Interreg Euro-MED LocAll4Flood: Nature-based Solutions for flood risk management in Mallorca
Episodes of intense rainfall are part of the Mediterranean climate. At times, these phenomena lead to flash floods causing material or human damage. To tackle this risk, the Interreg Euro-MED LocAll4flood project proposes an Integrated Multi-stakeholder Governance Model, combining prevention, adaptation and mitigation actions, which will be tested in small catchments, particularly vulnerable to flash floods. In order to have a wide range of sensitive zones, 9 pilot sites have been selected from Greece, Italy, Bulgaria, Malta, Catalonia and the Balearic Islands, covering 4 kinds of topographical areas (urban, rural, coastal, industrial). The “bottom-up” approach is privileged and the transferability to the whole Mediterranean basin is foreseen.
Within this framework, NBSCLIMATE has been hired by the Univesitat de les Illes Balears, a project partner, to provide a technical assistance service defined as follows:
Objectives:
- Conduct a comprehensive analysis of the Nature-based Solutions (NbS) proposed within the project for the purpose of flood risk management in the pilot area in Mallorca (Torrent Gros, Torrent Na Bàrbara, and other basins).
- Based on this analysis, make proposals for improving these NbS with additional measures based on existing best practices in the Mediterranean region related to the challenge of flood risk management.
Methodology:
The comprehensive analysis will be conducted using the IUCN Global Standard for Nature-based Solutions, the most universally recognized and widely used standard in the field. Based on available sources of information and verification (PGRI, reports and memoirs), as well as interviews with the project promoters, collaborators and key stakeholders in the pilot area (including a site visit), the adherence to the Standard will be assessed criterion by criterion (8), based on a series of specific guiding questions. In addition, a report will be produced with recommendations for improving the NBS analyzed based on the Standard, with feasible measures or actions with a high potential for impact, within the framework of the LOCALL4FLOOD project, and adapted to the pilot’s local context.