Image courtesy of the Ministry of Environment of the Czech Republic: Experts and policy-makers gather to discuss climate-resilient landscapes and the launch of the Prague Appeal.

On September 13th, 2022, Paul Chatterton, leader of Knowledge Site partner the Landscape Finance Lab, represented WaterLANDS at the Czech Presidency Conference on Adaptation to Climate Change, a high-level EU dialogue hosted on designing climate resilient landscapes.

WaterLANDS was one of a number of European projects who presented their adaptation plans for water retention, soil protection, forest restoration and landscape planning.

The main outcome of the discussion was that single sector approaches are not enough to achieve true climate resilience. Successful outcomes require integrated landscape management. Countries and stakeholders must work across sectors to return soil productivity, restore the sponge function of land for water flows and rethink forest management for nature and resilience.

Following the Conference, the experts launched the Prague Appeal, a document that summarises how adaptation projects should be approached, what solutions are successful in practice and what does not work.

Minister of the Environment of the Czech Republic Anna Hubáčková will present the call to environment ministers at the EU Council meeting in Luxembourg in October.