International Training for Trainers Successfully Completed on Climate-Resilient Green Urban Areas
The online Training for Trainers (ToT) organized within the framework of the project “Green Urban Resilience – Climate Change Adaptation Solutions for Smart and Resilient Cities in the Black Sea Basin (BSB00006)” was successfully held on 08 April 2026 with the participation of international experts and practitioners.
The project is implemented under the first call for proposals of Interreg VI-B NEXT Black Sea Basin Programme 2021–2027 and is co-funded by the European Union with 90% financial support, with a total project budget of €1,290,188.88 The Project duration is 26 months and will end in September 2026.
Implemented under the Interreg VI-B NEXT Black Sea Basin Programme 2021–2027 and co-funded by the European Union, the Green Urban Resilience project aims to strengthen climate change adaptation capacities in urban areas, with a particular focus on addressing the Urban Heat Island effect through green and nature-based solutions.
The project is implemented by a consortium of five partners: Uzunköprü Municipality (LP), Istanbul University-Cerrahpaşa (PP2), Sozopol Municipality (PP3), City Hall of Batumi Municipality (PP4), and Kavala Municipality (PP5). Throughout the training, the sessions were enriched by the contributions of the LANDLAB expert team from Istanbul University-Cerrahpaşa, as well as international trainers and experts participating beyond the project partnership.
The training brought together urban planners, landscape architects, municipal experts, and environmental professionals from Türkiye, Bulgaria, Greece, and Georgia. The event focused on enhancing participants’ capacity to apply climate-resilient approaches in urban green spaces and living environments.
During the training, participants gained practical knowledge on:
- Climate-resilient plant selection
- Sustainable maintenance of green areas
- Planning and management of urban green infrastructure
- Delivering local trainings for municipalities and communities
Training Content and Presentations
The training programme featured a series of expert presentations addressing various aspects of climate-resilient urban green spaces.
The programme began with an introduction to the project, followed by sessions on climate-smart public spaces for municipalities. These sessions highlighted how local authorities can integrate climate adaptation strategies into the planning and management of green areas.
Another session focused on climate-resilient home gardens, presenting nature-based solutions, plant selection strategies, and sustainable maintenance practices applicable at the household level.
As a good practice example, a permaculture-based educational farm model was introduced, providing inspiration for sustainable living and community-based learning approaches.
Additional presentations delivered by international experts covered the following topics:
- Strategic approaches for climate-resilient cities (with a focus on Batumi)
- The role of trees outside forests within the LULUCF sector
- The importance of phenology in urban green space management under climate change conditions
The training concluded with an interactive Q&A session, allowing participants to engage directly with the speakers.
Throughout the training, guidebook booklets prepared by the LANDLAB experts of Istanbul University-Cerrahpaşa for public green spaces and residential gardens were shared with participants. In addition, various guideline documents presented by experts from partner countries were made available as supporting materials. All these resources were also published on the project website, ensuring access for a wider audience. Furthermore, the training aimed to strengthen the capacity of each partner country to develop local trainers and enhance knowledge dissemination at the local level.
Following the completion of the training, each project partner will organize local face-to-face training sessions to raise awareness among municipalities and citizens and to support the transition towards more climate-resilient cities.
“This event is organized within the project “Green Urban Resilience (BSB00006)” co-funded by the European Union through the Interreg VI-B NEXT Black Sea Basin Programme, with 90% EU financial support. The contents of this announcement are the sole responsibility of the project partners and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union or the Programme authorities.”