INTERNATIONAL MEETING ON NATURE-BASED SOLUTIONS BROUGHT TOGETHER EXPERTS IN PLOVDIV AND KARLOVO

From 22 - 24 April 2026, the Agricultural University - Plovdiv hosted an international workshop under the “ARCADIA” project, dedicated to the implementation of NATURE-BASED SOLUTIONS (NBS) in municipal and regional planning.

The event gathered representatives from public institutions, academia, and the non-governmental sector from Bulgaria, Austria, Sweden, аnd The Netherlands, who exchanged experience and good practices for addressing environmental challenges and natural disasters.

As part of the programme, a field visit was conducted in the Municipality of Karlovo, including the village of Slatina, which was affected by the floods in 2022. Representatives of the municipality presented their experience in recovery and risk management, and the following topics were discussed:

• integration of nature-based solutions in planning and restoration of natural landscapes after flooding;
• implementation of European and national legislation related to recovery from natural disasters;
• funding opportunities for recovery measures and prevention of future natural disaster impacts.

As a result of the meeting, several priority nature-based solutions were identified for the Plovdiv region and the Municipality of Karlovo, and next steps for their integration into municipal programmes were outlined.

The event contributed to strengthening cooperation among institutions and to the development of sustainable environmental policies.