The 2021 EU Adaptation Strategy stresses that impactful adaptation action happens at the local level. A new interactive report, Building Resilience through Adaptation at the Local Level, synthesises learnings from cities and regions across Europe, showing how they are building resilience in their communities so that other localities can learn from and do the same.
The report is based on the work conducted within the Policy Support Facility (PSF), under the Covenant of Mayors - Europe, an initiative bringing together over 11,000 local governments around Europe and managed by a consortium of city networks, including ICLEI Europe. The Facility was launched by the European Commission to help local and regional authorities develop and implement climate adaptation measures, with a real emphasis on moving from the planning stage into implementation. Over a two-year pilot period (2022-2023), the Facility collaborated with cities across Europe, offering tailored technical assistance as well as national workshops, interactive webinars and peer exchanges. This report synthesises insights gleaned from the programme, focusing on four thematic areas: disaster risk reduction, nature regeneration, just resilience, and financing.
Disaster risk reduction emerges as a pressing concern, with a surge in climate-related disasters exacerbating existing inequalities. Nature regeneration proves to be a multifaceted adaptation measure, offering benefits across various sectors. Just resilience and well-being underscore the importance of equitable adaptation. Vulnerable communities disproportionately face the adverse effects of climate change, necessitating inclusive approaches to adaptation planning. And financing adaptation remains a critical challenge, with local and regional governments struggling to access available funding opportunities.
Across these themes, case studies from 35 cities and regions receiving technical assistance to implement a specific adaptation measure identify the process, benefits, and co-benefits such measures bring to their community. These case studies feature insights from several ICLEI Members including Bologna (Italy), Braga (Portugal), Burgas (Bulgaria), Matosinhos (Portugal), Murcia Municipality (Spain), Murcia Region (Spain), Thessaloniki (Greece), Valencia Municipality (Spain) and Valencia Region (Spain). Webinars, podcasts and further resources complement these case studies and dive deep into the experiences of cities implementing adaptation measures and strengthen their resilience.
“This publication is a key product of the Policy Support Facility. From the outset, it was conceived as a pilot programme to test solutions, push local governments to commit to concrete adaptation action and inspire others. This report translates our experience with cities and regions participating in the PSF into a highly interactive and user-friendly resource that aims to stimulate replication and acceleration of climate action,” contributes Luca Arbau, Expert in Resilience and Climate Adaptation at ICLEI Europe.
Available in English, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese and Bulgarian, get inspired by the learnings from the PSF Final Report.