1

Why the project matters

A key aspect of the ongoing change to the Mediterranean climate is the shift in the pattern of extreme weather events, such as severe precipitation events, heat waves, or tropical-like cyclones, with current projections foreseeing a significant increase in the frequency and/or intensity of these events in the Mediterranean over the coming decades. An example is the cyclone Daniel in September 2023 that resulted to over 10,000 deaths across the Mediterranean and caused over €20 billion in material damages.
The threat of extreme weather events is particularly pertinent for urban areas across the Mediterranean, in which over 70% of the total population resides. Mediterranean cities are typically characterised by increased densification and a preponderance of impervious surfaces, which amplify flood risks and exacerbate the heat island effect, and a reliance on expensive grey infrastructure (such as dams, drainage pipelines, sea walls) that is becoming increasingly inadequate to address the growing climate risks in the Mediterranean.

2

What it aims to achieve

• To demonstrate innovative and replicable nature-based solutions to improve urban climate resilience in the Mediterranean.
• To enhance capacities of Mediterranean cities to design and implement fit-for-purpose, nature-based solutions to mitigate the impact of extreme weather events and improve climate resilience.
• To mitigate climate risks in project territories.

3

Expected change

NBS4MED will implement nature-based interventions in the project territories:
1. Establish a tiny urban forest in Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain which will alleviate summer heat stress and improve rainwater management.
2. Repurpose the terraces of a cultural center in Türkiye, establishing multi-purpose green roofs, based on permaculture principles, which will help alleviate heat stress in the local area and also elevate the socio-economic status of the neighbourhood.
3. Revitalise an urban park in Sikionies, Greece and repurpose an adjacent car park, transforming them into a smart eco-park with a total area of ~2,500 m2. The park will employ a smart irrigation system based on weather data, which will utilize rainwater collected from the, often flooded, adjacent areas and stored underground.
4. Establish a rainwater retention basin in the premises of the Tunisian partner in Tunis employing nature-based (such as floating islands, azolla) and digital solutions to improve and monitor water quality and utilizing the basin water and vermicomposting to support the green infrastructure around the basin.
5. Establish a green corridor, i.e., a linear area (~2,200 m2) with native vegetation linking key buildings of Heliopolis University, that will help to address the increasingly often heat waves occurring in the area in Egypt.

4

What the project delivers

• 5 pilots of nature-based solutions in Egypt (green corridor), Greece (smart eco park), Spain (urban forest), Tunisia (water retention basin) and Türkiye (cultural center terraces)


• Common Mediterranean decision-making framework for the design and implementation of urban NBS.


• Policy toolkit to accelerate the deployment of NBS in Mediterranean cities


• Local strategies for the establishment of NBS


• Network’s online platform that provides key information on the activities, initiatives and news of the city network and serve as a source of knowledge for organizations interested in implementing NBS


• Development of policy paper for advocacy purposes at the national and international level, which will highlight the increasing importance of NBS in urban resilience planning

5

Who benefits

• Central government bodies.


• Local and regional authorities. Environmental agencies.


• Private sector.


• Local communities in areas of intervention.


• Urban communities in the entire programme area, which will benefit from the adoption of project results by public authorities and private organisations operating in their areas.