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On May 13–14, 2025, around twenty researchers from the University of Valencia (UVEG), University of Malaga (UMA), the Greek Institute for Wetlands EKBY, and Tour du Valat—an international reference center for the conservation of Mediterranean wetlands—will join the MEDSEA Foundation, coordinator of the event, for a partner meeting in Cagliari and Terralba. Among them will also be representatives from the Valencian Government, such as Ignacio La Colomba, and Aylin Hasan from the Bulgarian Ministry of Environment and Water. 

The occasion is the consortium meeting of the Wetland4Change project, funded by the Interreg Euro-MED program and running from January 2024 to June 2026. The project aims to validate and promote transferable nature-based solutions (NbS) for wetland conservation and restoration to support both climate change adaptation and mitigation. Sardinia, with one of Italy's most extensive concentrations of internationally recognized RAMSAR wetlands, once again stands out as a natural laboratory of strategic relevance. The goal is to enhance territorial resilience, protect biodiversity, and promote integrated, climate-smart wetland management. 

Wetland4Change focuses on solutions to mitigate the effects of two increasingly frequent extreme climate events: heatwaves—driven by high greenhouse gas concentrations such as CO₂—and floods caused by heavy rainfall and extreme weather. The University of Valencia (UVEG), one of the project partners, is especially involved following the severe impacts of DANA in autumn 2023, which caused casualties and infrastructure damage in the region. 

Two Days of Study and Field Demonstration 

The two-day event will begin at the Regina Margherita Hotel conference center in Cagliari with the presentation of preliminary results on the mapping of ecosystem services for flood regulation in the project’s pilot areas: Albufera (Spain), Durance (France), Terralba (Italy), Lake Kerkini (Greece), and Struma (Bulgaria). The morning session will be followed by an afternoon focused on improving methodologies for environmental analysis and modeling. 

Living Lab and Field Demonstrations in Marceddì 

On May 14, the group will move to the Museo del Mare in Marceddì for a practical Living Lab in collaboration with the Municipality of Terralba. The event will also involve the Sardinian Regional Department of Environmental Protection and the Regional Water Basin Authority. 

Researchers from the University of Valencia will conduct a live demonstration of CO₂ sequestration in the Marceddì lagoon, showcasing wetland carbon storage systems and explaining the key role of wetlands as natural carbon sinks. The MEDSEA Foundation will demonstrate innovative water gates developed under the complementary TransformAr project, showing how these infrastructures help regulate flood flows while protecting fish stocks. 

Experts from Tour du Valat and the University of Malaga will present predictive technologies and models that reduce flood impact by enhancing wetlands’ “buffer” and “sponge” functions—absorbing and gradually releasing excess water to limit damage to infrastructure, agriculture, and communities. 

Participants will be divided into two thematic working groups: one focused on carbon sequestration, the other on flood regulation, to facilitate experience sharing and co-creation of innovative solutions. 

"Wetlands are a fundamental ally in the fight against climate change," explains Manuela Puddu, Wetland4Change project lead for the MEDSEA Foundation. “Thanks to Wetland4Change, we are developing advanced scientific models to quantify the capacity of these ecosystems to absorb CO₂ and reduce the risk of coastal flooding. The practical demonstrations in Marceddì will provide a tangible understanding of the natural processes and technologies we are working to enhance.” 

The day will end with a visit to the Torre Vecchia of Marceddì and a networking dinner before returning to Cagliari. 

Funded by the European Union under the Interreg Euro-MED program, Wetland4Change is part of a broader set of EU initiatives to protect and enhance Mediterranean wetlands, recognizing their strategic role as Nature-Based Solutions (NbS) for climate change adaptation and mitigation.