NATURALLY LOCAL

Climate change is a reality, adaptation is a necessity. Time to act! But where to start?
Nature-Based Solutions (NBS) are a key way to approach socio-ecological adaptation and resilience, with equal reliance upon social, environmental and economic domains. This process requires a 'bottom-up’ approach involving public authorities at every level.
NATURALLY LOCAL aims to improve and develop Nature Based policy instruments in 9 European regions. Its consortium includes 9 public authorities from all 5 IE zones. 8 comprise small local municipalities and 1 is a district government: all play a central role in delivering NBS actions. Because they are so close to their citizens&businesses, they are best placed to involve local stakeholders&communities by creating the necessary conditions and support for local initiatives to flourish, ensuring that climate adaptation transforms into meaningful, effective and tangible actions for all people.
Partners will apply NBS principles in mainly two areas:
- adaptation policies
- disaster risk reduction policies
NATURALLY LOCAL will give a special role to stakeholders engagement working on “horizontal cooperation” at local level, ie making sure that all relevant key players contribute to the policies implementation and, at the same time, on “vertical cooperation”, ie between cities & regional levels.
Exchanging experiences via the interregional learning process and spreading the project results via 9 regional dissemination events, partners will lead as “examples” to their “neighbour municipalities”.
They will:
* TAKE ACTION=ACCELERATE the transition towards climate neutrality through the uptake of EU funds to increase delivery of NBS solutions by Europe's local communities.
* INSPIRE= MOTIVATING CHANGE for other public authorities, showing best practices, green stories, sharing & disseminating results.
* INTENSIFY = BUILD CAPACITY both internally and with neighbours.
* MEASURE= MAPPING COMMITMENT, carrying out policies changes.