The WES-BCA Regional Training and Study Tour on Adaptation Measures for Floods and Storms Management in the Mediterranean were concluded in Nice, France

Are you familiar with the so-called “Mediterranean paradox”?

During recent years, the Southern and Eastern Mediterranean countries have been particularly vulnerable to the simultaneous intensification of droughts and floods, due to the combination of higher temperatures, longer dry periods, and heavier rainfall and limited adaptive capacity, causing significant human, environmental and economic losses.

Water scarcity combined with increasing flood frequency makes stormwater capture, storage and infiltration a key adaptation priority. Integrating engineering measures with Nature-Based Solutions (NBS) provides cost-effective approaches to enhance resilience while delivering co-benefits for ecosystems, groundwater recharge and biodiversity.

The EU-funded “Water and Environment Support - Biodiversity and Climate Action (WES-BCA) in the Neighbourhood South region” project held its 4-day Regional Training and Study Tour on “Adaptation Measures for Floods and Stormwater Management”, from 21 to 24 April 2026, in Nice, France, to strengthen technical and institutional capacities to address flood and stormwater management challenges associated with the “Mediterranean paradox” and broader climate change impacts in the WES-BCA Partner Countries (PCs).

The regional training and study tour were implemented as a structured learning and exchange activity, combining technical presentations, site visits, practical exercises, and facilitated discussions to support the participants’ understanding and application of flood and stormwater adaptation measures.

The approach builds on the desk study and draft Guidelines developed under the WES-BCA regional activity, which compile relevant frameworks and strategies, together with tools, methods and implementation techniques for flood and stormwater management, including engineering, Nature-Based and hybrid approaches for water retention and detention.

The Training followed a progressive sequence, moving from frameworks and planning and analytical approaches to the typology of measures and their functions, and further to key decision and implementation considerations, including institutional arrangements, data needs, cost considerations, and operation and maintenance. This was complemented by the presentation of commonly used software and models for hydrological analysis, flood-risk assessment, and stormwater planning and design.

The Study Tour enabled the participants to link theory to practice by observing real-world applications, understanding implementation conditions, and reflecting on the applicability and replication of measures in their national contexts. It included the city of Cagnes-sur-Mer where participants visited: Cannebiers recreational park, and the Eco-neighbourhood: Renatured banks of the Cagnes river. They also traveled to Valbonne- Biot Demonstration Site, where they visited: House purchase and riverbank expansion, Removal of the canal and renaturation of the riverbanks, and a major floodplain project involving agricultural activity.

Interactive discussions throughout the event supported Peer-to-Peer exchange and allowed the participants to relate the discussions to practical guidance for flood and stormwater adaptation under Mediterranean conditions.

The final session was conducted as a structured feedback and validation process, enabling participants to identify key implementation constraints, responsible institutions, and priority considerations for the application of flood and stormwater adaptation measures in their national contexts.

The inputs collected will be used to refine the draft Guidelines developed under the activity, on best practices and implementation techniques for flood and stormwater adaptation measures, ensuring their practical applicability in PCs.

You may find all presentations and deliverables of this WES-BCA regional activity here:

https://www.wes-bca.eu/activity/c1_reg-st-6-adaptation-measures-for-floods-and-storms-management/