A representative of the City Service for Sustainable Development attended the URWAN Living Lab in Cuba, held on July 1 and 2, at the Eco Palacete Borralho Relógio. The event gathered experts, policy-makers, municipal staff, researchers, and civil society organisations from seven Mediterranean European countries.

Under the URWAN – Urban Regenerative Water Avant-garde(N) initiative, the main goal was to democratise knowledge about Nature-Based Solutions (NbS).

Over the two days, participants collaborated in a dynamic and participatory environment, exploring challenges and opportunities for implementing NbS, with a focus on water and urban space regeneration.

Good practices were shared – including the UNESCO Centre in Beja and the EMAS Water Sustainability Management Plan – while local and regional strategies were developed to support more resilient and sustainable communities.

Organised by Make it Better – Association for Innovation and Social Economy, in partnership with the Municipality of Cuba, the event positioned Cuba and the Alentejo region at the heart of European discussions on environmental innovation and urban sustainability.

As part of the URWAN initiative, co-funded by the Interreg Euro-MED Programme of the European Union, the requalification of a public building in Cuba was also planned — transforming it from a "water consumer" into a "water producer," serving as a regional and national demonstration of the economic and social value of nature-based solutions.