On 23 September 2026, the RETFOR project and the Climate Change Monitoring Centre were presented in Vinkovci as part of the “Water, Soil, and Forests United for Climate Resilience” Living Lab, organised within the DaWetRest project (Horizon Europe).
Hrvatske šume (Croatian Forests), as the project coordinator, presented the RETFOR project, its key features and activities, as well as its importance for preserving and strengthening the resilience of forest ecosystems in the Spačva Basin.
Centar kompetencija d.o.o. za istraživanje i razvoj (Competence Centre for Research and Development), as a project partner, provided a more detailed presentation of the future Climate Change Monitoring Centre and its role in the systematic monitoring of climate change and its impacts on the Spačva–Bosut Basin. The Climate Change Monitoring Centre has been established within the organisational structure of the Competence Centre for Research and Development and will be located on the premises of the Vrbanja Forestry Office, which are being renovated as part of the RETFOR project.
The establishment of the Centre responds to the need to consolidate and analyse data in order to gain a better understanding of the links between climatic conditions, the water regime and the state of forest ecosystems. Data collected through meteorological stations and piezometers, together with other available data and scientific knowledge, will provide a basis for assessing changes and planning adaptation measures. In this way, the Centre will provide expert support to institutions and natural resource managers in making data-driven decisions. Participation in the DaWetRest Living Lab provided an opportunity to exchange knowledge with DaWetRest project stakeholders and to explore ways of linking activities aimed at conserving water, soil and forests as interconnected components which, through joint and coordinated action, can make a much greater contribution to the climate resilience of ecosystems.
