Advancing Climate Resilience Through Nature-Based Solutions in Zvolen
From 20–22 May 2025, the NATURE-DEMO Consortium gathered in Zvolen, Slovakia, for a pivotal in-person meeting hosted by the Technical University in Zvolen (TUZVO). This gathering brought together project partners, the Advisory Board, and stakeholders to reflect on progress, align efforts, and set a clear course toward achieving the project’s ambitious goals.
NATURE-DEMO, an Innovation Action funded under the EU’s Horizon Europe Programme, is pioneering how Nature-Based Solutions (NbS) can protect critical infrastructure from climate risks such as floods, wildfires, landslides, and urban heat.
Aligning Science, Strategy, and Implementation
The meeting featured extensive updates on project progress:
WP1 (NbS for Infrastructure Resilience): The consortium reviewed the completed NbS catalogue with 59 factsheets and a hazard-matrix tool. Discussions focused on how to integrate NbS into digital platforms, and the development of a multi-criteria decision-making framework.
WP2 (Digital Risk Tools): Partners presented progress on quantitative risk-
reduction models and AI-based tools for hazard prediction. Special focus was
placed on climate indicators and exposure assessment, forming the backbone
of the digital support platform in development.
WP3 (Demonstrator Sites): Updates from five demo sites—Austria, Romania,
Slovenia, Slovakia, and North Macedonia—showed steady progress in
planning and early implementation. Zvolen’s local demonstrator, addressing
wildfire, landslide, and flash flood risks, is enhancing existing NbS like slope
dams and vegetative buffers.
WP6 (Dissemination & Stakeholder Engagement): Achievements include
mapping 600+ stakeholders across 13 countries, increasing digital
engagement, and advancing gender-sensitive communication approaches.
WP6 continues to play a key role in shaping public understanding and local
participation.
WP7 (Risk Management): A digital project management tool and shared risk
register are being developed to track potential delays and improve cross-WP
coordination.
Workshops and Field Visit
Day 2 of the meeting was dedicated to interactive workshops for WP1, WP2,
and WP3. These sessions allowed partners to jointly tackle technical
challenges, align methodologies, and define next steps for integration and
testing across demonstrator sites. Advisory board presentation from
Associate Professor Maryam Imani was well received and discussed in
relation to WPs of the NATURE-DEMO project.
Day 3 featured a field visit to the Zvolen demonstration area. Participants
explored the local landscape and existing NbS infrastructure, providing critical
context for technical planning and stakeholder discussions.
Looking Ahead
A highlight of the meeting was the strategic input from the Advisory Board, which
stressed the importance of effective communication between work packages,
actionable narratives for stakeholder engagement, and more structured cross-WP
interfaces.
The Zvolen meeting marked a shift from planning to implementation. The shared
commitment, technical progress, and deepening collaboration showcased in Zvolen
provide a strong foundation for the next phase of the project.
At Duratrans, we are proud to contribute to this European-wide initiative and look
forward to further demonstrating how innovative, nature-based approaches can
strengthen infrastructure and resilience in the face of climate change.
