Europe's regions bring climate adaptation to Klimafolkemødet: the II ARCADIA Festival of Transformative Nature-Based Solutions opens its doors in Middelfart
A full, free day of political debate, science, and community-led climate action, open to press and public alike.
On 28 August 2026, the II ARCADIA Festival of Transformative Nature-Based Solutions will take place at the Harbour in Middelfart, on the island of Funen, as part of Klimafolkemødet 2026, Denmark's national climate gathering, a non-commercial event that is free and open to all.
Organised by the Horizon Europe project ARCADIA, the Festival brings together policymakers, researchers, practitioners, regional authorities, and local communities for a full day devoted to a single, urgent question: how can Europe move from promising local pilots to genuine, system-wide climate resilience, and how can policy, science, and communities make that shift together?
Members of the press and members of the public are warmly invited to attend, take part, and report on the day's debates and activities.
"Climate adaptation succeeds when it belongs to everyone: citizens, farmers, researchers and decision-makers alike. That is exactly the spirit of this Festival: a free, open day where the whole community can help shape how we protect the places we live. We are proud to welcome ARCADIA and its European regions to Funen, and prouder still to open the doors to the public." Tim Vermund, City Councillor for Climate and Environment, Odense Municipality
A programme spanning politics, science, farming and community action
"With weather records broken year after year and climate trends unfolding before our eyes, we feel a responsibility to make the most of the opportunity ARCADIA offers. I am honoured to coordinate 42 European partners working together, not simply to deliver individual, time-bound projects across our eight regions, but to ensure these experiences become a catalyst for deeper, lasting transformation in regional governance across Europe. Our ambition is to strengthen the capacity of territories to adapt and to protect communities from climate risks that are already with us today and certain to grow." Arianna Cecchi, ARCADIA Coordinator, ART-ER
The ARCADIA programme explores several dimensions of transformative adaptation, from EU-level political leadership to grassroots, community-driven change:
Who leads on climate adaptation in Europe? - Political debate (11:00 - 11:45, Beige Stage). As extreme weather strikes European regions unevenly, this debate confronts a question too often left unanswered: is nature-based adaptation truly a political priority, or merely a talking point? The discussion examines EU frameworks and funding, the inequalities between the countries hardest hit, how science can effectively feed decision-making, and where real political leadership can be found. Speakers include Rasmus Nordqvist, Member of the European Parliament, Greens/European Free Alliance; Jaroslav Mysiak, Senior Researcher, Euro-Mediterranean Center on Climate Change; Rosa Pedersen, Youth Delegate to the UN for Climate and Environment; Eva Jensen, Head of Climate, Energy, and Transport, European Environment Agency. Moderator: Lars Trier Mogensen, Danish political commentator, journalist, and author.
NbS in Our Hands - Community conversation (12:00 - 12:45, Beige Stage). A dialogue between practitioners on how community-driven adaptation is taking shape across Europe, from Emilia-Romagna in Italy to Egedal on Zealand and back to Middelfart, with the real barriers, challenges, and solutions behind each story. Featuring Annachiara Grasso (Tuscan-Emilian Apennine National Park), Martin Laursen, Founding Partner, Adept, and Kolja Dahlin (We Do Democracy). Moderator: Kes McCormick, Professor, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences.
Giving Value to Nature - Science presentation (14:30 - 15:00, Yellow Stage). An introduction to Gross Ecosystem Product (GEP), an innovative approach to estimating the economic value of natural capital, translating benefits such as CO₂ sequestration, water purification, and soil protection into terms decision-makers can act on. Presented by Alessandro Bosso (ART-ER).
Nature-Based Solutions in Agriculture (15:00 - 15:45, Pink Stage). How local and regional authorities can work with farmers and rural landowners to put NbS into practice, drawing on experience from Sweden and Austria, with practical examples of dialogue, trust-building and joint action. Featuring Julia Roth (City of Helsingborg), Anna Nohed (Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences), Anna Hansson (Sportfiskarna), and Erwin Szlezak and Kathi Deim (Agricultural District Authority, Lower Austria).
Building Resilience: Austria meets Denmark (16:00 - 16:50, Purple Stage). An interactive session on how Austrian regions and communities are putting climate adaptation into practice and what Denmark can draw from it. Featuring Alexis Sancho-Reinoso (Office of the Lower Austrian Federal Government), Sabine Plodek-Freimann and Gabriel Lang (Energy and Environmental Agency of Lower Austria), and Markus Leitner (Environment Agency Austria).
Climathon Sprint | Youth in action (9:00 - 11:00, Arcadia Lounge booth 16). A two-hour, hands-on Climathon sprint, powered by Climate KIC, challenges high-school students to tackle a very real local problem: how to improve the ecological condition of Odense Fjord by 2035. Guided by ARCADIA mentors, teams design realistic, creative solutions and pitch them to a jury.
Throughout the day, the ARCADIA Lounge serves as the Festival's meeting point, where the project's eight European regions come together to share experience and welcome visitors.
Why it matters
ARCADIA works with eight European regions - five model regions (Italy, Croatia, Austria, Denmark and Sweden) and three fellow regions (Bulgaria, Romania and Slovenia) - to demonstrate that Nature-based Solutions are vital for effective climate adaptation at a continental scale. Many of these regions have themselves been struck by extreme, climate-intensified weather in recent years.
“ARCADIA is important because it helps us understand how nature-based solutions in the context of environmental management and planning can improve or restore biodiversity and ecosystem functions while delivering multiple benefits for climate, water, and society.” Gary Banta, Head of Biology Department, Southern University of Denmark.
Practical information
What: II ARCADIA Festival of Transformative Nature-Based Solutions
When: 28 August 2026, full day
Where: Harbour, Middelfart, Funen, Denmark, within the Klimafolkemøde 2026 programme
Cost: Free and open to all (non-commercial event)
Programme & English-language activities: https://www.arcadia-adaptation.eu/index.php/ii-arcadia-festival-of-transformative-nbs/
For media inquiries and interviews, please contact:
Marina Kovari, Communications, Project ARCADIA
marinakovari@gmail.com www.arcadia-adaptation.eu
About ARCADIA
ARCADIA (The TrAnsformative climate ResilienCe by nAture-baseD solutions in the continental bio-geographical region) is a Horizon Europe project coordinated by ART-ER (Italy). It connects eight European partner regions to co-design and scale Nature-based Solutions for climate adaptation across Europe's continental biogeographical region.
Funded by the European Union under HORIZON-MISS-2022-CLIMA-01, Grant Agreement n. 101112737.
