European Biosphere Reserves - open air laboratories for tackling hydrometeorological hazards, OPERANDUM project

Hydrometeorological hazards such as floods, landslides and droughts are in many parts of the world occurring more frequently and more severely than in the past and are exacerbated by climate change. UNESCO-designated sites which focus on the protection and sustainable use of natural and cultural heritage are often partly or entirely exposed to natural hazards and extreme weather events, with potential impacts on the communities living in or near the sites, and on their livelihoods. Many natural UNESCO sites such as Biosphere Reserves and UNESCO Global Geoparks can serve as effective climate observatories and testing grounds for sustainable approaches including Nature-based Solutions (NBS).

NBS are based on the sustainable management, protection, and use of nature to mitigate environmental risks and preserve ecosystems, while providing environmental, social, and economic benefits, and building resilience to a changing climate. UNESCO promotes the uptake of integrated NBS for disaster risk reduction by leveraging local and scientific knowledge streams and participatory stakeholder engagement.

OPERANDUM is an EU-funded project supported by UNESCO that aims to deliver tools and methods to prove the efficacy of innovative NBS for multi-hazard hydro-meteorological risks in rural and natural areas. These so-called Open-Air Laboratories (OALs) comprise 10 rural territories, including two European Biosphere Reserves, where novel NBS practices are implemented and assessed through innovative monitoring systems and cutting-edge numerical modelling approaches.

The Po Delta Biosphere Reserve represents part of the OAL Italy where river flooding and subsequent salt intrusions driven by climate change and sea level rise threaten the livelihoods of local communities. Novel lab experiments have been developed to assess the ability of different plant species to function as effective natural barriers to salt intrusions and protect agricultural lands, reinforce the riverbank, and preserve inland water quality. In addition, advanced monitoring techniques and multi-scale impact modelling are deployed on site to estimate the impact of the NBS.

In an effort to promote upscaling of these solutions, OPERANDUM has developed an open-source online platform for NBS called the Geospatial Information Knowledge Platform (GeoIKP). Building on the knowledge acquired at the OALs, the platform offers a variety of cutting-edge services, interactive tools, customizable web-GIS functionalities, and standardized data repositories. It aims to serve as a hub for the global NBS community to share information, tools, data, and experiences to reduce hydro-meteorological hazards, and to address related societal challenges in rural areas.