Set within a hilly, forested region shaped by steep slopes and rural settlements, the Co-Innovation Lab in the Hum na Sutli – Pregrada – Desinić area addresses one of the area’s most pressing challenges: landslides. Increasingly intense rainfall events and unstable terrain threaten infrastructure, agricultural land, and local communities.
This lab turns the landscape itself into a solution, combining nature-based approaches with analytics to reduce risk and strengthen ecological resilience.
Co-innovation Lab 5 represents a joint effort among the North West Croatia Energy and Climate Agency (REGEA), the Krapina-Zagorje County, Zagorje Development Agency (ZARA), the University of Zagreb Faculty of Agriculture, and GDi LTD.
Nature and Data Working Together
At the core of Lab 5 is the integration of NbS, as afforestation and bioengineering techniques. Vegetation, soil, and water are treated as allies in stabilizing slopes, reducing surface erosion, and slowing runoff.
By pairing these natural measures, the lab enables smarter planning, earlier interventions, and more effective risk management.
From Co-Creation to Action
The lab follows a collaborative development process:
- Engaging local knowledge through workshops that bring together residents, local authorities, and experts to co-design interventions and blend traditional practices with scientific insight.
- Predictive risk management, by identifying high-risk zones and guiding preventative action at the right time.
- Monitoring and adaptive management, tracking slope stability, runoff, and biodiversity to continuously refine interventions.
- Scaling and knowledge transfer, translating lessons learned into guidelines and best practices for other landslide-prone rural regions.
The photos are provided by Silvestar Matejak, Julien Duval