water operators’ perspective 

• Jonathan Baker, Head of Science unit at UNESCO Regional Bureau for Science and Culture in Europe, UNESCO Venice Office  
  
  UNESCO’s actions on advancing environmental science for sustainable management in Europe  

Moderator: Silvana Di Sabatino, University of Bologna 

Roundtable on Nature-based solutions in EU: Challenges and lessons learnt  

Showcasing NBS projects and their lessons learnt (implementation challenges, SHs, COVID, etc.). 

Second Session: 11.30-13.30

Panelists: 

• GoGreenRoutes - GO GREEN: Resilient Optimal Urban natural, Technological and Environmental Solutions 
  
  Tadhg MacIntyre, Senior Lecturer, National University of Ireland Maynooth 

• UPSURGE - City-centered approach to catalyze nature-based solutions through the EU Regenerative Urban Lighthouse 
  
  Darko Ferčej, Head of EU project office, E-zavod 

• I-CHANGE - Individual Change of HAbits Needed for Green European transition 
  
  Teresa Carlone, Research fellow, University of Bologna 

• REGREEN - Fostering NBS for smart, green and healthy urban transitions in Europe and China 
  
  Marianne Zandersen, Senior researcher, Aarhus University 

• FutureMARES - Climate Change and Future Marine Ecosystem Services and Biodiversity 
  
  Myron Peck, Head of Scientific Departement, Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research 

• PHUSICOS - “According to nature”, solutions to reduce risk in mountain landscapes 
  
  Bjørn Kalsnes, Senior Engineer, Norwegian Geotechnical Institute 

• OPERANDUM - OPEn-air laboRAtories for Nature baseD solUtions to Manage hydro-meteo risks 
  
  Laura Sandra Leo, Senior Assistant Professor, University of Bologna 

Moderator: Amy Oen, Senior Researcher, Norwegian Geotechnical Institute 

Information Session on advancing the disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation agenda: application of ecosystem services and nature-based solutions

Evidence building for Nature-Based Solutions: Role of NBS for societal challenges  

Third Session: 15.00-17.00 

French/English interpretation will be available 

Panelists: 

• Fabrice Renaud, Head of School of Interdisciplinary Studies, University of Glasgow, Scotland  
  
  Nature-based Solutions for Disaster Risk Reduction: an overview of existing definitions and frameworks  

• Sebastian Penzini, Deputy Chief, United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction 
  
  Comprehensive Disaster and Climate Risk Management  

• Noëline Raondry Rakotoarisoa, Director of UNESCO's Division of Ecological and Earth Sciences  
  
  UNESCO Biosphere Reserves: Towards Enhancing Resilience against Climate and Ecosystem Change  

• Rahmah Elfithri, Chief of Capacity Development, and Water Family Coordination Section, UNESCO’s Division of Water Sciences  
  
  UNESCO’s Ecohydrology Approach as a Nature-based Solution for Improving Resilience and Adaptation to Climate Change 

• Nicolas Faivre, Climate Resilience and Disaster Risk Reduction Project Officer, European Research Executive Agency  
  
  European policy: a shift towards green infrastructure? Strategic fundings and mechanisms  

• Silvana Di Sabatino, Full Professor and OPERANDUM Project Coordinator, Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Bologna  
  
  Implementation of large-scale Nature-based solutions projects: challenges and lessons learnt (OPERANDUM, PHUSICOS, RECONECT)  

Moderator: Soichiro Yasukawa, Chief of Disaster Risk Reduction Unit, UNESCO