This document is a manual for municipalities and cities focused on engaging stakeholders and citizens in climate change adaptationIt was developed EU platform for the implementation of missions in the area Adaptation to Climate Change (MIP4Adapt). The authors are Marianne Wehbe, Gloria Salmoral, Manuel Bea, Elena López-Gunn and Richard J. Smithers. The document reflects the views of the authors and The European Commission is not responsible for any use that may be made of the information., which it contains. Reuse is permitted provided the source is acknowledged and the original meaning is not distorted.

Main goal stakeholder and citizen involvement is increase relevance, effectiveness and credibility climate change adaptation plans, build trust and support collective mandate to implement adaptation measures. This is achieved by incorporating local knowledge and concerns, complementing top-down approaches, promoting shared responsibility and clarifying common goals. The manual highlights four key measures for engagement:

• Communication: providing clear and accessible information.
• Stakeholder and community engagement.
• Connecting stakeholders and citizens to facilitate collaboration.
• Enabling collective and individual activity.

The manual is structured according to the six steps of the climate change adaptation planning cycle, as outlined in Regional Adaptation Support Facility (RAST):

• Step 1: Creating conditions for adaptation (Preparing the ground for adaptation).
• Steps 2, 3 and 4: Assessment of climate risks and vulnerabilities and Identification, Assessment and selection of adaptation options.
• Step 5: Implementation of adaptation policies and measures.
• Step 6: Monitoring, evaluation and education.

The manual provides practical ways to engage stakeholders and citizens and encourage their active participation in all elements of planning and action. It guides users to relevant participatory activities and points to tools, good practices and examples. General participatory activities (such as workshops, focus groups and citizens’ assemblies) and related tools can be used in a variety of contexts and provide a solid basis for engagement.

Updated version The March 2025 manual incorporates feedback from users of the first edition and introduces new tools and guidelinesIt has improved approaches to engaging different types of stakeholders, including those from the private and third sectors. It also brings thematic leaflets focused on participatory activities and tools:

• Creative involvement: It uses creativity to promote resilience and capture a wider range of perspectives.
• Private sector involvement: It uses the resources, expertise and innovation capabilities of businesses to identify and implement measures and innovative solutions. Public-private cooperation can lead to effective and innovative solutions.
• Support for vulnerable groups: It ensures inclusive climate action by providing target groups with access to resources, peer learning and support systems, empowering them to actively engage in adaptation planning and implementation.

By accepting a society-wide approach and by actively involving all stakeholders and citizens, you can ensure that no one will be left behind, promote social justice and increase the effectiveness of adaptation.

How to use the manual effectively: Start by exploring step 1 GROWTH, which is key to developing an engagement and communication strategy. Then, navigate according to your specific needs and use the manual as a flexible resource, accessing the individual sections corresponding to the RAST steps independently. Thematic handouts are available for a quick overview of the tools, and the RAST step table for more detailed descriptions. The manual includes direct links to further information on the tools with examples and good practices.

Key points when creating an engagement and communication strategy (especially important for Step 1, but relevant throughout the cycle):

• Determine who needs to be involved and in which steps: Use the influence and interest matrix and the RACI matrix to identify key stakeholders and citizens. The RACI matrix clarifies the roles: Responsible, Key decision makers (Responsible), Consulted (experts, advisors), Informed (those affected by or likely to benefit from climate change). This process helps to ensure long-term political commitment and effective governance. It is recommended to review which stakeholders to involve when starting each new step. You can start by conducting stakeholder mapping and network analysis.
• Supporting sustainable engagement: Identify appropriate participatory activities and tools for each GROWTH step. Clarify the benefits of involvement, manage expectations, and build a sense of belonging. Determine the resources needed and estimated duration.
• Set goals and success indicators: Identify specific engagement and communication goals for each GROWTH step and determine how you will measure success.
• Ensuring effective communication: Identify key messages, target audiences, and appropriate communication channels at each step. Tailor communications to the audience and use clear, engaging, and visually compelling formats.

Overview of participatory activities according to the RAST steps:

• Step 1: Creating the conditions for adaptation: It is necessary to gather essential elements, identify key stakeholders and citizens, and develop an engagement and communication strategy. The aim is to lay the foundation for effective and inclusive assessments and implementation in later steps. Recommended activities include:
  • Stakeholder mapping and analysis (including influence and interest matrices and RACI).
  • Communities of practice.
  • Climate rallies.
  • Storytelling.
  • Climatic walks.
  • Climate festivals.
  • Training to strengthen resilience (especially for the private sector).
  • You may also consider joining the EU Adaptation Mission Community of Practice or the Competence Centre for Participatory and Deliberative Democracy (CC-DEMOS) Community of Practice.
• Steps 2, 3 and 4: Assessing climate risks and vulnerabilities and Identifying, assessing and selecting adaptation options: In these steps, you can consult with stakeholders and citizens to gain input, validate and refine assessments, identify, prioritize, and select adaptation measures. The aim is to ensure the relevance, credibility, and legitimacy of the selected measures, and to foster shared understanding and commitment. Recommended activities include:
  • Living laboratories.
  • Participatory tools (e.g. visioning, participatory mapping) and structured formats (collaborative innovation labs, hackathons).
  • Focus groups and workshops.
  • Surveys among citizens.
  • Participatory multi-criteria analysis (especially for Step 4).
  • Awareness campaigns.
• Step 5: Implementation of adaptation policies and measures: Engaging stakeholders and citizens is essential to ensure effective implementation. You can involve them in developing implementation plans, identifying funding sources, and developing policy implementation plans. Recommended activities include:
  • Discussions and negotiations on action plans for implementing adaptation.
  • Green participatory budgets.
  • Use of incentives (Environmental policy instruments, Nudge, microgrants).
  • Public meetings.
  • Community-based participatory research (CBPR).
  • Local Climate Action Groups.
  • Public-private partnerships (PPP).
  • Climate awareness campaigns.
• Step 6: Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning: Engaging stakeholders and citizens helps build mutual understanding of adaptation progress, fosters collaboration and strengthens trust. Monitoring results is challenging due to time constraints and issues with attribution of results. Active engagement will ensure that strategies remain dynamic and transparent. Recommended approaches to engagement include:
  • Support for joint monitoring (public, private, third sector).
  • Facilitating data exchange and learning networks.
  • Using participatory evaluation methods (feedback meetings, storytelling).
  • Scientific collaboration with citizens (Citizen Science).
  • Involving the private sector in monitoring and evaluation through surveys, co-creation of monitoring tools and support for adaptive business strategies.

The manual provides flexible and comprehensive resource information that you can adapt to your needs. The choice of participatory activities depends on the objectives of the individual steps and your overall goals (e.g. information exchange, joint analysis, mutual learning, joint decision-making). Depending on your internal knowledge and capabilities, it may be worth engaging a consultant to support you. Spring

Glossary of key terms

• Climate change adaptation: The process of adapting to current or expected climate change and its effects.
• Stakeholders: Individuals, groups or organizations interested in or affected by adaptation measures, including the public, private and third sectors, as well as citizens.
• Participatory activities: Various methods and processes that involve stakeholders and citizens in the planning and implementation of adaptation measures, such as workshops, focus groups, surveys, etc.
• RAST (Regional Adaptation Support Instrument): A structured climate change adaptation planning cycle with defined steps.
• Climate risks: The potential negative consequences of climate change that arise from the interaction of climate-related hazards (e.g. floods, droughts) and the vulnerability and exposure of systems (human or natural).
• Vulnerability: Vulnerability or propensity to the adverse effects of climate change and their lack of ability to cope with and adapt to these effects.
• Resistance: The ability of a social, economic or ecological system to cope with hazardous events, trends or disturbances and to respond or reorganise itself in a way that preserves its essential function, identity and structure, while maintaining the capacity for adaptation, learning and transformation.
• Matrix of influence and interests: A tool to categorize stakeholders based on their level of influence and interest in a given initiative.
• RACI matrix: A tool for defining and clarifying roles and responsibilities (Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, Informed) within a project or process.
• Living labs: Real-world experimental environments where solutions are co-created, tested, and refined with users.
• Focus groups: Small, diverse groups of stakeholders who participate in guided discussions to gain in-depth information on a specific topic.
• Workshops: Interactive meetings to facilitate knowledge exchange, collaboration, and joint problem-solving among stakeholders.
• Citizen Science: Public involvement in scientific research, often through data collection and analysis.
• Participatory Multi-Criteria Analysis (MCDA): A decision-making method that involves stakeholders in defining criteria, evaluating them, and selecting the best options.
• Green participatory budget: A process in which citizens directly decide on the allocation of a portion of public funds to environmental or climate-related projects.
• Incentives: Measures (e.g. financial, political) that motivate behavior change and support engagement in adaptation measures.
• Community of Practice: A group of people who share a common interest, problem, or passion and who interact regularly to improve their knowledge and expertise in that area.