NATALIE Project - Newsletter Issue N°1

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Welcome to the first edition of the NATALIE Newsletter

Dear readers,

On behalf of the whole NATALIE team, I am pleased to introduce the first NATALIE Newsletter!

The NATALIE project aims to better prepare European regions for future climate change challenges by accelerating and mainstreaming Nature-Based Solutions (NBS) to enhance the resilience.
To reach this objective, 43 partners work together in the areas of innovation, research, policy, and capacity development.
We look forward to keeping you informed and up-to-date on our activities through the new NATALIE newsletter, which we will issue every 4 months from now on.

This first newsletter features the recent technical progress, a section concerning fresh news about the work carried out in our demonstration sites and a section summarising the major events in which NATALIE has participated.

Scroll down and enjoy the reading,
All the best,
Sonia SIAUVE, NATALIE Coordinator

NATALIE at a Glance

NATALIE Highlights

NATALIE in Action

NATALIE Spotlight

Building the Future Together

Upcoming Events

NATALIE AT A GLANCE

NATALIE is an European Union research project contributing to the objectives of the EU mission “Adaptation to Climate Change”, aiming to empower at least 150 regions and local communities to become climate resilient by 2030. Read more

NATALIE Highlights : Progress in Resilience

Our mission to accelerate climate resilience through NBS is gaining significant momentum, with exciting developments unfolding across NATALIE.

Stakeholder landscape: Mapped across 8 case studies, evaluating power, interest, and relationships to strengthen our analysis.
Key policy documents: Identified to assess greenhouse gas accounting and the role of NBS in various contexts.
Stakeholder engagement methodology: Bringing NATALIE partners and external stakeholders together for collaboration and innovation. This success led to launching the NATALIE Transformation Lab, with workshops in 4 case studies already underway. Additionally, we’ve designed a tailored citizen science methodology for future implementation.

Accelerating NBS Financing

8 sites have been selected to implement one or more of the Investment Bundle Tools to confirm feasibility and accelerate finance for their NBS interventions. Also, the first stakeholder workshop was held on June 11, 2024 at the demonstration site 4 in Maspalomas (Gran Canaria) to introduce local stakeholder to the NATALIE project and identify main challenges in the region.

Knowledge Booster & Open Date Space

After consulting the consortium and monitoring the progress of our roadmap in the case studies, we have developed the initial draft for the Knowledge Booster, an innovative online platform designed to create a digital ecosystem for generating ideas, sharing research experiences, and facilitating knowledge exchange on NBS to enhance climate resilience. This platform is designed to support the project's overarching goals: mainstreaming NBS across Europe to increase resilience to climate change, and promoting the upscaling of local measures demonstrated in the case studies. These drafts will be presented for review and discussion at the next general assembly. Feedback from the session will help refine the drafts before proceeding with the implementation of the first design versions of both the Knowledge Booster and the Open Data Space shortly.

#Return To Summary

NATALIE in Action : Regional Impact

NBS need to be accompanied with societal, smart, and financial innovative solutions, with stakeholder and citizen engagement often being the key to ensuring long-term success and sustainability. NATALIE aims to transform, implement, and test 18 NBS among 8 case studies in 6 bio-geographical regions of Europe. Each case study involves both demonstration sites and, in four instances, follower sites, ensuring that the results can be scaled and adapted to other regions.

1. Flood and Wildfire risk mitigation, Greece

Demonstration Site#1- Lelantine plain

2. Fresh water habitat restoration in urban ecosystem, Romania

Demonstration Site#2- Vacaresti Natural Park

Follower#2- Bucharest Children World Park

3. Constructed wetlands, Latvia and Lithuania

Demonstration Site#3- Latvian Zemgale Region

Follower#3- Lithuania

4. Alternative water management solutions, Spanish archipelagos

Demonstration Site#4- Canary Islands

Follower#4- Baleares

5. Water reuse and aquifer recharge, Belgium

Demonstration Site#5- Blue Horizon Limburg

6. Aquatic system restoration and water management, France

Demonstration Site#6- Vienne River

Follower#6- Grand Est

7. Coastal management with NBS, Iceland

Demonstration Site#7- Arctic

8. River restoration and sustainable management, Italy

Demonstration Site #8- Venice

Explore our Case Studies

Key actions and achievements over the 1st year of NATALIE include:

Flood and Wildfire Risk Control (Greece): Hydrological models have been developed to guide the placement of flood management structures like stone check dams, while wildfire risk management plans emphasize prescribed burning and prevention.
Biodiversity Restoration (Romania, Lithuania, Latvia, France, Italy): Restoration efforts include biodiversity monitoring and habitat improvements, such as constructing wetlands and restoring natural water flows. In Italy, efforts are focused on the Venice Lagoon to demonstrate sustainable river restoration and maintenance.
Water Management and Aquifer Recharge (Belgium, Spanish Archipelagos): Innovative solutions like Aquifer Storage and Recovery and aquifer recharge using regenerated water are being implemented to improve water security in water-scarce regions.

These actions are part of a broader strategy to transform regional landscapes, enhance resilience, and contribute to EU climate goals. As NATALIE enters its second year, efforts are intensifying across all sites to demonstrate the effectiveness of NBS and support long-term sustainability.

#Return To Summary

NATALIE Spotlight

NATALIE at the NBS for Water Security and Climate Adaptation Conference. 3-4 July 2024. Belgrade, Serbia.

A. Chen from the University of Exeter introduced the project’s objectives, while A. Spyropoulou from the University of Thessaly (Greece) and WE&B (Spain) presented a comprehensive framework for stakeholder ecosystem identification, ensuring diverse stakeholder engagement in NBS co-design. J. Soler from AQUATEC (Spain) demonstrated tools to evaluate NBS performance against climate impacts, supporting disaster risk reduction and fostering co-benefits. Read More

Funding and Financing Webinar for Water-Related Challenges at EU Green Week. 4 June 2024.

NATALIE, in collaboration with key EU initiatives, hosted a webinar focused on "Funding and Financing: Solutions for Water-Related Challenges" A. Radstake from Global Infrastructure Basel Foundation, presented its Nature for Catchments Launchramp, set to be tested in Greece, Spain, Iceland and France. The session emphasized the critical need for scaling up climate-resilient investments to address water-related issues effectively. Read More

NATALIE at Danube Water Forum 2024. 29 May 2024. Brasov, Romania.
C. Nanu from Business Development Group and D. Barbulescu from Văcărești Natural Park Association, presented the restoration of Văcărești Natural Park, Bucharest’s first urban nature reserve. The project showcased an innovative solution to retain rainwater for dry periods, addressing urban heatwaves and flooding. This case study emphasizes the importance of integrating green spaces into urban planning to enhance climate resilience. Read More

NATALIE at the Belgian Science for Climate Action Conference. 19-20 February 2024. Brussels, Belgium.
M. Moreno from Vrije Universiteit Brussel presented the NATALIE project. The session focused on ongoing projects addressing climate change, with NATALIE's contributions toward increasing climate resilience being highlighted to over 400 attendees, including local decision-makers. Read More

#Return To Summary

Building the Future Together

At NATALIE, we believe that collaboration is key to maximizing the impact of NBS across Europe and beyond. Our Liaison Strategy is designed to foster strong partnerships with leading networks and initiatives ensuring that our solutions for climate resilience reach their full potential. By working together, we aim to create a ripple effect that will extend far beyond the life of the project.

Our strategy revolves around two key objectives:

Sharing knowledge: We actively disseminate our findings, methodologies, and NBS solutions to empower other regions and organizations.
Receiving knowledge: We learn from and align with other relevant projects, clusters, and networks, enabling us to integrate cutting-edge insights into our work.

NATALIE has already begun collaborating with:

NBS4EU Cluster: Seven EU-funded projects under the same topic working together to mainstream NBS and enhance climate resilience across Europe (ARCADIA, CARDIMED, DesirMED, MountResilience, LAND4CLIMATE and NBRACER)
MIP4Adapt Platform: Supporting regional and local authorities in their climate adaptation efforts, helping to scale NBS solutions.
ICT4WATER Cluster: Driving digital innovation in water management, we collaborate to integrate NBS with advanced digital tools.
NBS Network Nature: A platform dedicated to advancing NBS through research, partnerships, and capacity building, fostering cooperation to maximize the reach and impact of NBS.
Water Europe and Watershare: Facilitating knowledge exchange and fostering collaboration on sustainable water management solutions.
ENRICH Global: A global network aimed at enhancing international collaboration in innovation, where NATALIE engages in the Climate Change and Sustainability thematic group to share knowledge and best practices.

These partnerships are just the beginning. As NATALIE progresses, we will continue to build new relationships, share our successes, and contribute to European and global climate adaptation efforts