Context
Climate change poses unprecedented challenges to water management at the basin level, exacerbating risks such as floods, droughts, and ecosystem degradation. In this context, Nature-based Solutions (NbS) emerge as no-regret and multifunctional measures that enhance resilience while delivering co-benefits for ecosystem, biodiversity, water security, and human well-being. Defined by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as “actions aimed at protecting, sustainably managing, and restoring natural or modified ecosystems to address societal challenges effectively and adaptively,” NbS offer scalable, cost-effective approaches to climate adaptation and ecosystem restoration.
Basins, as integrated hydrological units, are particularly suited for NbS implementation based on a holistic Source-to-Sea approach. By planning ambitious NbS programs at the river basin level, these measures can achieve critical mass, amplifying their effectiveness and maximizing co-benefits across the entire system from headwaters to coastal and marine environments. Natural Water Retention Measures (NWRMs), for instance, not only support biodiversity but also play a key role in mitigating droughts, reducing flood risks, and preserving landscapes. This event will facilitate exchanges of knowledge and experiences between stakeholders from both Europe and China, showcasing how NbS can be strategically scaled up to address climate vulnerabilities while delivering multiple socio-ecological advantages.
Objectives
This webinar, organized by the Swedish Agency for Marine and Water Management (SwAM), the International Office for Water (OiEau), and the International Network of Basin Organizations (INBO), aims to:
- Raise awareness among policymakers, practitioners, and researchers on the role of NbS as transformative and multifunctional tools for climate adaptation and ecosystem restoration at the basin level from source to sea.
- Showcase concrete examples of NbS applications and evaluations in Europe and China, demonstrating how achieving critical mass at the basin scale enhances water retention, flood prevention, and ecosystem resilience.
- Explore governance and financing mechanisms that enable the upscaling of multifunctional NbS, emphasizing stakeholder collaboration and cross-sectoral synergies.
- Identify barriers and enablers for integrating NbS into national and transboundary policies, with a focus on replicable strategies for maximizing co-benefits.
By fostering dialogue between European and Chinese experts, the event will highlight how NbS programs, when implemented at scale, can serve as a cornerstone for climate-resilient ecosystem restoration and water management.
Master of ceremony:
- Dr. Eric Tardieu, Secretary General, International Network of Basin Organizations (INBO)
9:30 – 9:40 – Introduction
- Dr. Johan Kling, Senior Advisor,
Swedish Agency for Marine and Water Management (SwAM)
9:40 – 9:55 – Keynote European Speaker
9:55 – 10:40 – Case studies (moderated by Mr. Frank Zhang, Senior Analyst, SwAM)
9:55 – 10:25 – Speakers
- Mr. XU Ning, Senior Engineer, Hai river water conservancy commission (HWCC),
Ministry of Water Resources, China - Mrs. Paola Gallani, Officer, Water Quality, Biodiversity, and Sustainable Development Sector, Po River Basin District Authority (ADBPO), Italy
- Mr. Jan den Daas, Researcher on sustainable river management at the HAN University for Applied Sciences (The Netherlands), WP2 Lead of the Interreg project “ResiRiver” on NBS for adaptation, Member of the European Centre for River Restoration (ECRR)
10:25 – 10:40 – Questions and Answers (15 min)
10:40 – 11:35 – Panel discussion (moderated by Mr. Edouard Boinet, Head of project,INBO)
10:40-11:15 – Speakers
- Mr. Alexander Zinke, Senior Project Coordinator Water and Environment,
Environment Agency Austria - Ms. Ana Mendes, Principal Researcher,
University of Évora, Portugal - Dr. XU Fengran, Principal researcher,
China Institute of Water Resources and Hydropower Research (IWHR)
11:15 – 11:35 – Questions and Answers (20 min)
11:35 – 11:40 – Conclusion – Dr. Eric Tardieu, Secretary General,
International Network of Basin Organizations (INBO)