Rotterdam, June 27th 2025. Arcadia proudly participated in a significant workshop organized by UNEP-WCMC and IEEP in collaboration with the Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS) of Erasmus University Rotterdam. The event, titled “How to mainstream Nature-based Solutions (NbS) in national (and regional) climate adaptation planning,” took place on and gathered experts and stakeholders focused on advancing climate resilience through nature-based approaches.
At the workshop, Wageningen University, a key Arcadia partner, presented the Arcadia Scorecard assessment tool. This tool serves as a comprehensive framework for regional resilience by integrating NbS within the broader Regional Resilient Journey (RRJ) approach. The presentation highlighted the Scorecard’s phases and its role in guiding regions through transformative change toward climate adaptation.
The workshop’s outcomes will be incorporated into a forthcoming policy brief by the event organizers, emphasizing the practical relevance of Arcadia’s work. Key takeaways included:
- The necessity to embrace the complexity of transformative change by clearly explaining underlying concepts to partners, fostering shared understanding.
- Recognizing that multiple aspects of transformation must be managed simultaneously, including navigating the phases of the Transformative Adaptation Journey (TAJ), involving diverse partners through quadruple helix collaborations (government, academia, industry, and civil society), and creating practical demonstrations by testing solutions.
- The critical challenge of integrating diverse systems and sectors – such as energy, built environment, mobility, community, governance, and health – into a unified approach for urban climate adaptation. This systemic integration is essential but often lacking in current projects and regions engaged with the EU Mission on Climate Adaptation.
The workshop, part of the broader EU Urban Resilience Forum, underscored the importance of collaborative, systemic approaches to climate adaptation that leverage NbS to build resilient and sustainable urban futures.
This event marks a valuable step forward for Arcadia in sharing its innovative tools and insights with key stakeholders, reinforcing its commitment to fostering inclusive, participatory, and effective climate resilience strategies across Europe.