The value of Nature Based Solutions (NBS) and their importance in addressing water and broader sustainable development challenges are increasingly recognized, yet significant lags in implementation remain. NBS for wastewater treatment are identified as robust, cost-effective, and multifunctional solutions that enable numerous ecosystem services, and they are widely used in wealthier countries such as Western Europe, the US, Australia, etc. Yet, despite their benefits, the implementation of NBS for wastewater treatment remains significantly behind in many countries around the world.
To support global exchanges and learnings on this topic, the webinar will share the situation in Central and Eastern Europe – from the improvements in wastewater treatment over the last 20 years, to regulation, challenges of implementing NBS for small settlements, and the potential for implementing various nature-based treatment technologies. Examples of successful NBS implementation in the region will also be presented.
The webinar is open to a global audience of practitioners, academics, decision-makers, as the topics being discussed are of relevance to many regions of the world facing similar challenges. Participants will further be invited to continue engaging and exchanging on the online space of the Community at the GWP platform.
The webinar will take place on December 14 at 13:00 – 14:30 CET.
AGENDA
13:00 – 13:10 Welcome by Julienne Roux, Global Water Partnership.
13:10 – 13:50 Wastewater treatment and nature-based solutions – how is the Central and Eastern European region doing? D. Istenič, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia.
13:50 – 14:00 Treatment wetland and water reuse in Kaštelir, Croatia. A. Mubi Zalaznik, LIMNOS Ltd., Slovenia.
14:00 – 14:10 The potential of hybrid-constructed wetlands for urban wastewater management for further use. M. Šereš, Charles University, Czech Republic.
14:10 – 14:30 Discussion and conclusions.