The RESIN project consortium met in Brussels (Belgium) on 23-24 November 2017 to consider the project outputs in an international policy context and to plan for the project’s final year.

Cities in Europe are approaching a crucial time in terms of finding solutions for climate change adaptation. RESIN is optimally placed to advise and guide policy developments on a local and international level on the topic of urban adaptation.

The RESIN partner cities have been central players in the RESIN project, providing knowledge to improve the project tools’ quality. Alberto Terenzi, ICLEI Europe, explained: “We wanted to adjust the timing of the tool development to match cities’ needs.” The RESIN cities have already begun using the tools, and have made progress on adaptation with them despite the tools not being developed to completion.

The Impact and Vulnerability Analysis (IVAVIA) tool helps to link vulnerability and risk. Manchester and Bilbao (Spain) have been central in the development of this tool and have both developed impact chains as part of the process. Up to now, Greater Manchester has completed a case study, baseline assessment, priority impact chains and a two-stage risk assessment, with flood risk and transport infrastructure a particular focus.

Mikel González-Vara, Manager of Environmental Strategy, City of Bilbao, said: “We have to connect to our environment. We are four cities, but surrounding us there are further cities with related problems.”

Bilbao is looking ahead to the city’s new Adaptation Plan, which will be submitted next year. As part of RESIN, Bilbao developed an impact chain for flooding in built-up areas. This is a very real and immediate risk for the rainy coastal city. Similarly, Bratislava (Slovakia) is planning to use the RESIN adaptation options library to evaluate the action plan for climate change adaptation progress every two years.

The tools of the RESIN project are useful as a complementary combined suite of tools, hosted in an online guidance platform called the “eGuide”. The final RESIN tools will be launched in spring 2018. RESIN will hold its first public event aimed at city practitioners in Greater Manchester on 1 February 2018.

For more information, visit the RESIN project website.