The NATMed Final Conference, “Nature-Based Solutions for Water Resilience”, took place on 12 March 2026 at TAK Kadıköy (Design Atelier Kadıköy) in Istanbul, bringing together researchers, policy makers and practitioners to discuss how Nature-based Solutions (NbS) can be integrated into existing infrastructures to strengthen water resilience in the Mediterranean region. The event presented the key results, tools and lessons learned from the NATMed project, and featured insights from the PRIMA Programme delivered by Nur Eda Demir, Project Officer at PRIMA.
The programme included a keynote presentation by Dr. Salem Gharbia (Atlantic Technological University) on Advancing Climate Resilience through Smart Technologies and Community-Driven Co-Creation Strategies. Participants also heard experiences from other Mediterranean NbS initiatives through project flash talks from OurMED, CARDIMED and SCORE, highlighting lessons learned and the impact of NbS in addressing water management challenges across the region.
A policy roundtable titled “From Practice to Policy: Scaling NbS for Water Management” brought together leading experts including Prof. Yusuf Kurucu (NATMed and İzmir Metropolitan Municipality), Ms. Şule Sümer (Kadıköy Municipality), Dr. İrem Daloğlu (OurMED, Boğaziçi University), Dr. Tadej Stepišnik (CARDIMED, National Technical University of Athens), and Dr. Salem Gharbia (SCORE, Atlantic Technological University), with moderation by Dr. Baha Kuban (Demir Enerji).
The conference concluded with an interactive World Café session, organised together with NextGen4MED, where participants explored four key questions for moving NbS from pilots to mainstream practice in Mediterranean water management: what are the main bottlenecks preventing NbS implementation and scaling, what tools and evidence can better support decision-making, how participatory governance and stakeholder engagement should be designed to ensure long-term uptake, and what policy and investment changes are needed for NbS to move from pilot projects to widely adopted solutions.
A parallel poster exhibition throughout the day also showcased related initiatives addressing sustainable water management and climate resilience in the region.
Conference notes and speakers’ presentations will be published on the NATMed website shortly.
