Since last summer, the EURE partners are busy implementing their Action Plan to bring transformation at local level. Where do they currently stand? Are there already some visible improvements? European Projects Coordination Unit of the City of Pilsen tells us more about the changes that started to appear in Pilsen agglomeration following the EURE Action Plan.
Can you summarise your Action Plan in one or two sentences?
The Pilsen Action Plan aims at promoting Integrated Territorial Investments (ITI). Its main objective is to develop recommendations on how to increase the number of adaptation projects in view of the increased use of the ITI financial instrument.
What have you already implemented?
Three activities have been proposed in the document: preparation of the List of Recommendations on how to increase the number of upcoming and implemented adaptation projects in view of the increased use of the ITI financial instrument; presenting the List of Recommendations to the MA; and informing local stakeholders in the Pilsen agglomeration about the possibilities and advantages of using the integrated instrument for financing projects in the field of adaptation measures. They are implemented one by one as the programme period continues. The activities are connected with the new calls of the ITI strategy holder as well as MA within the new EU programming period.
In cooperation with our external expert and local stakeholder group, we prepared the List of Recommendations on how to increase the number of upcoming and implemented adaptation projects.
The support to the actors in the territory has been provided mainly through passing information and raising public awareness. The key activity is communicating conditions and principles ahead of time so that actors can prepare necessary documentation properly and without the need to make later changes.
Do you already have some first evaluation? How are the changes brought by the Action Plan welcomed by the local actors?
Local actors will be informed about the possibilities and advantages of using ITI for financing projects in the field of adaptation to climate change. They perceive the need to solve environmental problems comprehensively and they welcome the opportunity to use the tool for these types of projects. Especially municipalities face unfavourable changes in water regimes and struggle with drought or deterioration of the quality of drinking water. Many of these actors already realize or prepare projects with a positive impact on the landscape, projects of adaptation to climate change.
The project is finishing in a few months, do you already know if you will follow-up on the Action Plan? How?
The Action Plan is only the beginning of how to change and/or improve the affected policy instrument. The activities realized are the guidance to the local stakeholders in the process of creating sustainable urban policies and strategies in all stages of implementation.
It is necessary to incorporate adaptation measures and features of the blue-green infrastructure into each prepared project at all levels, not just into projects focusing on the environment. We will face many challenges as strengthening awareness through examples of good practice, the necessary integration of multi-source financing or promoting comprehensive and sustainable solutions. But the biggest challenge will be to change the mindset of people.
