Nature-Based Solutions in action: strengthening urban infrastructure in Portugal

The upcoming national webinar “Nature-Based Solutions in Action: Strengthening Urban Infrastructure in Portugal” will take place online on 21 October 2025, from 13:00 to 14:20 WEST. Organised by UNESCO in the framework of the NBSINFRA project, the event will explore how Nature-Based Solutions (NBS) are being adopted in Portugal to enhance urban resilience and deliver wider social and environmental co-benefits.

The session will bring together representatives from the European Commission, the Portuguese Civil Protection Authority, academic experts and local municipalities to discuss opportunities and challenges in mainstreaming NBS into national and local policies. Speakers will highlight how these solutions can reinforce critical urban infrastructure, support disaster risk reduction and contribute to climate adaptation goals. Speakers include:

• Antonio De Sousa Abreu, Director, Division of Ecological and Earth Sciences, UNESCO
• Félix Coimbreau, Policy Officer, European Commission DG Migration and Home Affairs
• Carlos Mendes, Deputy Director, Portugal Civil Protection Authority
• Helena Freitas, Professor of Biology and Ecology, University of Coimbra
• Rita Seabra de Freitas, Municipality of Aveiro
• Carlos Ribeiro, Director, Landscape Laboratory, Municipality of Guimarães
• Elisabete Teixeira, Researcher, University of Minho

The webinar will present successful examples of NBS implementation in Aveiro and Guimarães and discuss how policies can be better aligned from the EU level down to national and local scales.

Register here to join the webinar

Image credits:  Sebastian Kurpiel from Unsplash