The Euro-Mediterranean Water Forum 2026 took place from 29 September to 2 October 2026 at La Nuvola in Rome, Italy.
On 1 October 2026, SEMIDE and MedWet organised a session entitled “Upscaling and Mainstreaming Nature-Based Solutions at the Basin Level”, moderated by Maroua Oueslatifrom SEMIDE. During the session, Eric Mino, Director of SEMIDE, presented CARDIMED project, highlighting the growing momentum of Nature-based Solutions (NbS) at the European level and the increasing number of EU-funded projects, partnerships and initiatives supporting their development and implementation. He positioned CARDIMED within this wider European community of innovative projects, emphasising its contribution to the development, demonstration and replication of NbS to strengthen climate resilience and improve water management across Mediterranean territories. He also illustrated the different types and categories of NbS and their practical applications across the project’s various demonstrators.
The session highlighted the growing recognition of NbS as an effective approach
to strengthening water resilience, restoring ecosystems and supporting Mediterranean communities. Discussions emphasised that NbS should complement traditional grey infrastructure through a combination of nature-based and engineered solutions to address challenges such as flooding, water pollution, and biodiversity loss.
A key takeaway from the session was that scaling up NbS requires moving beyond policy recognition towards long-term implementation, supported by effective governance, sustained investment and cooperation across the Mediterranean region.
