First EU Twinning Exchange hosted in Czechia on Nature-Based Solutions and Landscapes in Transition
On 7–8 October, the AdaptationHubs EU Twinning brought together representatives from five European regions and cities in Karlovy Vary, Czechia, to exchange experiences and explore practical solutions for climate adaptation and a just transition.Participants from Offaly County (Ireland), Zasavje (Slovenia), South Kurzeme (Latvia), Narva-Jõesuu in Ida-Viru County (Estonia), and Örebro (Sweden) explored how the Karlovy Vary Region is transforming its mining legacy into a more resilient and liveable landscape. The programme featured visits to Envirocentrum Chodov, where blue-green and energy solutions are tested and monitored; the LIFEPOPWAT constructed wetland in Hájek, which treats pesticide-contaminated water; and the Smolnická spoil heap, where reclamation has transformed former mining land into forest and grassland.
Beyond discovering these local initiatives, participants connected the solutions to challenges in their own territories. Despite different geographical contexts, regions shaped by peat extraction, coal mining and oil-shale production face similar questions: how to support communities when extraction ends, create new skills and employment opportunities, and ensure that the transition is fair and inclusive. Held alongside the REGILIENCE+ Country Training, the twinning created further opportunities to connect Czech experience with wider European perspectives and strengthen peer-to-peer learning.
A big thank you to the Czech University of Life Sciences (CZU), the Mayor of Chodov, the Envirocentrum Chodov team, our guest speaker from the Technical University of Liberec of LIFEPOPWAT at Hájek and the Institute of SPA and Balneology of Karlovy Vary.
Stay tuned for future twinnings, in which AdaptationHubs will match frontrunner regions with additional regions facing similar climate challenges to share what works.
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