The Program Water-Land-Scape is a policy instrument where VLM is working with local coalitions to solve water-related problems in rural areas. The Program focuses on sustainable agriculture, sustainable water supply, good water quality, buffering of water (both in built-up environments and in natural systems) and stronger landscape in the area. The Program wants to take into account the extra stress that climate change puts on the water system.

VLM collaborates with stakeholders in the implementation, and invests in soil and water quality, biodiversity and infrastructure. Main characteristics of the Program include an area-based approach, application of interdisciplinary and intersectoral solutions, support for local initiatives, and focus on improved quality of environment and life. In order to implement complex, area-based plans, solutions have to be found that mitigate or compensate for the impact of large infrastructure projects of local/affected owners and ensure access to land for key open space functions (such as food supply and biodiversity).

The Program is operated through calls for proposals. Local beneficiaries/groups can submit applications to tackle water related problems using NbS. Selected projects receive financial support from the Flemish Government and support for the use of approved instruments (e.g. land acquisition of land swaps, creation of management contracts with farmers or other beneficiaries.)

The Lapland Agreement is Lapland’s regional development programme for the years 2022-2024, also including the long term plan until 2040. The document is required by law, and is elaborated in wide cooperation with regional stakeholders, following a unique bottom-up approach. The Agreement (and the Lapland Green Deal Roadmap embedded in it) is a regional development strategy with a broad scope, but focusing on prevention measures of climate change as a major factor of regional development, with special emphasis on sustainable land use, carbon neutral economy, low-emission transport and accessibility, nature protection and sustaining biodiversity, climate-wise and responsible forest utilisation, sustainable tourism, circular economy and local agrifood encouraging sustainability.

The Agreement is accompanied by an implementation plan drafted every second year that directs funding (e.g. by affecting the implementation of the national Investment for Jobs and Growth operational programme). In addition to affecting funding, the Lapland Agreement also governs land use.

In the current Agreement, NbS are addressed to some extent as part of the Lapland Green Deal Roadmap, but the topic clearly needs more emphasis. By including an emphasised application of NbS in the Agreement, both land use, development activities and funding for NbS can be better targeted and intensified.

The targeted OP is the major tool for regional development in the 2021-2027 period. Objectives of Priority II are:
# Efficient use of energy
# Limited energy consumption of the economy
# Increased energy efficiency and energy saving

The support under the specific objectives 1 and 3 will be allocated to the modernization of buildings towards energy-efficient construction with a simultaneous reduction of emissions. Reducing energy consumption and the emission of GHG and other airborne pollutants can be achieved through simultaneous thermal modernization measures, combined with the elimination of obsolete individual heating sources. The production of electricity and heat from renewable energy sources will also be supported, as an element of projects targeting energy efficiency of buildings/enterprises.

NbS are not yet widely applied, with stakeholders having very low knowledge in the theme, and currently it is not part of the OP. However, RRDA is aware that improving the policy to favour NbS in will lead to an improvement in the climate adaptation and resilience of the region. NbS applied for the enhancement or restoration of ecosystems and green infrastructure can significantly improve air quality and regulate GHG in the atmosphere, through the removal of air pollutants, carbon storage and sequestration.

The serious damage caused by the 2019 flood revealed the urgent need to rethink comprehensive actions in the region. National and regional governments are committed to regenerate the rural space of Vega Baja County, with the support of EU funds. The Vega Baja Regeneration Plan is the regional government’s instrument to repair the damage caused in 2019 and to prepare for further extreme nature and weather threats of the future, supporting a more sustainable model of growth.

The objective of the Plan is to turn the 2019 catastrophe into an opportunity promoting a resilient environment that favours economic regeneration of the Vega Baja area, while supporting territorial development, unconditionally respecting the environment, preparing for future episodes of extremities, and enabling a more comprehensive structuring of the territory and integration with the rest of the Valencian region.

The Plan is based on four fundamental pillars - coordination, consensus, evidence and resilience, that act as the target areas of the need to join efforts of various public and private actors, to achieve common goals. Though it has a sustainability focus, it does not exploit the full potential of possible NbS interventions, and the traditional water resource management knowledge of the area. These should receive more emphasise, and awareness both among authorities, and other community and business, as well as the residents of the area.

The Vukovar-Srijem County Development Plan until 2027 is already drafted but not yet adopted. It has several strategic objectives that are important for the county’s development, including:
# Competitive and innovative economy
# Ecological and energy transition for climate neutrality
# Self-sufficient food production and bioeconomy
# Development of areas strengthening regional competitiveness (focused on forestry and wood processing sectors)

The Plan is a major tool for strengthening the innovation potential of the county and to align research and development strategies with economic needs. It is in line with EU strategies of bioeconomy, biodiversity, the European Green Deal and the principles of zero pollution. It joins policy, scientific and industrial sectors for a joint aim of higher value-added and innovative products based on bioeconomy, offering the best chances for regional competitiveness.

The Plan also provides high potential for the application of NbS either in industrial interventions, scientific and social areas. Specific incorporation of NbS in wood and other bioeconomy sectors, such as carbon sequestration using short rotation coppice, as well as sustainability of natural resources including forests, will support the EU principles of zero pollution, will contribute to the development of entrepreneurship, as well as product development. These will serve as a trigger for policy changes and improved awareness of stakeholders all along the value chain.

EEEOP+ is a national OP for 2021-2027, aligned with the European Green Deal, and linked to PO2 of the Cohesion Policy. Its priority axis are:
# PA1: water management and disaster risk reduction
# PA2: circular economy systems and sustainability
# PA3: protection of environment and nature
# PA4: renewable energy economy
# PA5: just transition of selected counties

EEEOP+ seeks to exploit synergies between the relevant fields of expertise and the local development potential. It invests in several sectors which, together with other policy areas, can create greater added value (e.g. water management with agriculture; urban water utility systems with green and blue infrastructure).

Its objectives include NbS elements in all priority axes, and supports a number of NbS-related horizontal policies (e.g. climate change adaptation, environment protection, circular economy, sustainability, good water status), but not in a systematic way. Exploiting the full potential of such solutions needs further efforts, and the topic of NbS should be better corroborated in the implementation of the instrument, especially in three key application areas: stormwater management, urban greening spaces and soil protection.

Funding for NbS is available in the policy instrument, however, capacities and knowledge are scarce to anchor NbS in the ‘investment culture’.