The European Environment Agency published an assessment report presenting the status quo of adaptation to climate change at the local government level, with particular focus on cities.
The assessment presents the overview of climate risks to cities, types of adaptation responses, extent of adaptation planning and actions at the local level in Europe and opportunities to scale up and speed up implementation of adaptation to climate change at the local level.
Some of the key messages strongly echo with the vision and objectives of the EURE project:
- Adapting European cities and towns to inevitable climate change is crucial for the overall resilience of European society because of the population concentration — including vulnerable groups — assets and economic activities in urban areas;
- The number of cities and towns committed to acting on adaptation to climate change has grown substantially in Europe, supported by the emphasis on urban adaptation in national adaptation strategies, EU policy and key international frameworks. However, the implementation of adaptation actions is still in its infancy, lagging particularly far behind in smaller cities and town;
- Concerted action at all governance levels — from EU through national to local — is needed to support urban adaptation through improved access to knowledge and funding; political commitment and community engagement; and mainstreaming adaptation into all policy areas;
- The absence of a single, comprehensive overview of adaptation planning and action at the local government level in Europe precludes a detailed assessment of the level of preparedness for climate change in Europe. Streamlined monitoring and reporting of local adaptation plans and actions is needed if EU and national governments are to effectively support local adaptation.
Read the full report: https://www.eea.europa.eu/publications/urban-adaptation-in-europe
