The first event of the Project-to-Project Twinning Programme focused on NBS and it was held by UniverCities. The session was divided into three parts: first, NBS in the context of DivAirCity were introduced. Second, a roundtable discussion on challenges and benefits of NBS was held. Finally, projects had the chance to showcase their interventions, with several of them taking the stage to present their work.
MAIN POINTS OF DISCUSSION:
- NBS are cost-effective solutions, which can be tailored to local needs and not always need large budgets to be implemented. However, aspects related to maintenance must be taken into account to ensure the sustainability of the interventions.
- NBS, when implemented through a participatory approach, can foster sense of ownership, social inclusion, and cultural participation, as highlighted by the DivAirCity project, but also by projects in Lviv and Bogota.
- The environmental benefits of NBS can be multiple, from air pollution to waste management, from water collection to soil health.
MAIN LESSONS LEARNT
- NBS are an attractive topic on which several projects work, but interventions can take very different forms, so it is important to be flexible in the discussion.
- The interest goes beyond the interventions implemented, and concerns also the process adopted and the maintenance and sustainability of the solutions.
