Pressing need for nature-based solutions

Rzeszow, the biggest city in south-east Poland, the capital of Podkarpackie voivodeship was the host of our most recent partnership meeting, which was held between 5-7 November. This session was particularly relevant: Europe has been hit by severe natural disasters in recent weeks – the floods along the Danube and the heavy rainfalls in Spain remind us of how vulnerable our communities are and highlight the urgency and importance of our work. Nature-based solutions, of which incorporation into selected regional policies, are the topic of our project and we do hope, that we can effectively contribute to provide concrete help to our communities to overcome the harmful impacts of climate change.

The first day was dedicated to the peer review – organised with the constructive contribution of the Polish associated policy authority, the Podkarpackie Region – focusing on innovative environmental strategies, including forest ecosystem retention, air quality improvement, and sustainable water management initiatives. Highlights included:

• Retention & Flood Prevention: Insights from State Forests on increasing retention capacity 
• Air Quality Solutions: The LIFE Podkarpackie project from Podkarpackie Region 
• Urban Nature Support: Poznań City Hall’s online presentation on green urban solutions 

During the other two days the partnership reviewed the current status of the project, discussed the training plans of the regions and had brainstorming about the possible details of the regional awareness-raising campaigns. At the end of the event, pilot action ideas were also raised, of which further elaboration is still on the project’s task list. The project partners were not only packed with a lot of information and experiences, but they also enjoyed the hospitality of Rzeszowska Agencja Rozwoje Regionalnego S.A.

The dates for the other peer review visits are closing: 28-29 January 2025 Belgium, 11-12 February 2025 Spain, 4-5 March 2025 Croatia and 25-26 March 2025 Hungary should be marked in the partners’ calendars.