The LocAll4Flood project, co-funded by the EU under the Interreg Euro-MED Programme, supports Mediterranean territories in resilient water management by promoting an Integrated Multi-stakeholder Governance Model (IMGM). The project aims to tackle prevention, adaptation and mitigation actions within a unique system. Its multi-stakeholder and bottom-up approach ensures that local, regional and national authorities, researchers, citizens, and private actors can co-create tailored, effective, and sustainable solutions for climate-related water challenges.
LocAll4Flood is making awareness, synergies, and shared responsibility the pillars of resilient water management by fostering dialogue among all concerned entities. The project aims not only to tailor solutions to local needs but also to ensure their relevance and adaptability across the Mediterranean basin.
In the prevention field, the project is developing an Early Warning System (EWS) that combines hazard data from Pan-European platforms with local observations to provide comprehensive information to decision-makers. For adaptation, the project is conducting public surveys to assess risk perception and creating educational materials to build resilience in vulnerable areas. In terms of mitigation, LocAll4Flood co-designs Nature-Based Solutions (NBS) and Green Stormwater Infrastructure (GSI) that shift from grey to green approaches, adapted to local circumstances and delivered through concerted efforts with the relevant government entities. These efforts actively bring stakeholders together around the uptake of NBS, from policy to on-the-ground implementation.
The Integrated Multi-Stakeholder Governance Model (IMGM) aims to shift flash-flood risk management from a purely top-down approach to an integrated, multi-actor framework. It establishes guiding principles, clarifies stakeholder roles, and delivers a training programme that equips authorities, communities, academia, and the private sector to collaborate across prevention, adaptation, and mitigation, with particular emphasis on early-warning systems and nature-based solutions. The model’s scope spans four landscape types (urban, industrial, rural/natural, and coastal) and is being applied and tailored through testing in nine representative catchments across the northern Mediterranean basin. Insights and lessons gained from these sites will be shared to facilitate replication throughout the Euro-Mediterranean region.
To achieve this, LocAll4Flood unites partners with diverse yet complementary expertise, ensuring a collaborative approach:
- BETA Technological Centre (Spain)
- Euroregion Pyrenees Mediterranean (France/Spain)
- GLOWATER – University of the Balearic Islands (Spain)
- Energy and Water Agency (Malta)
- Black Sea – Danube Association for Research and Development (Bulgaria)
- National Research Council (Italy)
- Hydrometeorological Innovative Solutions – HYDS (Spain)
- Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (Greece)
A central element of the project is the series of organised training sessions held in each pilot site, which serve as key events bringing stakeholders together to address the challenges resulting from stormwater runoff, climate change, and the related risks:
First Training Session (March 2025):
Focused on prevention, this session included the presentation of the project, an outline on the principles of flood risk management, the EU Floods Directive key governance principles which should be taken into consideration and the Early Warning System (EWS) promoted by the project. It brought together emergency services, technical experts, and local, regional, and national authorities that mapped vulnerable areas and identified priority measures for risk reduction. The discussions highlighted the need to invest in efficient early warning systems and to foster a more unified governance approach.
Second Training Session (May–July 2025):
Dedicated to awareness, mapping stakeholder relationships and sharing results of public surveys on risk perception among residents. This session strengthened synergies between public authorities, academia, civil society, and the private sector, paving the way for coordinated action. The session also addressed the dissemination of educational material to different target audiences.
Throughout the sessions, interactive activities facilitated the exchange of ideas and the identification of effective solutions, resulting in significant progress toward developing more comprehensive and coordinated management strategies to mitigate the risk resulting from stormwater. These sessions are not limited to high-level or national fora and extend to regional and local levels to ensure community-driven uptake of NBS and GSI. Some sessions also featured presentations of locally implemented stormwater management models providing valuable insights into site-specific challenges and solutions.
The third and final training session will take place on the 20th of November 2025. This session will focus on mitigation strategies, specifically the application of Nature-Based Solutions and Green Stormwater Infrastructure. LA4F aim is to guide the application of NBS nationally in close coordination with the competent ministries and agencies. Participants will also co-design and explore the implementation of green infrastructure approaches that can favour improved water management practices while enhancing the natural environment. This is not only an opportunity to learn from technical experts but also to contribute ideas, share local knowledge, and strengthen the network of committed actors working for a safer and more resilient Mediterranean, exemplified in Malta by the new established a strong working link between EWA and the government entities responsible for flood infrastructure maintenance and civil protection.
For more information about the project, click here.
