On May 8, 2025, the International University of Sarajevo (IUS) hosted the first local seminar within the framework of the IPA Adrion NATURED project, titled "Understanding the Interaction Between Climate and Cities". The event brought together around 30 participants and provided a platform for knowledge exchange, discussion, and awareness-raising on climate resilience in urban settings.
The seminar was officially opened by Associate Professor Dr. Tarik Namas, Vice-Rector for Academic Activities and Students’ Affairs at IUS and Quality Manager of the NATURED project. In his opening remarks, Dr. Namas emphasized the importance of the seminar in understanding the climate-related challenges faced by modern cities and the expectations of the NATURED project.
Following the opening, Dr. Ismar Alagić, Project Manager of NATURED, presented an overview of the project, highlighting past achievements and upcoming activities. He then delivered the first presentation titled "Green City Solutions Around the World", where he explored the evolution of urban greening throughout history, the environmental impacts of megacities and megacorridors, and the role of ecological footprints in sustainable urban development. The presentation featured international examples from cities such as New York, Milan, Gothenburg, Singapore, Colombo, Reykjavik, Malmö, Seoul, Paris, Dubai, Berlin, and Toronto, as well as relevant practices from Bosnia and Herzegovina and the region. A special focus was placed on aligning urban development with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The second presentation, "The EU Strategic Framework for Addressing Climate Change in Local Communities", was delivered by MBA Domagoj Vidaković. It addressed the impact and consequences of climate change in urban areas and provided an overview of the EU’s climate and energy strategic framework. Topics included the Paris Climate Agreement, the importance of SEAP (Sustainable Energy Action Plan) and SECAP (Sustainable Energy and Climate Action Plan), the Urban Green Renewal Strategy, and key strategic documents required for EU candidate countries. The presentation also highlighted concrete opportunities for cooperation through EU-funded projects.
The final presentation, titled "Urban Greenery", was delivered by Mr. Emir Hadžijusufović, who presented practical solutions offered by the company Smagard. He discussed the multiple benefits of urban green spaces, illustrated their correlation with the SDGs, and showcased examples of successful urban greening projects implemented by Smagard.
The seminar concluded with an engaging discussion and Q&A session, where participants actively contributed with questions and comments. The event was very well received, with attendees expressing great interest in the presented topics and the NATURED project’s future activities.
