The CARDIMED team actively participated in the 11th edition of the European Urban Resilience Forum (EURESFO) held from June 26-28, 2024, in Valencia, Spain. Valencia, recognized as the European Green Capital for 2024, co-hosted this significant event with ICLEI Local Governments for Sustainability and the European Environment Agency (EEA). Since its inception in 2013, EURESFO has established itself as a crucial European initiative, serving as a unique exchange platform for discussing resilience, climate change adaptation, disaster management, and urban resilience.
The 2024 EURESFO was structured around three primary thematic streams and a special thematic stream, each addressing essential aspects of resilience, sustainable development, and recovery:
- Multilevel Governance, Cooperation, and Just Transition: This stream emphasized the importance of collaborative efforts across different governance levels to ensure a fair transition towards resilient and sustainable urban environments.
- Water Resilience and the Blue Economy: Focused on promoting water resilience and sustainable practices within the Mediterranean region and beyond, this stream highlighted the importance of the Blue Economy in regional development.
- Transformation Towards Climate-Neutral Cities: This stream aimed at enabling cities and regions to become resilient, adaptive, and climate-neutral, discussing strategies and actions to achieve these goals.
- Building Resilience in Fragile Settings: This special thematic stream concentrated on bridging the gap between humanitarian response and post-conflict resilience and recovery, addressing challenges in fragile settings.
The forum was part of the broader Valencia Cities Climate Week, which also included the Cities Mission Conference and the Energy Cities’ Annual Forum. These events collectively attracted almost 700 participants, providing a unique opportunity for representatives from cities and regions across Europe to discuss resilience challenges and opportunities in the context of sustainable urban development.
CARDIMED , as a co-organizer, had a prominent presence at the forum. The team set up a dedicated stand in the marketplace where attendees showed keen interest in their work on Nature-Based Solutions (NbS), their nine demo sites, and the potential for replicating these solutions in other cities. The Cardimed team was represented by project coordinators Simos Malamis and Tadej Stepisnik from the National Technical University of Athens (NTUA), along with David Salaberri, the leader of communication from BIOAZUL.
On the second day of the forum, ICLEI organized a CARDIMED workshop focusing on Nature-Based Solutions for Water Resilience in Europe. The workshop began with a panel discussion moderated by Elena Pastrani from ICLEI. Panelists included Paola Lepori (European Commission), Elisa Nika (Imperial College), Fabio Masi (IRIDRA), and Natalie Mueller (ISGLOBAL), who discussed real-world applications and challenges of implementing NbS. This was followed by a participatory session where attendees were divided into three groups to explore policies for NbS and water resilience, the benefits of NbS, and how knowledge can support NbS initiatives.
The session concluded with a discussion featuring representatives from various cities who shared their insights and experiences on the future of climate resilience. Notable speakers included Arnoud Molenaar (City of Rotterdam), Aino Kulonen (Municipality of Lahti), Marie-Caroline Vallon (Marseille), and Stina Kaisa Karlstrøm (City of Oslo).
On the final day, participants were offered study visits to two significant sites in Valencia:
Turia Gardens: This extensive 120-hectare urban park, a climatic oasis traversing the city from west to east, serves as an exemplary model of green infrastructure. It features diverse vegetation, ecological functions such as renaturalization and water filtration, and promotes sustainable mobility through pedestrian pathways and bike lanes.
Albufera Natural Park: This park includes Valencia’s main sources of natural food—rice fields, Mediterranean seafood, and locally grown fruits and vegetables. The visit showcased the park’s ecological and culinary diversity, transitioning from rice fields to beaches with the prestigious European Blue Flag, and concluded at the Marina de Valencia.
Cardimed’s involvement in EURESFO 2024 underscored their commitment to advancing urban resilience through innovative solutions and collaborative efforts. The event facilitated valuable exchanges, highlighted the progress and potential of Nature-Based Solutions, and strengthened connections among European cities striving for sustainable and resilient futures.
