LAND4CLIMATE at EUGEO Congress in Vienna – Climate resilience from the bottom
LAND4CLIMATE focuses on implementing Nature-based Solutions (NbS), while also engaging both the public and the scientific community. To reach the latter, project partner BOKU University presented project findings at this year’s EUGEO Congress, highlighting how the suitability of NbS can be assessed in a comprehensive manner. Such an assessment requires the close involvement of landowners in order to identify measures and locations that not only mitigate climate risks but also generate co-benefits and address potential trade-offs.
The successful implementation of NbS requires a holistic approach throughout the entire process — from identifying climate risks and selecting appropriate measures to locating suitable sites and organising implementation in a collaborative way. The perspectives of landowners are crucial, especially when implementing NbS on private land. Within the LAND4CLIMATE project, a decision-making framework known as Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) was applied and further refined to suit the project context.
Small-scale NbS typically unfold their full potential only when implemented collectively across a broader area. In this way, climate risks such as drought, soil erosion, and pluvial flooding can be effectively addressed. Beyond their direct benefits, such measures also generate co-benefits, including improved habitats, enhanced biodiversity, and greater landscape aesthetics. However, every measure comes with associated trade-offs. For landowners, it is essential that their needs and viewpoints are considered to ensure sustainable and long-term success.
Arthur Schindelegger from BOKU University presented these findings at the 10th EUGEO Conference (8–11 September 2025), showcasing LAND4CLIMATE’s step-by-step approach to integrating landowners in the assessment and selection of NbS. His presentation was part of a special session on the Water-Energy-Food-Ecosystem (WEFE) Nexus in Alpine Areas. Other contributors in this session included Hubert Job, Sarah Striethorst, and Kerstin Ströbel, all from the University of Würzburg.
Information on EUGEO conference
Information on the AlpPlan network of ARL.
This article was written by Arthur Schindelegger from LAND4CLIMATE consortium partner BOKU University.
Publishing date: