FLAGSHIPS

Platform; ongoing

 

Nature-based solutions (NBS) for flood risk reduction are interventions inspired and supported by nature, providing cost-effective environmental, social, and economic benefits while building resilience. These solutions enhance urban and rural landscapes by integrating natural features and processes, often allowing nature to self-sustain (e.g., river restoration). In flood risk management, NBS involve managing erosion and flood risks by leveraging natural regulatory functions of catchments and coasts, promoting human well-being and biodiversity.

Recent decades have seen a push for flexible, multifunctional solutions in flood risk management, leading to the rise of NBS. These solutions mitigate flood impacts like erosion and sedimentation, reduce drought risk, and offer other benefits. NBS can be purely natural (“green”) or hybrid, combining natural and engineered elements, embodying the concept of “making more space for rivers” and necessitating basin-level flood protection planning.

To advance NBS, an online workshop in October 2022, organised by EUSDR PA 5 with the involvement of PA 4 Water Quality and PA 6 Biodiversity, showcased successful projects from 17 countries. These included initiatives like the Danube Floodplain Projects, FRAMWAT, MERLIN, Optain, and Danube4All. Key recommendations from the workshop included sub-basin level NBS design, advocating for supportive legislation, promoting case studies, and disseminating information on water retention strategies.

The Global Water Partnership (CEE) has established a mission to define, design, and launch a community of practice (CoP) related to NBS in 2022. The community will build on the GWP Toolbox – IWRM action hub, which GWP has recently developed and launched.

The Interreg Europe NBS4LOCAL project, launched in March 2023, aims to integrate NBS into policy instruments, supporting local authorities with regulatory measures and resource allocation. Additionally, a study on advancing NBS in hillside water management and the establishment of the Nature-based Solutions Hub (TeAM HUb) in Hungary highlights ongoing efforts.

EUSDR PA 5’s platform on NBS for flood risk reduction provides examples and policy recommendations across the Danube Region. Effective flood management is crucial for protecting communities and assets. NBS, alongside traditional engineering (“gray infrastructure”), offers sustainable alternatives by utilising natural processes for flood risk reduction and improving water quality.

Project, process, network, platform; ongoing

 

Extending the cooperation and joint efforts of the countries in the Danube Region presents an opportunity for reaching a common understanding and for developing standards regarding the management of environmental risks. Developing recommendations for the involvement of civil protection organisations and fire and rescue services involved in disaster management would encourage standardised response activities.

The Disaster Management Working Group (DM-WG) was established in 2019 to concentrate on emergency response and preparedness elements of managing environmental risks which are within the scope of EUSDR PA 5.

Network; ongoing

 

These actions and targets align with the proposal’s goals of raising public awareness and involving local governments in environmental safety initiatives. By focusing on these areas, the proposal supports the broader objectives of the EUSDR Action Plan, enhancing the Region’s resilience to environmental risks and promoting sustainable development.