ECO2SMART
Specific objective: SO 4 - Promoting climate change adaptation and disaster risk prevention, resilience, taking into account eco-system based approaches
Typology: Capitalization project
The ECO2SMART project promoted active public awareness with the aim of strengthening competencies for identifying and applying the ecosystem‑based approach in designing climate change adaptation measures and disaster risk prevention. In doing so, it sought to increase the resilience of the coastal areas involved in the project. This was achieved through the use and capitalisation of the results of the ECO‑SMART project, which included: enhancing the long‑term impact and consolidation of results, transferring and re‑using the achievements, and increasing their visibility through awareness‑raising, education, and stakeholder participation activities.
The ECO2SMART project involved project partners and associated partners from Slovenia, Friuli Venezia Giulia and the Veneto Region, ensuring the relevance of the initiative for the entire programme area. The project included three partners who had participated in ECO‑SMART and who acted as knowledge givers in the capitalisation project, transferring the results of that project to three new project partners who acted as knowledge takers of the previous ECO‑SMART project. The associated partners involved in ECO2SMART as knowledge takers also contributed to the re‑use of the ECO‑SMART project results.
The ECO2SMART project promoted active public awareness with the aim of strengthening ecosystem‑based approaches to climate change adaptation and disaster risk prevention, thereby increasing the resilience of the coastal areas involved in the project.
These objectives were achieved by using the results and impacts of the ECO‑SMART project, which included:
- improving the impact and reach of the results,
- transferring and re‑using the achievements,
- ensuring better visibility through awareness‑raising, education, and stakeholder participation.
- evaluation and strengthening of cross‑border cooperation.
The outputs of the ECO2SMART project were achieved through a series of project activities, which included:
- capacity‑building activities for stakeholders (organization of study visits, preparation of an electronic catalogue of good practices in ecosystem‑based adaptation);
- implementation of green infrastructure restoration measures to reduce climate risks, while at the same time enriching the community with a range of co‑benefits based on enhancing the ecosystem services of local ecosystems;
- organization of training courses and updating of the online training portal with new tools and content;
- communication, awareness‑raising, and information activities (drafting articles for newspapers, organizing and participating in professional conferences, preparing research documents, publishing videos, communicating through social networks and the project website);
- promotion of the proactive inclusion of stakeholder groups and the interested public in participatory processes for the development of adaptation measures aimed at addressing climate change challenges at the local level (expert and stakeholder focus groups, workshops for expanding the project network, joint strategy and action plan, signing of the cooperation agreement, creation of joint working groups to address challenges in the management of coastal wetlands).
Final publication of the ECO2SMART project
Promotional video about the ECO2SMART project
Ecosystem‑based measures for climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction
The methodology used in the ECO2SMART project to identify, assess and promote ecosystem‑based measures was participatory, cross‑sectoral and grounded in territorial needs.
The process was carried out in several stages:
Analysis of EbA/Eco‑DRR needs/status
Analysis of EbA/Eco‑DRR stakeholders
Definition of criteria for qualitative analysis of EbA/Eco‑DRR and identification of good practices
Follow up of the common adaptation planning model using ecosystem‑based approaches
On this basis, good practices were identified and compiled into the following catalogue:
Videos regarding good practices
Pilot activities in the project regions
Pilot activities were carried out in all regions involved in the project, across different types of ecosystems (urban, marine, coastal):
Local EbA/Eco‑DRR pilot measures/interventions in the Coastal‑Karst region, Slovenia
Local EbA/Eco‑DRR pilot measures/interventions in Veneto
Local EbA/Eco‑DRR pilot measures/interventions in Friuli Venezia Giulia
Video about ECO2SMART pilot activities
Joint strategy and action plan to promote active stakeholder engagement in adaptation initiatives
As part of the measures for climate change adaptation and natural disaster prevention, the ECO2SMART project developed a joint strategy and action plan to promote the active involvement of citizens and stakeholders in co‑creating initiatives based on ecosystem‑based approaches that are both innovative and inclusive.
Joint strategy and action plan for active participation
Guidelines for capitalisation and transfer/integration into policies
Training and awareness‑raising
Within the ECO2SMART project, numerous educational activities were developed and implemented to raise awareness, provide training, and encourage active engagement of various stakeholder groups in climate change adaptation through the conservation and restoration of local coastal and marine ecosystems. The activities were designed to present complex environmental challenges in a clear, interactive, engaging, and creative manner.
Study visits were also organised to deepen knowledge about good practices in climate change adaptation in the coastal areas of the Northern Adriatic included in the project.
To broaden outreach and support self‑directed learning, digital educational tools were developed, designed to be accessible, engaging, and useful even outside formal educational settings – for example for independent or informal learning.
We encouraged bridging the gap between learning and action, which is essential for sustainability and environmental literacy and for active participation in addressing climate change, particularly in designing adaptation measures and reducing risks.
The ECO2SMART educational portal represents an update and upgrade of the educational portal developed under the ECO‑SMART project. The new features include a citizen science tool for complementing the catalogue of good practices with new examples. Additionally, three educational games were developed with the aim of gamifying the content of the ECO2SMART project. One of these games is also suitable for use with VR headsets.
