Periodic Reporting for period 1 - DesirMED (Demonstration and mainstrEaming of nature-based Solutions for clImate Resilient transformation in the MEDiterranean)
Okres sprawozdawczy: 2024-01-01 do 2025-03-31
Climate change (CC) poses an escalating threat at both European and global levels, with wide-reaching impacts on social stability, public health, and overall well-being. The Mediterranean region, recognised as a climate change hotspot, is particularly vulnerable—not only due to its exposure to climate risks but also because it is one of the least economically developed biogeographical regions within the European Economic Area (EEA).
Effectively addressing the demands of climate adaptation in this context requires a paradigm shift—moving away from fragmented, incremental responses toward transformative strategies. This involves advancing policy development at all levels and promoting transversal, multi-level governance approaches that are inclusive, collaborative, and systemic.
At the core of this transformation are Nature-based Solutions (NbS). These solutions—aimed at preserving and restoring ecosystems, enhancing climate resilience, and enabling the sustainable management of natural resources—also deliver broader, long-term socio-economic benefits. They are central to the objectives of the EU Climate Change Adaptation Mission, which aims to support at least 150 European regions and communities in becoming climate resilient by 2030, and they represent a key pillar of the European Green Deal.
In this context, DesirMED places strong emphasis on the deployment of NbS, alongside innovative technologies and inclusive social practices. The project seeks to raise the ambition, ownership, and capacity of regional leaders and communities across the Mediterranean, leveraging proven approaches to transformative climate adaptation (CCA).
Recognising that effective adaptation is most often achieved at local and regional levels, DesirMED brings together a diverse set of actors through five Demonstrating Regions (DRs) and three Replicating Regions (RRs). These regions collaborate closely with scientific partners to co-design and implement holistic, place-based adaptation strategies.
By actively engaging key regional institutions within a multi-level governance framework, DesirMED acts as a catalyst for accelerating transformative action across critical community systems. Ultimately, the project aims to strengthen knowledge, build capacity, and empower Mediterranean regions and communities to lead their own climate resilience pathways, helping to accelerate the implementation of innovative and transformative solutions essential for long-term resilience.
Effectively addressing the demands of climate adaptation in this context requires a paradigm shift—moving away from fragmented, incremental responses toward transformative strategies. This involves advancing policy development at all levels and promoting transversal, multi-level governance approaches that are inclusive, collaborative, and systemic.
At the core of this transformation are Nature-based Solutions (NbS). These solutions—aimed at preserving and restoring ecosystems, enhancing climate resilience, and enabling the sustainable management of natural resources—also deliver broader, long-term socio-economic benefits. They are central to the objectives of the EU Climate Change Adaptation Mission, which aims to support at least 150 European regions and communities in becoming climate resilient by 2030, and they represent a key pillar of the European Green Deal.
In this context, DesirMED places strong emphasis on the deployment of NbS, alongside innovative technologies and inclusive social practices. The project seeks to raise the ambition, ownership, and capacity of regional leaders and communities across the Mediterranean, leveraging proven approaches to transformative climate adaptation (CCA).
Recognising that effective adaptation is most often achieved at local and regional levels, DesirMED brings together a diverse set of actors through five Demonstrating Regions (DRs) and three Replicating Regions (RRs). These regions collaborate closely with scientific partners to co-design and implement holistic, place-based adaptation strategies.
By actively engaging key regional institutions within a multi-level governance framework, DesirMED acts as a catalyst for accelerating transformative action across critical community systems. Ultimately, the project aims to strengthen knowledge, build capacity, and empower Mediterranean regions and communities to lead their own climate resilience pathways, helping to accelerate the implementation of innovative and transformative solutions essential for long-term resilience.
DesirMED during the first reporting period (1RP) in relation to the project’s Specific Objectives (SOs), as defined in Annex 1 of the Grant Agreement. In particular, during 1RP, the project has focused on laying the foundation for transformative adaptation across the engaged Mediterranean regions through extensive stakeholders (SHs) engagement, regional visioning, baseline data collection, and the planning of Nature-based Solutions (NbS) in the project Demonstrating Regions (DRs) and Replicating regions (RRs). While implementation and demonstration activities are scheduled for later phases (within WP2, recently started), the initial work has been critical in aligning regional efforts, identifying key actors, and designing coherent pathways for diving through the different steps of the Transformative Adaptation Journey (TAJ, WP1-WP3). Among the several milestones and deliverables achieved to date are the definition of the Regional Protocol (MS1), the stakeholder mapping process (MS2), and the completion of the initial series of regional workshops (MS3), as well as Deliverable D6.1 assessing the current status of NbS financing in Mediterranean regions.
DesirMED is making steady progress toward delivering meaningful scientific and societal impacts in the engaged DRs and RRs in the Mediterranean biogeographical region. Through the co-design, testing, and demonstration of transformative climate change adaptation solutions, primarily centered around NbS, the project directly engages with environmental, social, economic, and cultural systems. The NbS interventions being developed are grounded in region-specific climate risk profiles and SHs-driven visioning processes, and are designed to be replicable in comparable landscapes both within and beyond the Mediterranean context. This cross-cutting and place-based approach is fostering evidence-based adaptation pathways aligned with the EU Climate Change Adaptation Mission Implementation Plan, as well as key EU strategic goals related to climate action, biodiversity, the circular economy, the bioeconomy, and inclusive citizen engagement.
From a scientific standpoint, DesirMED has already generated robust baseline data through participatory stakeholder mapping (WP1), landscape characterization (WP4, with mapping methodology currently under finalization), and assessments of regional governance and adaptation capacity (WP5) and NbS financial schemes (WP6), including a first analysis of regional NbS implementation plans (WP2). This evidence base is informing the implementation of NbS across regions, with a focus on capturing co-benefits, trade-offs, and synergies across multiple systems. Monitoring and evaluation activities are underway (WP2 and WP4) and structured according to a set of qualitative and quantitative indicators defined in the project's Regional Protocol. These include benchmarks on stakeholder engagement, institutional readiness, NbS maturity levels, and climate vulnerability. Adjustments to the impact pathways, where needed, are being made in consultation with regional stakeholders to ensure continued alignment with evolving local priorities and governance dynamics.
While no major changes to the originally planned KPI and related expected impacts have occurred, the project’s flexibility in responding to region-specific needs and leveraging existing citizen science practices (e.g. via the rescheduling of milestone MS6) enhances its capacity to deliver context-relevant, scalable solutions. The project remains on track to meet its scientific and societal impact objectives as defined in the DoA, with upcoming deliverables further detailing impact quantification and replication potential.
DesirMED is making steady progress toward delivering meaningful scientific and societal impacts in the engaged DRs and RRs in the Mediterranean biogeographical region. Through the co-design, testing, and demonstration of transformative climate change adaptation solutions, primarily centered around NbS, the project directly engages with environmental, social, economic, and cultural systems. The NbS interventions being developed are grounded in region-specific climate risk profiles and SHs-driven visioning processes, and are designed to be replicable in comparable landscapes both within and beyond the Mediterranean context. This cross-cutting and place-based approach is fostering evidence-based adaptation pathways aligned with the EU Climate Change Adaptation Mission Implementation Plan, as well as key EU strategic goals related to climate action, biodiversity, the circular economy, the bioeconomy, and inclusive citizen engagement.
From a scientific standpoint, DesirMED has already generated robust baseline data through participatory stakeholder mapping (WP1), landscape characterization (WP4, with mapping methodology currently under finalization), and assessments of regional governance and adaptation capacity (WP5) and NbS financial schemes (WP6), including a first analysis of regional NbS implementation plans (WP2). This evidence base is informing the implementation of NbS across regions, with a focus on capturing co-benefits, trade-offs, and synergies across multiple systems. Monitoring and evaluation activities are underway (WP2 and WP4) and structured according to a set of qualitative and quantitative indicators defined in the project's Regional Protocol. These include benchmarks on stakeholder engagement, institutional readiness, NbS maturity levels, and climate vulnerability. Adjustments to the impact pathways, where needed, are being made in consultation with regional stakeholders to ensure continued alignment with evolving local priorities and governance dynamics.
While no major changes to the originally planned KPI and related expected impacts have occurred, the project’s flexibility in responding to region-specific needs and leveraging existing citizen science practices (e.g. via the rescheduling of milestone MS6) enhances its capacity to deliver context-relevant, scalable solutions. The project remains on track to meet its scientific and societal impact objectives as defined in the DoA, with upcoming deliverables further detailing impact quantification and replication potential.
The DesirMED project didn't achive main results in the first Reporting period. Most of work carried out was to set the baseline and the vision of the Regions. BEside that, several initiatives to target for networking purposes were identified, e.g. Nature based Solutions Initiative, PEDRR, FEBA, CONAMA. Moreover, a new significant aspect was added for this activity as the NBS4EU cluster was established in 2024 constituted by 7 projects (ARCADIA, CARDIMED, NBRACER, NATALIE, Land4Climate, DesirMED, Mount Resilience) funded under the same Horizon Europe programme Call Topic “Testing and demonstrating transformative solutions on climate resilience, mainstreaming nature based solutions in the systemic transformation”. The projects collaborate on various occasions working for their common objectives (EU Green Week, Conferences, Adaptation Exhibition, etc.). This synergy is expected to create strong bonds with the other projects and create a large community working on the same vision. CMCC is also now officially a member of the NbS Italy HUB. This will allow for further uptake during a later stage of the project