The Natural Heritage Mission’s Community of Practice (CoP) gathered in Lisbon, Portugal, on 12th and 13th of May 2026 for two days of intensive collaboration, strategic planning and community-building activities focused on amplifying project results, strengthening advocacy efforts and fostering cooperation across the Euro-MED region.
The host of the event was IrRADIARE, a partner of the Community4Nature Project.
For this occasion, the Lead Partners and Communication Managers from 14 Thematic Projects, partners of the Natural Heritage Mission’s 2 Governance projects (Community4Nature and Dialogue4Nature), and a selection of mostly Portuguese Associated Partners met in person to share projects progresses, launch “Solve the Challenge” campaign and new clusters, and to discuss advocacy and policy priorities for 2026.
Amplifying results, clusters and campaign building at the heart of the first day of discussions
The first day opened with welcoming remarks from the Mission´s Lead Partners Caterina Praticò of CoNISMa (C4N) and Marilena Mochianaki Karampatzaki from the Region of Crete (D4N), alongside venue representative Teresa Damásio from Instituto Superior de Gestão and members of the Interreg Euro-MED Programme’s Joint Secretariat, Francesca Marcato and Christoph Maier.
A major focus of the morning sessions was the evolution of the Mission’s Community and the amplification of project results. Through a series of roundtables, participants explored how Thematic projects can continue transferring knowledge and outcomes beyond their implementation phase. The discussion continued with the ways of using the portfolio of services (Amplification Room) for the new fast-lane projects and concluded with the dynamics of the “Amplification Room” supporting projects from Calls 4 and 5.
The next session was dedicated to Mission’s clusters, where participants reviewed the methodology behind cluster development, assessed the progress of ongoing initiatives and debated opportunities for launching new thematic clusters – MPAs in Montenegro and Water clusters.
In the afternoon, communication and awareness-raising took centre stage during a collaborative session with participants who actively contributed with ideas for the campaign’s promotion strategy, developed a shared calendar of communication opportunities and began preparations for the exhibition planned as part of the Interreg Euro-MED Programme’s mid-term event.
The day concluded with the celebration of the ‘European Maritime Day in my Country’, during which the CoP visited the Water Museum (Museu da Agua). Guided through the museum, participants gained insights into the history of Lisbon’s water supply, with a focus on tackling water supply issues, the urban water cycle, water pollution and water footprint. With this visit, the Mission symbolically launched the „Solve the Challenge 2026“ awareness raising campaign with the main topic of water crisis.
Turning cooperation into action through policy dialogue and co-creation activities
On 13 May, the Community of Practice shifted its attention toward advocacy, mentorship and stakeholder engagement. The morning sessions focused on policy priorities and the strengthening of advocacy work across thematic projects. Participants reviewed current policy actions and discussions highlighted that policy-related activities are most effective when they are practical, targeted and linked to concrete policy processes or events. The exchange also led to the conclusion that a shift from broad policy recommendations towards more concrete and actionable support is needed, including clearer guidance on stakeholder engagement, policy windows and target audiences. The advocacy needs emerging from the different thematic initiatives within the Mission were explored during this session, together with opportunities for improved coordination and clustering of projects around common policy processes.
A second key session explored the Mission’s mentorship programme, with discussions centred on identifying challenges, proposing practical solutions, supporting policy uptake and facilitating the adoption of project results across territories and institutions.
The afternoon programme featured a series of practical working sessions and tailored meetings aimed at advancing concrete activities within the community. These included the production of academy materials and interviews, discussions with external stakeholders interested in mentorship activities, and co-creation workshops dedicated to thematic priorities such as water management, marine protected areas in Montenegro and territorial advocacy actions.
The Lisbon meeting concluded with a wrap-up session outlining the next operational steps for the Natural Heritage Mission’s Community of Practice, reinforcing the shared commitment of partners to cooperation, dialogue and sustainable impact across the Mediterranean region.
Take a look at the photos and presentations of the event here!
