Processes Webinar | Nature-Based Solutions for Sustainable Cities and Communities: From Concept to Measurable Environmental Impact
Processes Webinar | Nature-Based Solutions for Sustainable Cities and Communities: From Concept to Measurable Environmental Impact
Part of the MDPI Processes Webinar series
15 May 2026
nature-based solutions, ecosystem-based approaches, low-impact technologies, urban resilience, sustainable cities, sustainable environmental management
Welcome from the Chair
24th Processes Webinar
Nature-Based Solutions for Sustainable Cities and Communities: From Concept to Measurable Environmental Impact
Cities and communities around the world are increasingly turning to nature‑based solutions to address the complex environmental challenges of our time. This webinar, ‘Nature-Based Solutions for Sustainable Cities and Communities: From Concept to Measurable Environmental Impact’, explores how nature‑based remediation and sustainable water management strategies can enhance urban resilience, improve environmental quality, and support sustainable development.
As environmental pressures intensify, from soil degradation and contamination to growing demands on water resources, the need for approaches that work with natural processes becomes increasingly evident. By relying on nature, we can harness its mechanisms and capacity to develop low‑impact technologies for restoring polluted environments, improving water quality, and strengthening the adaptive capacity of urban systems. Through the application of ecological processes in soil cleanup and wastewater treatment, these nature‑based solutions deliver measurable environmental benefits and long‑term gains that extend beyond environmental performance, contributing to healthier, more resilient communities.
Participants will gain insights into practical applications, scientific foundations, and real‑world examples demonstrating how nature‑based solutions can be designed, implemented, and evaluated to deliver tangible environmental benefits. The session brings together experts committed to advancing innovative, low‑impact strategies that integrate nature into urban planning and environmental management.
Date: 29 May 2026
Time: 10:00 am CEST | 16:00 pm CST Asia
Webinar ID: 872 3378 6016
Webinar Secretariat: journal.webinar@mdpi.com
Event Chair
Department of Exact Sciences, Faculty of Horticulture,
“Ion Ionescu de la Brad” Iasi University of Life Sciences, Romania
Dr. Raluca-Maria Hlihor is an Associate Professor at the “Ion Ionescu de la Brad” Iasi University of Life Sciences, specializing in environmental protection and management, pollution control, and sustainable remediation technologies. Her research focuses on water and soil pollution, environmental impact and risk assessment, and the development of low-impact technologies centered on nature-based solutions that support climate-resilient and sustainable communities. She has authored numerous scientific publications on heavy metal contamination, biosorption, phytoremediation, wastewater treatment, and life-cycle assessment. These contributions advance the transition toward greener, ecosystem-centered approaches in environmental engineering and management. Through both academic and applied work, Dr. Hlihor promotes the integration of nature-based solutions as measurable, effective tools for improving environmental quality across diverse communities.
Keynote Speakers
Department of Civil, Chemical, Environmental and Materials Engineering (DICAM), Alma Mater Studiorum-Università di Bologna, Italy
Dr. Alessandra Bonoli is a Full Professor of Raw Materials Engineering. She has served as the University of Bologna’s delegate to the United Nations within the Sustainable Development Solutions Network (UN, New York) and as an institutional representative at the European Commission in the Operational Groups on Raw Materials. She is the founder and coordinator of the research group, Engineering of Transition and Circular Economy, which develops research aimed at building a sustainable world from environmental, social, and economic perspectives, through the conservation and valorisation of natural resources: raw materials, water, and energy. Her main research and teaching activities focus on the valorisation of primary and secondary resources, Life Cycle Sustainability Assessment, Nature-Based Solutions, and Green Technologies as tools for mitigation and adaptation to support urban sustainability and resilience.
Department of Environmental Engineering and Management,
“Cristofor Simionescu” Faculty of Chemical Engineering and Environmental Protection,
"Gheorghe Asachi” Technical University of Iasi, Romania
Dr. Petronela Cozma is currently a Lecturer at the “Gheorghe Asachi” Technical University of Iași (TUIASI), Romania. She is an experienced researcher with a PhD in Environmental Engineering, completed under joint supervision between TUIASI and the Vienna Institute of Chemical Engineering (defended in 2012). She also holds an MSc in Environmental Management (2008) and a BSc in Environmental Engineering and Industrial Environmental Protection (2007), both from TUIASI. Her scientific expertise includes: (i) sustainable industrial production; (ii) human health and environmental risk assessment; (iii) bioremediation of environmental matrices (water, soil) contaminated with inorganic and organic pollutants. She has authored numerous scientific publications on sustainable and innovative bio-based approaches to heavy metal pollution management, sustainable development and circular economy objectives, and the bio-recovery of heavy metals. Her work contributes to advancing nature‑based solutions, green chemistry, and sustainability assessment methodologies.
Dr. Isabela Maria Simion serves as Head of the “Ion Ionescu de la Brad” Publishing House and Associate Lecturer at the “Ion Ionescu de la Brad” Iasi University of Life Sciences. Her research focuses on sustainable waste management through the use of sustainability indicators, ecological footprint analysis, and ecological and human health risk assessment. She studies approaches in the field of environmental biotechnology for the recovery of waste products and the removal of pollutants from contaminated environments, applying life-cycle assessment methodologies in support of the principles of the circular economy. She has published numerous scientific papers on the application of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methodology at the level of processes, products, and waste streams. In the context of waste, her research focuses on evaluating the environmental impacts of different waste management systems, including collection, treatment, recovery, and disposal stages, as well as their associated effects on ecosystems and human health. Furthermore, she has applied LCA to assess the performance of bioremediation processes, highlighting their effectiveness in reducing environmental impacts and their contribution to the development of sustainable solutions.
Dr. Diana-Elena Radulescu holds a PhD in chemical engineering from the National University of Science and Technology Politehnica Bucharest, where she also obtained a master's degree in chemical engineering and a bachelor's degree in biomedical engineering. She joined MDPI in 2020, serving as an Assistant Editor and Special Issue Editor, and since 2024 has been working as a deputy managing editor for Processes. In this role, she is responsible for maintaining and strengthening collaborations with researchers, universities, and scientific societies, contributing to the development of strategic academic partnerships.
Registration
This is a FREE webinar. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information on how to join the webinar. Registrations with academic institutional email addresses will be prioritized.
Certificates of attendance will be delivered to those who attend the live webinar.
Can’t attend? Register anyway and we’ll let you know when the recording is available to watch.
Program
|
Speaker/Presentation |
Time in CEST |
|
MDPI host Processes and Webinar introduction |
10:00-10:05 am |
|
Dr. Raluca-Maria Hlihor (Chair) Chair Introduction |
10:05-10:10 am |
|
Prof. Dr. Alessandra Bonoli (Speaker 1) Nature-Based Solutions in practice: the case of Bologna as a model for sustainable urban development and resilience |
10:10-10:30 am |
|
Dr. Petronela Cozma (Speaker 2) Phytoremediation: A Sustainable and Promising Bio-Based Approach To Heavy Metal Pollution Management |
10:30-10:50 am |
|
Dr. Isabela-Maria Simion (Speaker 3) Nature-based solutions for circular cities – waste management through environmental biotechnology |
10:50-11:10 am |
|
Dr. Diana Elena Radulescu (Speaker 4) Processes Journal Report |
11:10-11:20 am |
|
Q&A |
11:20-11:35 am |
|
Dr. Raluca-Maria Hlihor (Chair) Closing of Webinar |
11:35-11:40 am |
Sponsors and Partners
Organizers
