Webinar: "Nature-based Solutions: No-Regret Measure for Climate Adaptation and Ecosystem Restoration at Basin Level"
Event details:
From Tue 10/21/25 to Tue 10/21/25
Remote
9:30AM-12:00PM (CET)
The International Network of Basin Organizations (INBO), for which OiEau provides the Permanent Technical Secretariat, is organising a webinar with the Swedish Agency for Marine and Water Management (SwAM) on nature-based solutions (NbS) for climate change adaptation and basin resilience.
This webinar will take place on Tuesday, 21 October 2025, from 9:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. (CET) and will bring together experts, decision-makers and practitioners from Europe and China to share concrete experiences and strengthen cooperation on integrated approaches to water management at the basin level.
Climate change poses unprecedented challenges for water management at the basin level: floods, droughts, ecosystem degradation and increasing pressure on resources. In this context, nature-based solutions (NbS) appear to be no-regret, multifunctional measures. They enhance resilience while offering co-benefits for biodiversity, water security and human well-being.
Defined by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as ‘actions to protect, sustainably manage and restore natural or modified ecosystems to effectively and adaptively address societal challenges,’ NbS offer scalable, effective and cost-efficient approaches to climate adaptation and ecological restoration.
River basins, as integrated hydrological units, are particularly well suited to the implementation of these solutions using a ‘source-to-sea’ approach.
By planning ambitious NbS programmes at this scale, stakeholders can achieve a critical mass that maximises ecological and socio-economic co-benefits, from upstream areas to coastal and marine environments.
Natural water retention measures (NWRMs) are a perfect example of this approach: they support biodiversity while helping to mitigate droughts, reduce flooding and preserve landscapes.
This webinar aims to promote the exchange of knowledge and experience between European and Chinese stakeholders, exploring how NbS can be strategically deployed to address climate vulnerabilities while supporting resilient and sustainable ecosystems.
Provisional programme
Master of ceremonies:
Dr Eric Tardieu, Secretary General, International Network of Basin Organisations (INBO)
9:30 – 9:40 | Introduction
- Dr Johan Kling, Head of Water Management Department, Swedish Agency for Marine and Water Management (SwAM) (to be confirmed)
9:40 – 9:55 | European keynote speaker
- Mr Rob Cunningham, Director of the Resilient Watersheds Programme, The Nature Conservancy Europe (TNC – Europe)
9:55 – 10:40 | Case studies (moderated by Mr Frank Zhang, Senior Analyst, SwAM)
- Mr XU Ning, Senior Engineer, Hai River Water Conservation Commission (HWCC), Ministry of Water Resources, China
- Ms Paola Gallani, Head of Water Quality, Biodiversity and Sustainable Development, Po Basin Authority (ADBPO), Italy
- Mr Jan den Daas, Researcher in Sustainable River Management, Han University of Applied Sciences (Netherlands), Project Manager for Interreg ResiRiver, Member of the European Centre for River Restoration (ECRR)
10:25 – 10:40 | Questions and answers
10:40 – 11:35 | Round table (moderated by Mr. Édouard Boinet and Ms. Marjorie Germain-Lupi, Project Managers, INBO)
- Mr Alexander Zinke, Senior Coordinator of the Water and Environment Project, Austrian Environment Agency
- Ms Ana Mendes, Senior Researcher, University of Évora, Portugal
- Dr XU Fengran, Senior Researcher, Chinese Institute of Water Resources and Hydropower Research (IWHR)
11:15 – 11:35 | Discussion and questions
11:35 – 11:40 | Conclusion
- Dr Eric Tardieu, Secretary General, International Network of Basin Organisations (INBO)
A few examples of projects
