Last October, the UNESCO Regional Bureau for Science and Culture in Europe made an official presentation in Venice, Italy, of the UNESCO Science Report publication “The Race Against Time for Smarter Development,” launched this year. The report serves as a monitoring tool on the implementation and development of science, technology and innovation worldwide, and maps the recent trends and developments in science governance. It provides essential information on gaps and priorities in development of science to rethink the ways of achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

The 9th edition of the Sava Youth Parliament, held on 8-9 October 2021 in Banja Luka (Bosnia and Herzegovina) and online, brought together students to brainstorm on how to enhance flood risk management of cultural heritage in the Sava River basin. The event was organised by the International Sava River Basin Commission and the UNESCO Regional Bureau for Science and Culture in Europe, with the support of the EU H2020 SHELTER project. Participants’ investigation, discussion with experts and results were presented in the context of the International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction on 13 October 2021.

The Hybrid University of Asterousia 2021 is part of a long tradition of summer universities since 2012, co-organised by the UNESCO Regional Bureau for Science, Culture in Europe and the Mediterranean Information for the Environment, Culture and Sustainable Development (MIO-ECSDE) and hosting partners. This year’s edition continues to promote sustainable development in biosphere reserves and other protected areas. Phase A, held in presence from 19 to 24 October, convened 16 young participants from Bulgaria, Cyprus, Greece and Romania. Phase B will take place online early 2022.

Crafting the sea is a 15-month multidisciplinary innovative project aimed at identifying local knowledge for monitoring climate change, identifying biodiversity, mitigating risks and promoting a more balanced relationship between humans and nature. To this end, the project focuses on the marine life of the Rovinj archipelago, a NATURA2000 protected area in Croatia. The first phase of the project, which ran from May to October, concentrated on identification and research and included a 3-day workshop on 19-21 October, on the nexus between intangible cultural heritage and sustainable human-nature relationships.