In 1976, Mediterranean countries and the European Community adopted the Barcelona Convention to protect the marine and coastal environment, placing sustainability at the heart of regional cooperation. Established in 1977 by France, Plan Bleu is one of the Regional Activity Centres of the United Nations Environment Programme \/ Mediterranean Action Plan (UNEP\/MAP), operating under the framework of the Barcelona Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment and the Coastal Region of the Mediterranean. Plan Bleu supports Mediterranean countries in advancing sustainable development through foresight studies, policy-oriented research, scenario building, and strategic recommendations addressing major environmental, social, and economic challenges across the region.<\/span><\/p>\n As part of its mission to promote evidence-based policymaking and regional cooperation, Plan Bleu regularly launches Calls for Papers on key sustainability issues affecting the Mediterranean. These initiatives aim to foster innovative thinking, strengthen scientific-policy dialogue, and support the development of actionable solutions adapted to Mediterranean contexts.<\/span><\/p>\n This Call for Papers focuses on the role of <\/span>Nature-based Solutions (NbS) and Culture-based Solutions (CbS) in improving human health and strengthening climate resilience<\/b> across Mediterranean territories. It seeks to mobilize <\/span>researchers, practitioners, and experts working at the intersection of climate adaptation, public health, urban and territorial planning, ecosystem restoration, and environmental governance<\/b>.<\/span><\/p>\n A total of <\/span>11 papers<\/b> will be selected and financially supported under this Call (including 2 specifically dedicated to the financing of urban NbS and CbS through blended finance mechanisms).<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n The Mediterranean region is recognized as one of the world\u2019s most vulnerable climate hotspots, warming 20% faster than the rest of the world. Rising temperatures, prolonged droughts, compound extreme weather events, flash floods, water scarcity, biodiversity degradation, wildfires, and increasing urban pressures are already affecting ecosystems, economies, and human well-being across the basin (IPCC, 2022).<\/span><\/p>\n This vulnerability is deeply tied to the <\/span>region’s demographic dynamics<\/b>: <\/span>urbanization rates <\/b>in the Mediterranean surpass the global average, with nearly 150 million people representing <\/span>two-thirds<\/b> of the total coastal population currently living in rapidly growing coastal urban centers. Fast-growing coastal metropolises on the southern shore, such as Alexandria, which houses 6.5 million inhabitants and has seen unregulated urban expansion surge by nearly 47% over the past two decades, perfectly illustrate these compounding demographic and environmental risks. <\/span>Mediterranean cities are therefore particularly vulnerable<\/b> due to their high population density, compactness, and aging populations. These impacts are expected to intensify over the coming decades, with disproportionate consequences for vulnerable populations, coastal areas threatened by sea-level rise and coastal erosion, and densely populated urban regions. In particular, the <\/span>Urban Heat Island (UHI) effect<\/b> poses severe health risks, exacerbating heat-related mortality and morbidity during increasingly frequent warm spells and heatwaves. Recent health impact assessments in European and Mediterranean cities show that urban warming significantly increases summer preventable deaths, and that increasing <\/span>urban tree canopy and Blue-Green Infrastructure (BGI) <\/b>could substantially cool urban environments and prevent premature <\/span>mortality<\/b>.<\/span><\/p>\n At the same time, growing evidence demonstrates that <\/span>Nature-based Solutions (NbS)<\/b> can play an important role in <\/span>addressing interconnected environmental, climatic, and public health challenges<\/b>. NbS are <\/span>systemic, resource-efficient interventions<\/b> that protect, restore, sustainably manage, and enhance natural and modified ecosystems while simultaneously generating multifunctional social, economic, and environmental benefits (Cohen-Shacham et al., 2016). These solutions are highly cost-effective compared to traditional engineered (gray) infrastructure, providing a <\/span>systemic approach to urban adaptation<\/b> that integrates natural processes into the built environment across <\/span>different scales <\/b>(from building envelopes to regional landscapes). NbS are increasingly recognized as effective approaches for <\/span>climate adaptation<\/b> and <\/span>urban resilience<\/b>, while also supporting <\/span>biodiversity<\/b> and <\/span>human well-being<\/b>.<\/span><\/p>\n Furthermore, alongside NbS, <\/span>urban architecture <\/b>and<\/span> Culture-based Solutions (CbS)<\/b> must be integrated to provide <\/span>holistic<\/b> and <\/span>culturally<\/b> appropriate climate adaptation. This is especially critical in the Mediterranean’s southern shore, where extreme heat, prolonged droughts, and water scarcity significantly affect vegetation growth and the viability of purely green infrastructures. Here, integrating <\/span>Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) <\/b>and<\/span> vernacular architecture<\/b> is crucial to ensure the viability of green infrastructures.<\/span><\/p>\n Specifically, in urban and territorial contexts, NbS include interventions such as urban forests, wetlands restoration, green roofs, permeable surfaces, bioswales, coastal ecosystem restoration, urban agriculture, green corridors, and blue-green infrastructure systems. These approaches can contribute to climate adaptation and mitigation while also improving air quality, reducing urban heat island effects, strengthening biodiversity, enhancing mental and physical health, supporting social cohesion, and increasing resilience to climate-related risks (Kabisch et al., 2016; Frantzeskaki, 2019).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Recent research highlights that NbS generate <\/span>multiple co-benefits<\/b> that go beyond environmental performance alone. They can foster social inclusion, improve public spaces, support community well-being, strengthen local governance, and contribute to <\/span>more resilient <\/b>and<\/span> livable territories<\/b> (Frantzeskaki, 2019; Kabisch et al., 2017). However, despite growing political attention and increasing implementation across Mediterranean cities and regions, important <\/span>knowledge gaps <\/b>remain regarding:<\/span><\/p>\n Moreover, Mediterranean territories present highly <\/span>differentiated climatic, ecological, socio-economic, and institutional conditions<\/b>, ranging from arid and semi-arid areas to coastal cities, mountain regions, wetlands, islands, and delta systems. This diversity makes the region a particularly relevant laboratory for studying how NbS can support climate resilience and public health under varying environmental and governance conditions. Recent studies further emphasize the importance of <\/span>participatory governance, social perceptions,<\/b> and <\/span>equity dimensions<\/b> in the implementation of NbS across Mediterranean urban contexts (Noblega-Carriquiry et al., 2023; Johnson et al., 2022).<\/span><\/p>\n Against this background, Plan Bleu launches this Call for Papers to encourage <\/span>rigorous, policy-relevant, and interdisciplinary research<\/b> exploring the role of Nature-based Solutions and Culture-based Solutions in promoting healthier and more climate-resilient Mediterranean societies.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n The objective of this Call for Papers is to support high-quality research and policy analysis examining how Nature-based Solutions and Culture-based Solutions can contribute to improving health outcomes and strengthening climate resilience in Mediterranean cities. A key priority of this Call is to bridge current geographical knowledge gaps by strongly encouraging <\/span>research focused on the Southern and Eastern Mediterranean shores<\/b>, as well as <\/span>cross-regional comparative analyses<\/b> (e.g., North-South or East-West perspectives) to ensure a comprehensive <\/span>basin-wide understanding<\/b>.<\/span><\/p>\n These selected papers will directly feed into a broader Plan Bleu initiative, which comprises:<\/span><\/p>\n More specifically, the Call aims to 1. Identify and assess the health, environmental, social, and economic <\/span>co-benefits of NbS<\/b>; 2. Analyze how NbS contribute to climate adaptation and resilience; 3. Explore governance, <\/span>financing<\/b>, and <\/span>implementation<\/b> challenges; 4. Document <\/span>successful practices <\/b>and<\/span> lessons learned<\/b> across Mediterranean contexts; 5. Support evidence-based <\/span>policymaking<\/b> and <\/span>territorial planning<\/b>; 6. Foster <\/span>regional dialogue<\/b> and <\/span>knowledge exchange <\/b>among researchers, practitioners, and decision-makers.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n This Call for Papers invites researchers to explore <\/span>new approaches and insights<\/b>. All papers should present <\/span>evidence-based analyses<\/b> and offer <\/span>pragmatic policy recommendations<\/b>. Papers with different focuses are welcome, including <\/span>Regional (Multi-Country) Analyses<\/b>, <\/span>Comparative Perspectives<\/b>, and <\/span>Local Case Studies<\/b>. Submissions may address, but are not limited to, the following thematic areas:<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n 1. Nature-based Solutions and Public Health<\/strong><\/p>\n The advantages of NbS and its impact on health are increasingly appreciated in our societies, such as in urban adaptations with the greening of streets and parks; where these changes cause an improvement in the health of citizens (Castelo et al., 2023).<\/span><\/p>\n For this reason, papers may explore the impacts of <\/span>NbS on physical and mental health<\/b>; <\/span>heat stress <\/b>reduction and mitigation of <\/span>the Urban Heat Island (UHI) effect<\/b>, <\/span>air quality<\/b> improvement (e.g., through the absorption of airborne particulate matter like PM<\/span>10<\/span>, PM<\/span>2.5<\/span>, NO2, and SO2) which exacerbate respiratory and cardiovascular diseases, and <\/span>access to green and blue spaces<\/b> for people. We highly encourage papers exploring how nature contact builds ‘<\/span>biopsychosocial resilience<\/b>‘ (biological, psychological, and social adaptive capacities) to help individuals cope with acute and chronic environmental stressors. Papers evaluating dynamic <\/span>thermal comfort<\/b> using high-resolution spatial metrics, such as the <\/span>Physiological Equivalent Temperature (PET)<\/b>, in dense urban environments are particularly encouraged to demonstrate the <\/span>direct health benefits of NbS<\/b>.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n 2. Nature-based Solutions and Climate Resilience<\/b><\/p>\n Contributions under this thematic area may explore how NbS can strengthen climate adaptation and resilience across Mediterranean cities facing increasing environmental and climatic pressures. Papers may examine the role of NbS in addressing <\/span>extreme heat<\/b>, <\/span>droughts <\/b>and<\/span> water scarcity<\/b>, <\/span>floods<\/b> and <\/span>stormwater<\/b> management (including Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS), permeable pavements, and ‘Sponge City’ concepts), <\/span>wildfires<\/b>, biodiversity degradation, and other climate-related risks affecting urban, coastal, and peri-urban areas. Research should therefore also consider <\/span>coastal ecosystem restoration <\/b>(e.g., salt marshes, wetlands, and dunes) for wave attenuation and protection against sea-level rise.<\/span><\/p>\n Comparative perspectives on the effectiveness of NbS in <\/span>diverse Mediterranean contexts <\/b>are particularly encouraged. In the same way, research on <\/span>‘hybrid NbS<\/b>‘ that combine engineered (gray) and natural (green) elements, as well as <\/span>building-scale interventions <\/b>(e.g., green roofs and living walls) for densely urbanized areas, is highly relevant.<\/span><\/p>\n Submissions may further analyze how NbS contribute to reducing vulnerability, enhancing ecosystem services, improving adaptive capacity, and supporting long-term territorial resilience under changing climate conditions. <\/span>Comparative perspectives, integrated approaches, <\/b>and<\/span> evidence-based assessments<\/b> of the effectiveness of NbS in diverse Mediterranean contexts are particularly encouraged.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n 3. Governance, Participation, and Social Equity<\/b><\/p>\n This thematic area focuses on the governance, social, and institutional dimensions of Nature-based Solutions (NbS), with particular attention to <\/span>participation, inclusiveness, <\/b>and<\/span> equity in Mediterranean contexts<\/b>. Contributions may examine how governance frameworks, institutional arrangements, and participatory processes influence the <\/span>planning, implementation, management, <\/b>and<\/span> long-term sustainability<\/b> of NbS initiatives.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Nowadays, due to the territorial, social, and ecological complexities of the Mediterranean region, it is essential to address NbS governance through <\/span>transdisciplinary approaches <\/b>and<\/span> ‘mosaic governance’ models<\/b>. This is why it is essential to address the <\/span>governance of nature-based solutions<\/b> from interdisciplinary points of view, involving citizens, scientists and decision-making points jointly (Dell\u2019Ovo et al., 2025).<\/span><\/p>\n Papers may therefore explore <\/span>participatory governance models, community engagement <\/b>and<\/span> co-creation processes, institutional coordination mechanisms, <\/b>INTRODUCTION<\/b><\/h3>\n
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OBJECTIVES OF THE CALL<\/b><\/h3>\n
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THEMATIC PRIORITIES<\/b><\/h3>\n