With the increasing intensity of climate change, more frequent and more severe extreme weather events such as floods and heat waves, it is necessary to increase the resistance of cities to these changes. (more…)

A new EEA briefing paper "Preparing society for climate risks in Europe" presents lessons from the Climate-ADAPT and Observatory case studies, a diverse set of examples of adaptation measures implemented across Europe. The briefing shows how case studies inspire and help companies better prepare for climate change, while highlighting the need to step up adaptation measures and actions across all policy sectors and governance levels to address escalating climate risks. (More on climate-adapt.eea.europa.eu)

of the European Commission to develop a high-precision digital model of the Earth for monitoring and simulating natural phenomena, hazards and related human activities, including future information on adaptation to climate change.

Read more on the website Destination Earth.

Today's cities face enormous challenges. Climate change and the negative impacts of ongoing urbanization are intertwined and affect our quality of life. City managers must make quick and accurate decisions regarding adaptation measures. One might therefore ask, how can we effectively support the decision-making process in cities? That's the question he's looking for an answer to LIFECOOLCITY project.

Climate change and its impact on cities

One of the main challenges facing modern cities is anthropogenic climate change. It is estimated that by the middle of this century, 80 % of the European population will live in urban areas. The LIFECOOLCITY project analyzes the urban environment and its problems resulting from anthropogenic climate change.

The project focuses on providing tools that will effectively support the blue-green infrastructure management process by recognizing the state of five factors that build the adaptation potential of the city, namely: land closure, urban heat island, state of blue infrastructure, state of green infrastructure and state of biodiversity. It is worth noting that blue-green infrastructure (BGI) plays a key role in mitigating the negative effects of climate change. (More on themayor.eu)

WHO is organizing a series of technical webinars on various climate change and health topics to build capacity for implementation at the country level. These webinars will include training, experience sharing, interactive activities and group discussions.

The first series of webinars will explore specific topics related to:

• Conducting climate change vulnerability assessments and health and adaptation
• Development of a national adaptation plan in the field of health
• Access to climate finance for health
• Climate-resistant and environmentally sustainable medical facilities

(More on who.int)

From research that informs smarter adaptation strategies to innovative projects that strengthen the resilience of our communities, each success story underscores the critical importance of adaptation in confronting the climate crisis.

The mission must now prioritize innovation, collaboration and knowledge sharing to develop and implement effective adaptation strategies that build resilience at all levels, from local communities to global ecosystems.

In April 2024, the Commission adopted  amendment  to the Horizon Europe 2023-2024 work program mobilizing previously unallocated funds to increase the 2024 budget by almost €1.4 billion to €7.3 billion.

This amendment includes an investment of almost EUR 650 million in EU missions, of which EUR 124 million has been earmarked for the EU Climate Change Adaptation Mission.

The deadline for all calls is September 18, 2024  and you can find more information about all the mission challenges  here.

• HORIZONT-MISS-2024-CLIMA-01-01​ :  Bringing accessible and actionable climate change adaptation solutions to the knowledge of regions and local authorities
• HORIZONT-MISS-2024-CLIMA-01-02​ :  Connecting the national level with involved regional and local levels (multi-level governance)
• HORIZONT-MISS-2024-CLIMA-01-03​ :  Develop and refine outcome indicators to measure progress in climate resilience at national, regional and local levels, including learning and feedback from the mission.
• HORIZON-MISS-2024-CLIMA-01-04 ​ Explore the complex interplay between climate and biodiversity crises towards systems approaches and solutions
• HORIZONT-MISS-2024-CLIMA-01-05​ :  Improve design for transformative approaches and build local capacity to implement affordable climate adaptation solutions
• HORIZONT-MISS-2024-CLIMA-01-06:  Demonstrating approaches to improve bankability of design solutions, focusing on co-benefits (mitigation and adaptation) to improve revenue streams
• HORIZONT-MISS-2024-CLIMA-01-07​ :  A sample of solutions especially suitable for rural areas and small/medium-sized local communities
• HORIZONT-MISS-2024-CLIMA-01-08​ :  A sample of the approaches of regions and local authorities aimed at increasing the resilience of the most vulnerable social groups to climate change (climate change resilience only)
• HORIZONT-MISS-2024-CLIMA-01-09​ :  Systemic and cross-sectoral climate change resilience solutions, adapted to the local needs of regions and local authorities.

Learning to live with the climate crisis. That's what we need to do, say many who want to learn from the recent flood. Just as we must learn to adapt to climate change, which demands a lot from us socially and ecologically. In the south, in the center, in the west and in the north of the country, everyone already knows: a severe weather warning on a mobile phone is not a vague forecast of storms, but a warning of the nearest possible disaster. Before the danger of death, before billions of damages, before the state of emergency. (The story of Joachim Müller-Jung, more at msn.com)

The LIFE TreeCheck project wins the LIFE 2024 award in the Climate Action category for helping Central European cities minimize the effect of urban heat islands and their health impacts using green infrastructure. Among other things, LIFE TreeCheck has developed software to make city planning easier and a public app to identify trees and raise awareness of their heat-reducing potential. The project also brings together knowledge and expertise for new measures, practices and technologies to help cities cope with extreme temperatures. (More on climate-adapt.eea.europa.eu)

ECCA2025 will be a unique gathering of adaptation expertise from an exceptional network of practitioners, governments, researchers and stakeholders. The conference will serve as a dynamic platform for sharing practical experiences and tools, exchanging views and promoting cooperation towards smarter, faster and more systematic adaptation in Europe. (More on climate-adapt.eea.europa.eu)

The Regional Adaptation Support Tool (RAST), developed by the EEA as part of the EU's Climate Change Adaptation Mission, supports local and regional authorities in planning and implementing climate change adaptation plans and measures. It provides practical guidance through the six key steps of the adaptation policy cycle, supported by useful examples and additional resources. (More on climate-adapt.eea.europa.eu)

In line with the Horizon Europe 2023-2025 work programme, the European Commission has launched three new calls for proposals under the Adapting to climate change and restoring our oceans and water by 2030 Horizon Europe missions. A total of €233.7 million in EU funding is available under these calls (including €123.97 million for climate change adaptation calls) with deadlines until 18 September 2024. (More on climate-adapt.eea.europa.eu)

The EU Climate Change Adaptation Mission has introduced a new database to help simplify and streamline decision-making on regional climate change adaptation. The new database gives local and regional authorities access to up-to-date, useful and reliable decision-making tools for adaptation.

Currently, the database contains 11 carefully selected tools to help local and regional adaptation managers confidently navigate and select the most appropriate tools for their specific needs and stage of their development cycle, from initial climate change adaptation planning to full-scale implementation. This selection is based on factors such as hazards, stage of adaptation and level of expertise, ensuring that managers find the tools that best suit their requirements. (More on climate-adapt.eea.europa.eu)

The European Commission is looking for applications for the Environment and Climate Program under the topic Adaptation to climate change. Goals :

• Climate change has far-reaching effects, from unprecedented forest fires, heatwaves, droughts, floods or other extreme events to slow-onset processes such as desertification, loss of biodiversity, ocean acidification or sea level rise.
• Projects in this area should help:
  • Ensure continued progress in increasing adaptive capacity, strengthening resilience and reducing vulnerability to climate change as required by Article 5 of the European Climate Act
  • To achieve the long-term vision of the EU's climate change adaptation strategy, that in 2050 the EU will be a climate-resilient society fully adapted to the inevitable impacts of climate change.

(More on fundsforngos.org/

The latest report from the EU's Climate Change Adaptation Mission reveals progress and priorities in the fight against climate change. The Activity Report presents success stories, data, insights and innovative mission projects to support regional and local authorities in preparing for the consequences of climate change.

From research that informs smarter adaptation strategies to innovative projects that strengthen the resilience of our communities, each success story underscores the critical importance of adaptation in confronting the climate crisis. (More on climate-adapt.eea.europa.eu)

The Covenant of Mayors policy support tool has worked with cities across Europe to help them implement climate change adaptation measures. This final report summarizes key learnings from this two-year program and delves into the experiences of cities on their journey to strengthen their resilience to climate change and implement adaptation measures. (More on covenantofmayors-epublication.eu)

European cities are facing the effects of climate change more and more regularly and seriously. After record summer heat, flooding and heatwaves in 2023, the need to invest in resilience has never been clearer.

A new report from the European Environment Agency (EEA) assessed adaptation in Europe's urban centres, focusing on what measures cities are taking and what is already working.