From Practice to Policy: Innovating Water Resilience through Nature-based Solutions (NbS)
25. June 14:45 - 16:30
The session will explore how Nature-based solutions (NbS) strengthen water resilience and support the objectives of EU water-related policies. It will develop policy recommendations in line with EU frameworks, especially the drafted Water Resilience Strategy. Showcasing local/regional examples, it will discuss enablers, barriers and lessons learned and will highlight how NbS tackle climate-related challenges like flood management, water scarcity, wastewater treatment and reuse, water quality and ecosystem restoration.
Discussions will focus on existing policy barriers and the development of actionable policy recommendations. Bringing together key stakeholders from EU-funded projects and municipalities, the session aims to drive innovation in water resilience practices through the integration of NbS. Emphasis will be placed on aligning these recommendations with EU frameworks and the forthcoming Water Resilience Strategy Draft, ensuring they contribute to shaping future EU policies and funding initiatives.
Speakers
Senior Nature Advisor, CDP Worldwide
Afroditi Mathioudaki, Senior Nature Advisor, CDP Worldwide
Afroditi Mathioudaki is a Greek-qualified lawyer with over 10 years of international experience in advising national and regional governments and private stakeholders in connection with international and european laws, regulations, public policy and advocacy matters. Her current professional activity is centered around environmental protection issues, with a special attention to nature and biodiversity conservation and restoration for coastal cities and regions in Europe and beyond.
Polytechnic of Turin (Italy)
ElisaCostamagna, RESARCHER, POlyTechnic of Turin
Elisa Costamagna is a researcher at Polytechnic of Turin - Department of Environment, Land and Infrastructure Engineering. She earned her PhD working on green walls for greywater treatment and visualization of microbial activity in constructed wetlands.
Her research approach involves experimental activities and numerical modelling. She contributes to projects related to greywater treatment and Nature-based Solutions (SUPERGREEN, NICE [https://nice-nbs.eu/]) and rainwater management in urban environment (RETURN [https://www.fondazionereturn.it/]). She’s PI in the NBS4MOV project [https://www.nbs4mov.it/], which is focused on NBS in mountain environment. She’s session convener at EGU, participates in international conferences and co-authored more than 10 peer-reviewed publications in the field of Nature-based Solutions.
She likes to be engaged in communication activities in school and public events, and she teaches in Civil Engineering and Architecture courses in her home university.
Project Manager, Agency for the Support of Regional Development
Ján Dzurdženík, Project Manager, Agency for the Support of Regional Development
Graduated in Environmental Science at the Pavol Jozef Šafárik University in Košice, he gained experience in environmental assessment within the Slovak Environmental Agency team. Since 2008 he has been working on the topic of adaptation to climate change within the Agency for the Suport of Regional Development Košice.
He participated in the preparation of the adaptation strategy for the consequences of climate change in the Košice region, and in its refinement at the local level. He has been involved in awareness-raising activities on the impacts of climate change, as well as practical investment adaptation projects.
Project manager, Régional Council Provence Alpes Côte d'azur
Marie Caroline Vallon, Project manager, Régional Council Provence Alpes Côte d'azur
"Marie Caroline Vallon, graduate of the Institut d'Etudes Politiques and holder of a Master's degree in Planification. She, has been working for more than 20 years with local authorities on all aspects of sustainable development and developing a comprehensive, decompartmentalised and uncomplicated approach to urban issues and practices.
Working for the Southern Region's Department of Energy and Territorial Transition, she provides expertise to take climate change issues into account in urban projects. She was project manager for the Nature For City LIFE project and developed training initiatives for city stakeholders, and mobilization tools to adapting cities to climate change.
Actually, she represents the Southern Region as a partner in CARDIMED project (funded by Horizon Europe), for the French team running a demonstration site on university campuses where SFN are being tested with teams from Aix Marseille University, SEMIDE and the Empan consultancy."
Researcher/Advisor, Delates
Silke Nauta, Researcher/Advisor
"Silke Nauta is an advisor and researcher specialising in Nature-based Solutions (NbS) for climate resilience and integrated water management. Currently working at Deltares, she contributes to the EU project NBRACER (https://nbracer.eu/), focusing on enhancing regional climate resilience along the Atlantic coast, particularly in the Dutch province of Fryslân.
Silke brings experience from her previous roles at Wetlands International Europe and WWF Netherlands, where she promoted NbS to mitigate flood and drought risks and supported freshwater restoration initiatives across Europe. Her academic background includes an MSc in International Land and Water Management from Wageningen University, with a specialisation in adaptive water management and a thesis on coastal lagoon vulnerability.
Silke is passionate about restoring the sponge-like function of soils, improving water retention, and integrating natural solutions into policy and practice."
Moderator
Junior Expert - NbS & Biodiversity team, ICLEI Europe
SIMON RACÉ, Junior Expert - NbS & Biodiversity team, ICLEI Europe
With a background in environmental policy, Simon currently serves as Junior Expert within the Biodiversity & Nature-based Solutions (NbS) team at ICLEI Europe. Last year, he participated in the organisation of a session related to NbS and health. His contribution to EURESFO 2025 will focus on water resilience and policy, connecting local and regional cases from various European projects.
Expert, Biodiversity and Nature based Solutions, ICLEI Europe (Germany)
Karen Naciph Mora, Expert, Biodiversity and Nature based Solutions, ICLEI Europe
Karen Naciph Mora is an Expert in the Nature Based Solutions and Biodiversity team at ICLEI European Secretariat, where she focuses on topics related to pollution, environmental quality, and water management. Karen has a background in environmental engineering and a MSc. Degree in Water Resources and Environmental Management. She is supporting the implementation of several EU level initiatives and projects like Urban ReLeaf, EcoDaLLi, NBRACER, Soils for Europe (SOLO), NICE, among others.