Promoting blue-green infrastructure for urban resilience at the EU Forum Cities and Regions for Development Cooperation
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Coastal resilience
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Coastal wetland conservation
In Brussels, Belgium, City mayors, decision-makers and top experts from the field presented their experiences and initiatives that include blue-green infrastructure during a Wetlands International-organized side event in Brussels. This side event was part of the Forum Cities and Regions for Development Cooperation – Local and regional partnerships for sustainable urban development on 4-5 February, co-organized by DEVCO and the European Committee of the Regions, at which the Wetlands International team was actively engaging the EU and invited from all over the world.
The Forum brought together more than 500 local and regional authorities, their associations, city networks and practitioners from both the EU and partner countries. Wetlands International highlighted the role of ecosystems for urban resilience at the forum. Our team made recommendations on the need for the integration of ecosystems and nature conservation into city planning as well as to open the next EU Call for Cities and Local Authorities 2019-2020 to cities partnering with non-governmental organisations and research institutes. Urban Resilience Coordinated Sander Carpaij made clear that “teaming up is crucial in climate change adaptation and inclusive processes, as municipalities do not have the knowledge and capacity to do it all alone.”
Wetlands International also hosted a side event on blue-green infrastructure for urban resilience on the second day of the forum. During the side event different presentations from EU institutions, the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR) as well as practical examples from the Netherlands as well as from local governments in Haiti and Panama clearly showed: Integrating blue-green infrastructures in city planning is key to ensure climate resilience and a more sustainable urban development in the future.
The activity was supported by the National Postcode Lottery of the Netherlands.
The full side event can be viewed here:
Kindly find a list of the presentations and presenters below:
- A short introduction to Blue-Green Infrastructure. Sander Carpaij, Urban Resilience Coordinator of Wetlands International
- Key recommendations to incorporate Blue-Green Infrastructure to implement the Sendai Framework for DRR Andrew Bower, United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR) in Brussels
- Panama Dutch Water Dialogues to Reduce Flood Risk in Panama City. Raisa Banfield, Vice-Mayor of Panama City
- Blue-green infrastructure in the International Water Ambition of the Government of the Kingdom of the Netherlands and the Water As Leverage for Resilient Cities: Asia program. Sandra Schoof, Program Manager, Netherlands Enterprise Agency, Government of the Netherlands
- EU Policy Framework on work on blue and green infrastructure projects. Stefan Leiner, Head of the Biodiversity Unit, DG Environment of the European Commission
- EU R&I agenda on Nature-based Solutions. Sofie Vandewoestijne, Project Adviser EASME/EC, H2020 Environment and Resources, Natural Resources & Ecosystems Planning
- Hybrid Grey Green Infrastructures. Frans van de Ven – expert advisor Urban Land & Water Management, WssTP/ Deltares
- The Development, Extension, and Beautification of the City (PAEEV) project in Jérémie, Haiti. Claude Harry Milord, Mayor of Jérémie, Haiti