Groundwater-based solutions for climate adaptation presented at the Green Transition conference

On 23–24 April 2026, Eötvös Loránd University hosted the international interdisciplinary conference Green Transition: Sustainability from Strategy to Implementation at its Savaria campus. Organised as part of the Earth Week programme, the event brought together researchers, lecturers, students and practitioners to discuss how sustainability strategies can be translated into practice.

One of the plenary lectures was delivered by Prof. Judit Mádl-Szőnyi, coordinator of the ClimEx-PE project. Her presentation, entitled “Climate adaptation and transdisciplinary implementation: messages from ELTE’s Sustainability Flagship Programme and the ClimEx-PE project”, highlighted how institutional sustainability efforts and groundwater-based climate adaptation can reinforce each other.

The first part of the lecture introduced ELTE’s Sustainability Flagship Programme, with a focus on the need to embed sustainability across education, research, innovation, institutional operation and community engagement. In line with the conference theme, the presentation underlined that sustainability strategies only become meaningful when they lead to implementation, measurable progress and social impact.

The second part of the lecture focused on the main objectives and messages of ClimEx-PE. The project addresses one of today’s key water-related climate challenges: groundwater systems are affected by hydroclimatic extremes, but they can also contribute to mitigating their impacts. By building on the functioning of groundwater flow systems, ClimEx-PE explores how Managed Aquifer Recharge (MAR) and, in particular, NaBa-MAR® – Nature-Based Managed Aquifer Recharge can support adaptation to droughts, floods and other water-related extremes.

A central message of the presentation was that the water cycle does not stop at the surface. Subsurface water movement, driven by hydraulic gradients from recharge areas towards discharge areas, strongly influences surface water conditions, ecosystems and landscape resilience. This hidden part of the water cycle is therefore essential for understanding how landscapes respond to climate stress.

The NaBa-MAR approach presented in the lecture builds on this hydrogeological understanding. It links local water retention, enhanced infiltration and subsurface storage with landscape-scale adaptation benefits. Rather than treating MAR as an isolated technical intervention, ClimEx-PE frames NaBa-MAR as a nature-based, groundwater-flow-informed and socially embedded solution.

The project aims to develop a general methodology for applying NaBa-MAR, assess the social and economic impacts of MAR-based solutions, strengthen evidence-based policy and decision-making, and increase awareness and trust related to groundwater, MAR and NaBa-MAR. These objectives reflect the project’s transdisciplinary character: scientific knowledge is connected with practical implementation, stakeholder engagement, education and policy dialogue.

The lecture also presented the pathway from research to decision-making. This includes the scientific testing of nature-based managed aquifer recharge, the development of educational materials, public engagement activities, and the preparation of a Green Paper addressing legal, practical and policy-related aspects of MAR implementation.

The plenary presentation delivered a clear message: groundwater is often invisible, but it is a strategic resource for climate adaptation. By making groundwater-flow-based processes visible and actionable, ClimEx-PE supports innovative solutions that can help buffer climate extremes, enhance water resilience and connect scientific results with societal and policy needs.