The Natural Heritage Mission’s Community of Practice Meeting was held on July 2–3, 2025, at the Multimedia Center of the National Technical University of Athens (NTUA). The event gathered numerous experts, project teams, and stakeholders from the Mediterranean region to exchange knowledge, present innovative solutions, and define joint steps towards sustainable natural heritage management and climate resilience.
The COASTRUST project team was represented by Jasna Prskalo Kasumović, Panagiota Saranti, Flaminia Squitieri, and Mia Zeljić, who actively contributed to the discussions and knowledge-sharing sessions across both days.
Day 1: Collaboration and Dialogue
Following the official opening, the meeting featured the launch of the awareness campaign “Solve the Challenge 2025”, which aims to strengthen cooperation between professionals and local communities in addressing key environmental protection challenges.
Participants were introduced to the “Amplification Room”, an innovative format for sharing experiences and best practices. The session also included the presentation of initial solutions developed within the Mission for Nature initiative, including the WE GO COOP and FRED projects. These were followed by peer review sessions and discussion on how these approaches could be transferred to other contexts.
COASTRUST team members actively contributed to the thematic cluster session on Tools for Environmental Governance, where participatory methods and communication strategies developed within the project were presented. The day concluded with a discussion on policy engagement and preparations for the upcoming Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) Regional Forum.
Day 2: Thematic Sessions and COASTRUST Presentation
The second day featured parallel sessions focusing on climate adaptation in coastal areas, forest management, digital tools for disaster risk reduction, and nature-based solutions for flood control.
As part of the “Solve the Challenge 2025” campaign, members of the COASTRUST team delivered a dedicated presentation on communication tools for environmental governance, highlighting the project’s efforts to involve local communities in decision-making processes and climate resilience planning. The presentation showcased elements of the COASTRUST communication strategy and shared practical examples from project implementation.
Later sessions focused on legal frameworks and spatial governance in the Mediterranean, along with updates on how thematic pilot projects are contributing to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The event concluded with the Greek Pilots Marketplace, where participants exchanged insights and lessons learned from ongoing pilot activities.
The two-day Community of Practice meeting once again emphasized the importance of cross-sectoral and international cooperation in preserving natural heritage. The active participation of the COASTRUST team helped strengthen regional partnerships and brought valuable knowledge and communication expertise to the shared mission of sustainable development and environmental stewardship.
