On June 30, 2025, the first local workshop of the pilot case for the Sardinia demonstration region was held as part of the DRYAD project, bringing together a total of 26 participants. The objective of the workshop, organized by our Italian partners from UniSS, Alberitalia, CMCC and CNR-IBE, was to initiate collaboration with local stakeholders by presenting the project and engaging them in a discussion on the Nature-based Solutions (NbS) that will be tested through the research activities developed within the Sardinian pilot case.
During the first part of the meeting, held in plenary session, the opening remarks were delivered by Professor Costantino Sirca (University of Sassari – UniSS), who provided an overview of the DRYAD project, its main objectives, planned activities, project partners, and the regions involved. Following this, Professor Fabio Salbitano (UniSS) introduced the concept of Nature-based Solutions (NbS) and presented the portfolio of 14 NbS under study in the project, with a specific focus on the three NbS selected for the Sardinia case study: wildfire prevention, natural habitat islands and landscape elements and early detection of tree mortality.
In the second part of the workshop, stakeholders were invited to participate in a collective discussion focused on the three selected NbS, with the aim of exploring their perceptions and perspectives regarding these solutions. This session was facilitated by Alessandro Fadda (researcher at CMCC) and Solaria Anzilotti (researcher at Alberitalia), who used visual posters to guide the discussion along three main thematic axes: the challenges associated with the implementation of the solutions; the factors that could facilitate their adoption and practical application at the local level; the potential benefits resulting from their implementation.
The workshop discussion revealed not only strong interest in the selected NbS but also a shared awareness of the structural and cultural challenges hindering the adoption of innovative practices in Sardinia’s agro-silvo-pastoral systems. A clear need emerged to move beyond the still-dominant reactive approach and embrace preventive planning strategies that rely on greater public-private integration, local co-design processes, and the valorisation of existing knowledge and good practices already present in the territory.
In light of these reflections, particular attention was given to strengthening information and training channels, with a focus on engaging younger generations of landowners, farmers, shepherds, and rural development planners. The discussion also highlighted the importance of supporting grassroots collaboration through the formation of associations or interest groups that can foster collective uptake of NbS and amplify the visibility of successful local experiences. Finally, the need for more flexible governance tools and adaptive territorial planning emerged as crucial to addressing local specificities, navigating regulatory constraints, and unlocking new opportunities through circular and multifunctional economic models.
The next steps will involve continued stakeholder engagement through field activities at the pilot site, thematic meetings, and exchanges with other demonstrating and replicant regions.
