Together for a climate-resilient landscape 

The Three-Countries Park Symposium of 2021 was strongly influenced by the devastating floods of July, which affected the entire Meuse-Rhine Euroregion. The theme of the forum was less acute crisis management and more transition: it was about long-term cooperation, effective measures and exemplary projects for a climate-resistant Euroregional landscape without borders, in which water is a key element: for the climate, for biodiversity, for safe living and housing, and for economic productivity. The last drought years have also made this clear.

More than 120 participants were very interested in the various contributions from the partner regions of the Three-Countries Park and other Euroregios, such as the three-countries region around Basel. The area-based approach with workshops on cross-border river basins attracted a wide expert audience in the fields of water management, nature and landscape, urban planning, agriculture and environmental education. There were lively discussions both in the workshops and in the chat, old contacts were deepened and new contacts were made. The presentations and workshops provided numerous starting points for cross-border field visits, bilateral activities and project developments.

One of the conclusions was that the interaction between soil, water, plants and men is a crucial factor for climate-resilient landscapes. Citizens and politicians should be much more aware of the (transboundary) river basins in which we live and work. Cooperation is the key word in all areas, across national borders, between disciplines and sectors, from micro to macro level, between generations and social groups, such as e.g. cooperation with schools, art, science and practice.