Reconect joins Operandum final conference at UNESCO to capture project legacy on Nature-based Solutions
On 15 December 2022, RECONECT participated in the final conference of its sister project OPERANDUM on its Nature-based Solutions (NbS) lessons to manage climate related water risks. The conference focused on gathering key learning and overcoming challenges in the implementation of NbS in Europe and beyond.
In 2022, extreme heatwaves caused widespread wildfires and prolonged droughts in many parts of the world including China, Europe, India and the US. Alternately, record rains occurred in Australia and New Zealand and severe floods left one-third of Pakistan under water and displaced over a million people in Nigeria. Climate extremes are more and more frequent.
Hardly a week goes by without a dramatic climate event having hit a part of our globe. The science is clear, extreme weather events are on the rise. According to the WMO[1], the number of disasters has increased by a factor of five over the past 50-years. Driven by climate change, the hazards that led to the largest human losses have been droughts, storms, floods and extreme temperatures. The common denominator: water.
The conference, organised jointly by the Operandum project and UNESCO, aimed to demonstrate that NBS can offer sustainable solutions to hydro-meteorological risk and how collaboration, innovation and investment are crucial in its implementation. Over the past decade the deployment of NbS actions and efforts was scattered across Europe, more streamlined coordination and sharing of knowledge would help reach the full potential of Nature-based Solutions.
During the roundtable on lessons learned and challenges, including implementation, finances and the COVID19 pandemic, RECONECT joined six other Horizon2020 projects in sharing the project’s progress, successes and lessons. The participating projects were all H2020 projects, namely GoGreen Routes, Upsurge, I-CHANGE, REGREEN, FutureMARES, PHUSICOS and Reconect.
“The RECONECT project has the advantage of having both scientists researching NbS impact as well as project managers implementing NbS practices in the field. From this combination we can draw a wealth of knowledge on NbS implementation, package it in tailored communications and disseminate to key target audiences for uptake and influencing, ensuring a legacy for the Horizon projects”, said Claire Warmenbol, RECONECT project partner and IUCN Communications Manager.
Capturing project legacies was a key topic during the panel debates as many Horizon projects, such as Operandum, are reaching their end dates in 2022 and 2023. Project managers discussed how to “keep the projects alive” and ensure lessons, knowledge and achievements can continue to influence and inspire NbS work in Europe and around the world.
The core of the OPERANDUM project was the establishment of novel open-air laboratories, using “living-lab concepts” in natural and rural areas to promote innovation and research development in NbS. Its multi-disciplinary consortium consisted of 26 partners coming from 13 European and non-European countries. Website: https://www.operandum-project.eu/
The recordings from sessions can be found through the following link:
[1] https://public.wmo.int/en/media/press-release/weather-related-disasters-increase-over-past-50-years-causing-more-damage-fewer
