We are all responsible for climate protection: reflections from Slovakia

In recent years, significant investments have been made at the level of public policies, especially within the European Union, into Nature-based Solutions (NbS). Many concrete solutions are being implemented to serve as examples of good practice. The goal is to achieve a critical mass of appropriate measures that can help shape public policies aimed at protecting people, food systems, nature, and the climate. One such scientific research and innovation project is LAND4CLIMATE. In six frontrunner and six replication regions across Europe, concrete NbS are being implemented to demonstrate the relevance, purposefulness, and effectiveness of land use approaches that improve the economic performance of forest, agricultural, and urban landowners or users, while at the same time contributing to climate protection in the public interest.

In Slovakia, the front-runner region is the Roňava River basin, covering nearly 20,000 hectares, and the replication region is the entire Košice Region. The Roňava River basin was selected because, over the past 20 years, local communities in this area have been threatened by flooding more than 30 times. The Košice Region was chosen as a replication region because in 2021 its Regional Parliament approved a strategic document that has attracted EU interest, as it introduced several innovative methodological approaches for the holistic development of restoration plans for degraded landscapes. In addition to implementing specific NbS projects, we actively communicate, disseminate knowledge, explain, persuade, and motivate stakeholders from the private sector, demonstrating that climate protection in the public interest can simultaneously improve the economic performance of businesses. The LAND4CLIMATE project is also oriented toward private landowners. We seek allies among those whose development plans can contribute to innovation in both their own and the public interest in climate protection.

The first encouraging example emerged in Košice, when the owner of the CTP industrial park made a simple but important climate-friendly decision. A dried-out roundabout, which had previously been a maintenance burden, now serves as a rainwater retention area. Instead of flowing into the sewer system, then into rivers and ultimately the sea, the rainwater now irrigates the ecosystem, supports vegetation growth, evaporates, and contributes to local climate regulation. Within just one year, a dry and overheated “unused” area suffering from permanent water scarcity was transformed into a green oasis (see photo). What does this example show? Many small and diversified solutions can prevent unnecessary centralized expenditures by landowners or land managers. This modest example demonstrates that sometimes it is enough to inspire business entities towards innovation, something they often lack the time to consider. When communication is based on mutual benefit, private interests can be aligned with the needs of the common good.

A major challenge for public policy administrators at the local and regional levels is to focus more on communication with private-sector stakeholders and to inspire them by showing that this agenda is beneficial for them as well. Public authorities need greater creativity and initiative in promoting participatory planning within the climate protection agenda. The issue for municipalities and partners across Europe is now simple. It is essential to include a change in rainwater management in spatial planning, with an emphasis on its absorption and evaporation into the landscape.

This article was written by Danka Kravčíková, Michal Kravčík from LAND4CLIMATE consortium partner People and Water

Publishing date: 11 March 2026