Contact: piroi@croix-rouge.fr

1. A Civil Society First Responder Anchored in Vulnerable Territories

Operating in Europe’s outermost regions and across the south-west Indian Ocean, PIROI Center (a French Red Cross entity) works in contexts highly exposed to cyclones, floods, droughts, epidemics, biodiversity loss, and socio-economic fragility. As a first responder, we engage directly with communities before, during, and after crises. This proximity provides us with an acute understanding of evolving risk landscapes and community coping mechanisms.

Our humanitarian mandate ensures trusted relationships with local authorities, community-based organizations, and households. This position is critical for the successful deployment of NbS: solutions must not only be scientifically sound but socially accepted, culturally adapted, and economically viable. PIROI Center’s – French Red Cross field presence in Reunion Island and Mayotte, enables participatory needs assessments, co-design processes, and rapid field testing of innovations in real-life risk conditions.

Through the global Red Cross and Red Crescent network, we can facilitate knowledge transfer and peer learning across European regions and beyond, contributing to the scaling of tested solutions in diverse socio-ecological contexts.

2. Integrating Nature-Based Solutions within Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Adaptation

The French Red Cross has been actively promoting nature-positive approaches to strengthen disaster resilience and climate adaptation. PIROI Center’s work is fully aligned with ecosystem-based disaster risk reduction (Eco-DRR) and community-based disaster risk reduction (CBDRR) principles, as articulated within the Red Cross Red Crescent Movement.

Our approach is grounded in the strong interconnections between disaster risk management, climate change adaptation (CCA), and ecosystem preservation, restoration, or creation. We prioritize territorially tailored methodologies based on precise environmental risk analyses. This ensures that NbS interventions—such as mangrove restoration, watershed management, coastal ecosystem rehabilitation, or urban green infrastructure—are adapted to local hazards and ecological dynamics.

In line with global evidence, we recognize that NbS simultaneously reduce hazard exposure, restore biodiversity, strengthen livelihoods, and enhance social cohesion. However, their scaling requires robust impact measurement, operational translation of research findings, and strong community ownership. These are precisely the areas where PIROI Center brings demonstrated expertise.

3. Action Research for Operational Impact

Under its 2026–2030 Strategic Facilitation Framework (Axis 2: Research for Economic, Social and Environmental Innovation in Support of Sustainable Humanitarian Action), PIROI Center positions itself as a major resource and expertise centre in disaster and epidemic risk management in the Indian Ocean. Our added value lies in the structured production of scientific and social knowledge in continuous dialogue with field realities.

We promote ambitious applied research that directly addresses the multidimensional challenges faced by Indian Ocean territories and other climate-vulnerable regions. Our methodology ensures that research outputs are systematically transformed into operational tools:

• Field protocols and implementation guidelines
• Practical handbooks for community actors
  Adapted technologies and low-cost innovations
• Measurable impact indicators for resilience and ecosystem services

This translational approach guarantees that NbS do not remain conceptual frameworks but become actionable solutions rapidly deployable by practitioners. By embedding researchers within operational contexts and involving communities in monitoring and evaluation, PIROI Center strengthens both scientific robustness and practical relevance.

4. Testing, Demonstration, and Scaling

PIROI Center offers Horizon Europe consortia a living laboratory for testing and refining evidence-based NbS in high-risk environments. Our territories provide diverse ecological settings—from coastal zones to mountainous catchments—allowing comparative experimentation and adaptive management.

As a civil society actor with operational legitimacy, we can:

• Conduct participatory vulnerability and capacity assessments
• Pilot innovative NbS interventions under real hazard exposure
• Evaluate social acceptance, governance feasibility, and cost-effectiveness
• Develop replicability and scalability strategies across the Red Cross network

Furthermore, our dissemination capacity within humanitarian and local governance networks ensures that research findings reach practitioners and decision-makers. By translating evidence into accessible formats and training modules, we contribute to mainstreaming NbS into disaster preparedness, land-use planning, and public policy.

5. Towards Nature-Positive and Climate-Resilient Societies

Achieving nature-positive and climate-resilient societies requires more than technological innovation— it requires systemic transformation rooted in community empowerment and cross-sector collaboration. PIROI Center embodies this interface between science, civil society, and operational humanitarian action.

Our contribution to Horizon Europe lies in our capacity to:

• Anchor NbS in vulnerable communities most affected by climate impacts
• Generate actionable evidence through rigorous action-research
• Convert research into operational tools and scalable practices
• Facilitate transnational knowledge exchange across Europe and beyond

By integrating ecosystem restoration, disaster risk reduction, and social innovation, PIROI Center advances a holistic resilience paradigm where environmental integrity and human security are mutually reinforcing.

In partnership with academic institutions, public authorities, and private innovators, the PIROI Center stands ready to help mainstream and scale evidence-based Nature-Based Solutions—ensuring they deliver measurable, equitable, and lasting impact for populations on the frontlines of climate change.