Nature-Based Solutions: The Danube Region’s Path to Climate Resilience in Urban Areas

The Danube Region is expected to experience increasingly severe impacts of climate change in the coming decades. Rising annual temperatures, prolonged dry periods, and more intense and frequent extreme weather, heat waves, heavy rainfalls are already reshaping local environments. Droughts are projected to become both more common and more severe, placing pressure on water resources, ecosystems, and communities alike. Urban areas face the greatest strain: dense infrastructure, heat-absorbing materials, limited vegetation, and restricted air circulation amplify extreme heat through the urban heat island effect, making cities several degrees hotter than their surroundings. As heat seasons lengthen and unpredictable flash floods occur more frequently, the need for coordinated adaptation becomes urgent.

To address these growing risks, the Danube Region Programme (DRP) is supporting projects that strengthen climate resilience and enhance the region’s ability to adapt to future conditions. Three DRP-funded initiatives – Be Ready, SpongeCity, and RESTORIVER - focus on different but interconnected aspects of climate adaptation, collectively contributing to a more resilient Danube Region.

The Be Ready project addresses the accelerating challenge of urban heat. It supports local authorities by developing tools, strategies, and pilot interventions tailored to urban heat island mitigation. These include green, blue, and white “acupuncture” measures, such as vegetation, water-based cooling, and reflective surfaces that deliver targeted cooling effects and help cities prepare for increasingly extreme temperatures.

The SpongeCity project tackles climate-induced water challenges in urban areas. By promoting the “sponge city” concept, the project helps municipalities adopt nature-based stormwater management solutions such as bioswales, rain gardens, permeable pavements, and expanded green-blue infrastructure. Besides allowing the storage of water for drier periods, these interventions increase natural rainwater absorption, reduce flash-flood risks, and restore more natural water cycles.

The RESTORIVER project focuses on urban, peri-urban riverine and riparian ecosystems, promoting Natural Water Retention Measures (NWRM) to increase water storage, reduce drought and flood risks, and strengthen overall ecosystem health. Restoring floodplains and revitalizing river systems not only mitigates extreme weather impacts but also improves biodiversity and long-term ecological resilience.

Together, the three projects form a complementary portfolio of climate action. They share the reliance on ecosystem-inspired solutions and their focus on strengthening resilience through ecosystem restoration, water retention, and climate-smart urban design.

Importantly, all solutions are tested in real-world community settings. Pilot activities across the Danube Region bring these ideas to life. Be Ready is implementing 12 co-designed pilot actions in cities selected for their varying vulnerability and urban form. SpongeCity is testing natural water retention measures in 12 diverse urban settlements, each representing different climatic and spatial conditions. RESTORIVER is carrying out six pilot interventions along rivers and riparian zones in urban and peri-urban areas to demonstrate how restored river ecosystems can buffer climate extremes.

Moreover, through their activities and networks of stakeholders, the three DRP-funded projects contribute to the Danube Strategy Flagship initiative “Enhancing Environmental Safety through Public Awareness and Local Government Involvement in the Danube River Basin” coordinated by Priority Area 5 of the EU Strategy for the Danube Region.

The SpongeCity project has also gained broader international acknowledgement, having received Technical Recognition from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in the category of Land, Soil and Water Resource Management.

Together, these DRP-supported projects represent a shift toward climate-smart, nature-positive regional planning, one that enhances resilience while improving the quality of life for communities throughout the Danube Region.