Water resilience as a competitive edge: bridging R&I gaps for Nature-based Solutions

The European Commission is hosting a public debate on water and climate resilience as part of developing the Water Resilience Research and Innovation (R&I) Strategy, crucial for Europe’s future competitiveness. Nature-based Solutions are efficient solutions to increase water resilience offering multifunctional approaches and benefits, including ecological restoration, improved water management, climate adaptation, economic resilience and competitive stability. Yet, their scaling is hindered by gaps in R&I and financing, both public and private.

For scaling of Nature-based Solutions potential, better alignment of R&I with market needs, private-sector engagement, and cross-sectoral funding mechanisms is essential. Benefits of water resilience span multiple sectors (e.g. agriculture, urban planning and circular economy) existing budgets in these areas can directly fund water resilience, reducing reliance on public financing while mobilising underused private investment.

This targeted side event, following the main Green Week session on nature’s role in urban/rural futures, will gather public and private stakeholders to spotlight the gaps in R&I for water resilience, drawing on insights from EU Green Deal projects (MERLIN, WaterLands) and private-sector players (insurance, agriculture, city planners, industries).

Practical examples will include, but not limited to:

• showcase competitiveness through market-ready solutions/Nature-based Solutions – e.g. startups monetising wetland restoration for better resilience and agriculture;
• public-private co-funding initiatives of restoration projects and harvesting the advantages (case study from Framework Programme projects which received public and private funding); and
• insight from the insurance sector about the potential (and already existing initiatives) of integrating Nature-based Solutions for water resilience to reduce disaster risk and protect ecosystems and assets.

The session is set up as a stakeholder consultation, collecting inputs for the Water Resilience R&I Strategy while addressing the persistent financing gap, existing R&I gaps and how R&I can accelerate Nature-based Solutions deployment. Attention will be given to the possibility for insurance models, municipal budgets, or agri-business investments to be mobilised for implementing Nature-based Solutions and showcasing examples of new investment partnerships to break commonly known siloed approaches around Nature-based Solutions and kick-starting a shift in mindset across public and private sectors.