The city of Malaga will be the perfect setting for the meeting of a hundred European experts on sustainable cities at the Connecting Nature conference. The event will take place between October 1 and 3, framed within the European program of the same name in which the Malaga City Council participates through the Promálaga Municipal Incubator Network.
In this activity the group of Malaga companies that are working together to find sustainable solutions will be announced. The European initiative, led by Trinity College in Dublin, was born from the need to promote the use of nature-based resources in urban environments, so that cities are not only more sustainable, but also more attractive for citizens and the new productive sectors that arise from this idea.
The objective of this project is to position the European Union as a world leader in the adoption of these practices. To achieve this, the involvement of provincial governments, small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs), universities and civil society is sought. All of them will work on the creation of a multidisciplinary framework, based on innovation and technology, which will be approved in different cities, introducing natural elements into the urban ecosystem, with which they aim to increase levels of health and social well-being.
Málaga, an example of sustainability and venue for the event
Málaga has been able to adapt new development strategies based on sustainability in the most economic and important sectors, such as tourism, construction and technological services, being an example for other cities in the Connecting Nature project.
These factors have led the city to be chosen to hold this meeting, in addition to its commitment to compliance with the 17 sustainable development goals of the United Nations (UN), respect for the environment and quality of life.
The day that begins with an event at the Aula del Mar. Museo Alborania, will feature the participation of local experts such as the director of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (SbN), Antonio Troya; as well as, a representative of the city of Almería with a wastewater purification project with micro algae that can be reused.
On the other hand, specialists will discuss other objectives framed within nature-based solutions, such as, for example, the creation of a guide to identify financial mechanisms; and the implementation of a sustainable resource for innovation, exploitation and business development of cities based on NbS.
The event will also be attended by the general director of Environment of the Malaga City Council, Luis Medina; the PhD from the University of Malaga and specialist in NbS, Raquel Barco; and the founding member of the SbN Cluster, Andrés Alcántara, who will show their opinions and ideas in a round table.
On the other two remaining days (October 2 and 3), those involved in the project will carry out different activities in natural environments to study and work on the construction of sustainable elements for the city. And, in addition, the different institutions and professionals will be informed about the promotion of the Caminito del Rey as a World Heritage Site.
A global project with local ambition
Connecting Nature is a project that lasts five years and is funded by the Horizon 2020 Action and Innovation Program of the European Commission. In addition, it forms a community of cities that aim to promote learning between countries that wish to implement nature-based solutions.
The project is made up of 16 countries from the European Union, Brazil, China, Korea and the Caucasus (Georgia and Armenia) that are investing in a large-scale implementation of nature-based projects in urban environments. The cities of Genk (BE), Glasgow (UK), Poznan (PL), A Coruña (ES), Bologna (IT), Burgas (BG), Nicosia (CY), Málaga (ES), Sarajevo (BA), and Pavlos Melas (GR) also participate.
This initiative aims to measure the impact on adaptation to climate change, health, well-being, social cohesion and sustainable economic development in these cities, with the aim of providing institutions and society with the opportunity to create a resilient urban future using the innovative potential of nature.
Nature-based solutions are a new and not widely used concept. However, this is changing, as society seeks to effectively address environmental issues through innovation. This comprehensive design and ideation process includes some benefits such as greater diversity, species conservation, energy production and waste management, promoting collaboration.
It must be taken into account that most of the innovation occurs in cities, but it is there that the greatest and current challenges also occur, rapid climate and environmental change, complex waste and water management, adverse well-being, changes in social cohesion or migration patterns. This initiative has the ambition to be able to undertake these challenges.
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