Last summer, Wetland4Change hosted a dynamic local meeting at the Centro de Educación Ambiental de la Comunidad Valenciana in Valencia, Spain. The event was organized by our project partners the University of Valencia, in close collaboration with Restore4Cs—another wetlands-related initiative in which the university is also partner.
The meeting took the form of an EcoLab titled Rossetta UV, a participatory laboratory that brought together citizens, local administrations, researchers, farmers, NGOs, and associations. Its main purpose was to actively involve society and key stakeholders in discussions around biodiversity governance and climate change adaptation.
The EcoLab Rossetta UV aimed to foster citizen participation, social innovation, and the co-creation of solutions through innovative approaches such as gamification. A central feature of the event was a roundtable on governance and climate adaptation, which highlighted the collective involvement of public administrations, universities, NGOs, businesses, farmers, and citizen groups in addressing environmental challenges.
The meeting also explored synergies and clustering opportunities with other initiatives, particularly those funded under the Horizon Europe and LIFE programmes. This exchange helped identify potential areas for cooperation and alignment among ongoing European and local efforts to protect and restore wetlands.
Throughout the discussions, several key themes emerged. One central topic was the importance of communication and public participation. Participants underscored the shared responsibility of institutions to effectively transfer scientific knowledge to society and to promote an informed public opinion on biodiversity, wetlands, and climate change. Strengthening collaboration with communication and journalism faculties was seen as essential to improving outreach and dissemination efforts.
In terms of knowledge transfer and innovation, participants proposed the creation of an open digital repository to host projects and publications related to wetlands and climate adaptation. Innovative methodologies, including co-creation and gamification, were identified as effective tools for increasing citizen engagement and enhancing participatory learning.
Discussions on governance and stakeholder involvement emphasized the need to include citizens, farmers, fishermen, and NGOs in decision-making processes. The participants also called for a sustainable legal and institutional framework to support the development of Living Labs as permanent spaces for experimentation and collaboration.
Furthermore, the event facilitated the exchange of experiences between Wetland4Change, Restore4Cs reinforcing the idea that strong coordination and knowledge sharing can significantly improve the resilience of wetlands and local communities.
Finally, the meeting highlighted several priority needs moving forward: stronger inter-institutional coordination, broader stakeholder involvement, and the establishment of legal and financial frameworks to consolidate the Living Lab model. Increasing visibility at local and regional levels was also recognized as essential to attracting both political commitment and financial support for future activities
Wetland4Change local meeting in Valencia | June 2025
