Pointing the way to climate resilience in south-east Europe
The EU-funded ARCADIA(opens in new window) project has published a report(opens in new window) comparing the effectiveness of nature-based solutions (NbSs) across the regions of Plovdiv (Bulgaria), Centru (Romania) and Podravje (Slovenia). This in-depth analysis furthers the project’s efforts to accelerate the adoption of NbSs and guide European regions and communities towards climate resilience. In its analysis of NbS-driven climate adaptation strategies across the three European regions, the report focuses on governance structures, risk assessments, stakeholder engagement and financial frameworks. By exploring regional adaptation goals and transformational targets, it identifies best practices, systemic challenges and opportunities for scaling up NbSs.
Adaptive governance is key
A vital takeaway is the important role that adaptive governance plays in the success of climate resilience efforts. The Podravje region’s centralised governance model may ensure streamlined decision-making, effective policy execution and clear accountability that increase the effectiveness and scalability of NbS projects, but it also risks ignoring localised priorities. In contrast, the decentralised approach adopted in the Plovdiv and Centru regions may foster inclusivity, but it also requires stronger coordination to avoid governance fragmentation. As regards climate risk assessment and monitoring, the comparison shows that Podravje’s tech-driven, dynamic monitoring system makes it possible to accurately predict and mitigate floods, landslides and other climate risks. The report recommends that Centru and Plovdiv shift from reactive, static climate risk assessments towards adaptive, real-time, data-informed decision-making. In terms of NbSs and regional adaptation goals, Slovenia leads in NbS integration by aligning policy, funding and implementation. The report highlights the need for Bulgaria and Romania to adopt a system-thinking approach to NbSs, ensuring policy coherence and cross-sectoral collaboration. Slovenia takes the lead in stakeholder engagement and multi-level coordination too, with an inclusive governance model that facilitates meaningful collaboration among government agencies, businesses, NGOs and civil society. However, Bulgaria and Romania’s regions are found to be in need of institutional reforms to align stakeholder engagement with national and regional adaptation strategies. In the sphere of financial mechanisms and funding challenges, Podravje’s results-based financial model offers a scalable framework for other regions. The report recommends that the Plovdiv and Centru regions improve fund allocation transparency, aligning funding mechanisms with clear performance metrics to improve accountability and ensure that climate adaptation financing is results-driven. Overall, as the comparative analysis reveals, while the Podravje region’s centralised, performance-based approach fosters institutional coherence, financial efficiency and structured stakeholder participation, the region needs to improve localised adaptation responsiveness. As for the Plovdiv and Centru regions, although benefiting from decentralised governance and EU financial support, they must overcome the obstacles of policy fragmentation, inefficient fund allocation and weak NbS integration. The ARCADIA (TrAnsformative climate ResilienCe by nAture-baseD solutions in the contInentAl bio-geographical region) report concludes: “To accelerate transformative climate resilience, regions must balance centralised efficiency with decentralised flexibility, integrate real-time risk assessment mechanisms, and scale up NbS implementation through structured financial and governance reforms. Cross-border collaboration and shared knowledge frameworks will be instrumental in closing existing adaptation gaps and ensuring sustainable, climate-resilient regional development.” For more information, please see: ARCADIA project website(opens in new window)
