LAND4CLIMATE expands its dialogue beyond Europe through visits in Asian countries and the United States
Between 7 February and 5 March 2026, representatives of the European project LAND4CLIMATE carried out a series of academic visits and working meetings in countries such as South Korea, Japan and the United States of America, marking the expansion of the project’s dialogue and cooperation beyond the European area. The visits aimed to strengthen knowledge exchange in the fields of climate change adaptation, Nature-based Solutions and the sustainable management of land and water resources.
The delegation consisted of Dr. Rareș Hălbac-Cotoară-Zamfir, coordinator of the Politehnica University of Timișoara (UPT) team within LAND4CLIMATE, together with Cristina Hălbac-Cotoară-Zamfir, a collaborator within the same team. The visits took place at prestigious academic and research institutions, such as Kyung Hee University (Seoul), the Research Institute for Humanity and Nature – RIHN (Kyoto) and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology – MIT (Boston), as well as at international organisations active in the field of water resource management and environmental policies, such as the International Water Resources Association (IWRA, Hawaii).
Innovative approaches to land use in the context of climate change were discussed, including the role of green-blue infrastructure, Nature-based Solutions and integrated spatial planning in strengthening climate resilience. The dialogue also focused on the exchange of experiences regarding climate governance models, planning tools and the use of interdisciplinary analyses to support decision-making processes. At the same time, the discussions also highlighted the importance of integrating social and behavioural perspectives into climate policies. Participants examined how contributions from psychology, social sciences and communication sciences can support behavioural change, strengthen community engagement and improve decision-making processes in the field of climate action.
These meetings provided a valuable framework for interdisciplinary dialogue and for strengthening cooperation between researchers, universities and international organisations, opening new opportunities for scientific collaborations, joint publications, workshops and academic exchanges in the field of climate resilience and the sustainable management of land and water resources. Through these initiatives, LAND4CLIMATE expands its network of collaborations from the European level to the global level, facilitating knowledge exchange between researchers, practitioners and decision-makers from different regions of the world and contributing to the development of interdisciplinary solutions for the global challenges of climate change.
This article was written by Cristina Halbac from LAND4CLIMATE consortium partner Politehnica University of Timișoara
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