Workshop Cavado
Published On: February 14th, 20252.7 min read

For immediate Release

February 14, 2025

The initiative addressed the effects of climate change on sustainable development and land management –

As part of the NBRACER (Nature Based Solutions for Atlantic Regional Climate Resiliance) project, funded by the European Commission’s Horizon Europe, CIM Cávado held a workshop in Vila Verde on “Nature-based solutions (NBS) – good practices, challenges and solutions in land management”, focused on knowledge transfer, capacity building and strategic planning to accelerate the adoption of Nature-based solutions (NBS).

The project, which has been under development since 2023, has organized different work actions, this workshop was another opportunity to get to know and share experiences with local stakeholders, with the aim of getting closer to the theme, as well as addressing the challenges to the Cávado River basin.

With the presence of the project’s partners in the territory, the aim of this workshop was to theoretical and practical component – to involve the various local stakeholders in the theme of natural-based (SbN) as a joint reflection, knowledge and learning in order to increase resilience to climate change in the different challenges of territorial management, as well as enhancing good practices related to water management, flooding and invasive species control.

The opening session of this workshop was attended by the Executive Secretary of CIM Cávado, Rafael Amorim. This was followed by exploration panels focusing on the Cávado region, climate challenges and the role of SbN in increasing the territory’s climate resilience, a topic presented by ANCV – National Association of Green Roofs.

The sharing of experiences and good practices from the NBRACER demonstrator regions, as well as the inspiration SbN in water management in the rural landscape and examples and good practices from the Flanders region – Belgium – and Cantabria – Spain – by the presentations of the project partners, VITO and the Environmental Hydraulics Institute of the University of Cantabria.

With around 60 participants, and after a technical approach and exploration of the themes, the workshop continued with a visit to the “Ecovia Cávado e Homem”. This inter-municipal territorial project is a green infrastructure for the enhancement and conservation of the banks of the Cávado and Homem rivers and incorporating nature-based solutions (SbN), the visit became an opportunity to visit the section in Vila Verde (Mirante – Praia Fluvial do Faial).

This is a section that has already been implemented and consolidated in the municipality of Vila Verde, proximity to the River Cávado and all the environmental, social and economic elements and potential, particularly in the recovery of riparian galleries and biodiversity linked to the Cávado ecosystem, strengthening climate resilience and promoting sustainable regional development.

In the afternoon, the workshop was more practical, and between debates and more group interventions, the development of the capacity-building strategy for the Cávado ecosystem was discussed with the intervention of different partners, including the University of Lisbon, Climate-KIC, Wageningen Research and ICLEI Europe Q&A. The closing session was chaired by the Mayor of Vila Verde, Júlia Fernandes.

This project has 30 European partners, including this CIM, and aims to develop innovative approaches to transform partner regions, making them more resilient to climate change, greener, safer, healthier and fairer.

Categories: Press Release