- 90%
of Lund’s wetlands lost over the past 200 yearsdue to agricultural drainage
- 150 trees
planted in Malmö from September–October 2025
- 2024-2028
Implementation timeline
Replicability
Lessons from Skåne’s Arcadia pilots for regions facing climate, land and water challenges.
Best suited for
The Arcadia-led project in Skåne is a replicable model for regions facing climate extremes, polluted land and complex urban–rural water challenges. It is particularly relevant for coastal municipalities, post-industrial sites and agricultural areas exposed to flooding, drought, heat stress and soil degradation. The project demonstrates adaptable solutions such as urban forests on contaminated sites, blue–green corridors and wetland restoration that can be transferred to similar contexts across Europe.
Stakeholders' role
The project brings together municipalities, regional authorities, landowners and farmers, businesses, environmental experts, water coordinators, urban planners and community stakeholders. Arcadia’s co-innovation labs also engage GIS specialists, project managers and policy developers to map risks and co-design solutions. Local associations, children, and art and culture creators have also been closely involved in activities conveying and co-creating the environmental and societal significance of NbS in lab sites. Collaboration is structured through mechanisms such as water councils, business partnerships and landowner dialogues, ensuring integrated urban–rural adaptation.
Built-in scalable tools
The Arcadia-led project in Skåne is designed with scaling up at its core. Co-innovation labs provide structured spaces to develop and test replicable solutions, while GIS-based mapping supports data-driven identification of priority areas for nature-based solutions. Innovative financing approaches, including biodiversity credits and business partnerships, help unlock private investment. Water councils enable cross-sector governance between urban and rural stakeholders. Pilot sites function as demonstration hubs, while knowledge-sharing networks ensure lessons on design, financing and governance are transferable across regions.
Funding pathways
The Arcadia project is funded through the Horizon Europe programme, supporting the development and testing of nature-based solutions across pilot sites. To enhance long-term sustainability, additional funding pathways are being explored, including business contributions such as biodiversity credits and corporate partnerships in Helsingborg. Municipal budgets also play a key role in co-financing pilot implementation and enabling local deployment. In City of Malmö, implementation of the urban forest was supported by municipal budget and other external funding.
