Key objectives
- demonstrate and upscale nature-based solutions for climate resilience in Mediterranean regions;
- strengthen regional governance frameworks for systemic climate adaptation;
- improve financing mechanisms and investment strategies for NbS deployment;
- enhance stakeholder engagement and co-creation processes in regional adaptation planning;
- facilitate knowledge transfer and replication across Mediterranean territories
Main results
DesirMED implements and scales up nature-based solutions across several Mediterranean demonstration sites, addressing key climate risks such as drought, heatwaves, flooding, coastal erosion and biodiversity loss.
Through integrated technical, governance and financial approaches, the project will:
- deploy and monitor large-scale NbS in participating regions;
- develop regional transformation roadmaps for mainstreaming NbS into policy and planning instruments;
- create innovative financing models and investment plans to support long-term NbS uptake
- establish a Mediterranean Community of Practice to foster knowledge exchange and peer learning;
- produce practical guidelines, policy recommendations and replication tools for other Mediterranean regions;
- By combining demonstration activities with systemic policy integration, DesirMED ensures that tested solutions move beyond pilot scale and become embedded in regional development strategies.
Role of PAP/RAC
In DesirMED, PAP/RAC is participating as a part of the Split-Dalmatia cluster, and leads the work package related to upscaling NbS and fostering their mainstreaming across the Mediterranean.
PAP/RAC contributes to strengthening the policy dimension and Mediterranean-wide transfer of DesirMED results. Building on its mandate under the Barcelona Convention, we support the integration of NbS into coastal management and climate adaptation frameworks, ensuring alignment with ICZM principles and regional governance processes.
Partnership
Lead partner:
CMCC – Euro-Mediterranean Centre on Climate Change (Italy)
Partners:
- Fundación Tecnalia Research & Innovation (Tecnalia), Spain
- Inova+ – Innovation Services, Sa (Inova+), Portugal
- Dimokritio Panepistimio Thrakis (DUTH), Greece
- Climate-Kic Holding Bv (C-Kic), Netherlands
- Stichting Deltares (Deltares), Netherlands,
- Stichting Wageningen Research (WR), Netherlands
- Dynamic Vision P C (Dyn-V), Greece
- Bwb Connect Clg (Bwb), Ireland
- Regione Autonoma della Sardegna*Ras (RAS), Italy
- Split-Dalmatia County (SDC), Croatia
- Priority Actions Programme Regional Activity Centre (Pap/Rac), Croatia
- Municipio Do Fundao (Fundão), Portugal
- Generalitat Valenciana (Valencia), Spain
- Vaersa Valenciana De Aprovechamiento Energético De Residuos Sa (VAERSA), Spain
- Medi Xxi Gabinet De Solucions Ambientals S.L. (Medi Xxi), Spain
- Perifereia Anatolikis Makedonias Kai Thrakis (REMTH), Greece
- Energeiako Grafeio Kyprion Politon (CEA), Cyprus
- Provincia Di Potenza (Ppt), Italy
- Instituto Politécnico de Castelo Branco, Portugal
- Associação para um Centro de Estudos em Desenvolvimento
Sustentavel (Cedes), Portugal
- Comunidade Intermunicipal Das Beiras E Serra Da Estrela (Cim-Bse), Portugal
- Dimos Pangaiou (Paggaion), Greece
- European Public Law Organisation (EPLo), Greece
- Consiglio Nazionale Delle Ricerche (Cnr), Italy
- Città Ricerche Territorio Innovazione Ambiente Srl (Criteria), Italy
- Fondazione Imc Centro Marino Internazionale (Imc), Italy
- Mediterranean Sea and Coast Foundation (MedSea), Italy
- University of Split, Faculty of Civil Engineering, Architecture and Geodesy (UNIST-FGAG), Croatia
- Association Sunce, Croatia
- Cmmi Cyprus Marine and Maritime Institute (Cmmi), Cyprus
- Conseil Régional Provence-Alpes-Côte D’azur (Regio Sud), France

