Bucharest’s Văcărești Natural Park to be subject of research in HORIZON Europe program

The Văcărești Natural Park Association, together with the District 4 City Hall of Bucharest and Business Development Group SRL, recently announced the first local partnership in a European project to accelerate the implementation of nature-based green solutions in the fight against climate change.

The project was submitted in 2022 and received funding from the HORIZON Europe program.

NATALIE ("Accelerating and mainstreaming NATure bAsed solutions to enhance resiLIEnce to climate change for diverse biogeographical European regions") brings together 43 organizations, mostly from Europe. The main objective of the project is to strengthen collaboration and knowledge exchange among consortium members in order to develop innovative solutions for society's adaptation to climate change.

The project, led by the Office International de l'Eau (France), develops and tests 25 different activities in 13 case studies across Greece, Romania, Latvia, the Canary Islands, Belgium, France, Norway, Italy, the Balearic Islands, and Lithuania. Green solutions are nature-inspired, financially and environmentally sustainable actions designed and developed to provide a wide range of ecosystem services and benefits.

In Romania, the two case studies where innovative solutions for nature conservation and urban resilience will be designed, developed, and tested are the Văcărești Natural Park and the "Lumea Copiilor" Park, both located in District 4 of Bucharest.

The project partners invite all organizations interested in and capable of contributing technologically, socially, digitally, environmentally, and in terms of governance to join the initial partnership and participate in work sessions and discussions on solutions.

During the project implementation, a Local Water Forum will be established in Bucharest, composed of specialists in water-related fields and other related domains (digitalization, biodiversity, green solutions, water-energy-food-ecosystems, circular economy, etc.), as well as ordinary citizens.

(Photo source: Ion Adrian Popa | Dreamstime.com)