Wednesday, 24 June 2026 The Department of Biodiversity UP FAMNIT has successfully secured a new Interreg SI-HR project – RESILIO
We are pleased to announce that the Department of Biodiversity at the University of Primorska (UP FAMNIT), together with its project partners and under the leadership of Assist. Prof. Dr. Martina Lužnik , has successfully secured a new Interreg SI-HR project titled RESILIO – Strengthening resilience and reducing climate change risks in the cross-border area through the restoration and management of green and blue infrastructure, with a total value of €1,802,093.60. The University of Primorska also serves as the lead partner in the project. The project partners with whom we will collaborate in its implementation are Udruga Hyla, Žumberak–Samoborsko Gorje Nature Park, the Municipality of Ilirska Bistrica, the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts Research Centre, the Municipality of Pivka, and the City of Ogulin.
On 8 May 2026, the RESILIO project kick-off meeting was held in Livade (Izola), marking the official start of cross-border cooperation between partners from Slovenia and Croatia in addressing shared climate challenges – from droughts and extreme weather events to ecosystem degradation and the pollution of karst groundwater systems.
The meeting was opened by Prof. Dr. Ademir Hujdurović, Dean of UP FAMNIT, and Assist. Prof. Dr. Martina Lužnik, Project Leader, emphasised the importance of connecting different institutions and sectors in strengthening the resilience of both natural and urban environments to climate change.
The first meeting already demonstrated a high level of motivation to achieve common goals. Partners discussed upcoming activities, field interventions, methodological approaches, and the development of tools for better understanding climate change impacts and strengthening green and blue infrastructure in the cross-border area.
Key expected project results include:
- three pilot sinkhole clearing activities to reduce flood risk,
- restoration of small water bodies to improve water retention and increase drought resilience,
- development of a pilot management system for selected invasive alien species, including an open-access database,
- establishment of a long-term monitoring system for climate change impacts and habitat resilience,
- development of harmonised methodological protocols for monitoring aquatic ecosystems,
- design of joint solutions for climate change adaptation and response,
- organisation of four cross-border events (photography exhibition, REGAlnica, final conference).
Key activities of the University of Primorska in the project implementation:
- Role as lead partner: coordination and management of the consortium, ensuring timely implementation of activities and achievement of project objectives.
- Expert contribution to ecosystem restoration for climate resilience, with a focus on the restoration of small wetlands.
- Development and harmonisation of common methodological approaches (protocols) for monitoring vulnerable ecosystems and species.
- Implementation of field activities: monitoring the effects of green and blue infrastructure measures (including the establishment of monitoring stations), surveying indicators and invasive alien species, and developing predictive models for selected species.
- Strengthening the expert community in the field of climate change adaptation and promoting knowledge transfer among partners.
In addition to its scientific and research activities, the RESILIO project also focuses on knowledge exchange, encouraging citizen engagement in environmental monitoring and restoration activities, and jointly developing sustainable solutions to climate challenges that increasingly affect our lives.
Updates on the RESILIO project will be available via the official project website and the communication channels of the project partners.
