Transnational exchange on mainstreaming nature-based solutions in St. Malo

From 10 to 12 October 2023, the project partners of "MANABAS COAST" met in St. Malo, France to exchange their experiences with mainstreaming Nature-based Solutions (NbS). The group further met with French stakeholders during a conference where room was given to exchange and inspire each other. From the project, Pilot partners from the different countries presented their experiences with implementing NbS, including solutions such as managed realignment in the Saâne valley (FR) and Western Scheldt (NL/BE) and foreland management in Lower Saxony (DE).

During the partner meeting, a study visit to the Bay of Lancieux, where the Conservatoire is working on a strategy to adapt the polder to rising sea levels, was organised. There, the Conservatoire understands the strategy development as an opportunity to question the way to interact with the bay. Key questions are: What type of habitat, what relationships, access and uses can be maintained into the future?

The Common Wadden Sea Secretariat is partner of MANABAS COAST and ensures the exchange between the project partners and the trilateral Wadden Sea community. MANABAS COAST is an INTERREG North Sea Programme project, co-funded by the European Union. The project will run from 2022 to 2027 and is a cooperation of several partners, that were also involved in the recently completed INTERREG NSR Building with Nature project. In the Building with Nature project, we built a strong base for successful NbS pilots and identified enabling factors, such as technology knowledge and a multi-stakeholder approach. MANABAS COAST will elaborate on these outcomes and bring them to a national and EU scale by developing a generic framework for mainstreaming based on the identified enabling factors. Ultimately, the framework will contain learning activities for future and current professionals and decision-makers. These learning activities will promote capacity building, for which a Policy Reflection Group will be initiated. This Policy Reflection Group will reflect on the framework and add to it if needed.