The 4th Mission Forum on Adaptation to Climate Change: Driving for resilience

On May 19-20, the Fourth Annual Forum of the EU Mission on Adaptation to Climate Change concluded in Wrocław, gathering a wide array of European leaders and organizations dedicated to climate resilience. REGILIENCE, through our key partner FEDARENE, was pleased to be present at the event, supporting the shared commitment to advancing climate adaptation efforts across the continent.

 

The EU Mission: fostering local climate action

The EU Mission on Adaptation to Climate Change stands as a crucial strategic initiative, empowering European regions, cities, and local authorities to enhance their preparedness for climate change impacts. The annual Forum, co-organized by the European Commission and the Polish Presidency, is a pivotal event. It is designed to showcase concrete adaptation measures from regions and cities, facilitate in-depth discussions, and share innovative tools and solutions emerging from various Mission-aligned projects. This year, the spotlight was firmly on practical, inspiring examples of how communities are addressing specific climate challenges. The Mission Forum’s rich and insightful agenda, including hands-on site visits in Wrocław and a specialized Pre-Forum Workshop for the Community of Practice, provided invaluable opportunities for practical learning and exchange.

FEDARENE’s presence at the Forum offered a valuable opportunity to informally share insights about REGILIENCE during networking discussions, highlighting its approach to supporting adaptation at local and regional levels.

While not part of the formal programme, our presence at the Forum allowed us to:

  • Introduce the REGILIENCE mission: During informal exchanges, we took the opportunity to briefly convey the project’s overall goals and strategic approach to helping communities strengthen their climate resilience. These conversations offered a clear snapshot of our contribution to the broader adaptation effort and helped situate our tools and activities within the Mission’s objectives.
  • Present our new Quick Guide” on Natural Hazards: As part of the Forum’s poster exhibition, we had the opportunity to showcase our newly launched series of Quick Guides, developed in collaboration with our sister projects ARSINOE, IMPETUS, TransformAr, and Pathways2Resilience. These practical, accessible guides offer local and regional authorities clear, actionable insights on how to prepare for, respond to, and build resilience against increasing threats from natural hazards like floods, heatwaves, storms, and wildfires. Designed with infographics, checklists, and case studies, they serve as tangible tools for action, directly supporting the Forum’s emphasis on practical solutions.

Shaping the future: Key learnings and sustained commitment

Discussions throughout the event consistently underlined several critical themes: the absolute necessity of multi-stakeholder collaboration, the urgency of viewing adaptation as a top priority, the importance of learning from best practices to avoid maladaptation, the strategic value of investing in prevention, the ongoing need for adequate financing, the imperative of multilevel governance coupled with strong citizen engagement, and the inherent interconnection between adaptation and mitigation.

REGILIENCE’s ongoing commitment to supporting Europe’s climate adaptation goals drives us to continuously refine our tools, strengthen support to regions, and contribute to building a more resilient and connected climate adaptation community across the continent. Alongside our project partner FEDARENE, we engaged in networking and discussions that provided important insights to help advance these efforts.

The science-society interface: a key to a regional adaptation framework

Small islands are “sentinels” of climate change impacts. This is particularly true for Réunion Island, a French overseas and European Union Outermost Region in the South West Indian Ocean.
It is home to a rich diversity of terrestrial and marine ecosystems and characterized by a pronounced topography and significant climatic contrasts. The island’s economy relies mainly on vulnerable and exposed sectors (agriculture, tourism, transport, energy supply). Combined with its insularity and geographical isolation, limited local resources, and dependence on external trade, it makes it particularly sensitive. At last, frequent exposure to climate-driven natural hazards, like tropical cyclones, heavy rainfall, flash floods, landslides, droughts and heatwaves, combined with a fragile socio-economic system, amplify this vulnerability.

Navigating the complex challenges of climate change adaptation requires strategies tailored to this local context. A dynamic and functional science-society interface is central to ensure that scientific knowledge feeds policy and planning, and that societal needs and local realities shape research initiatives and outputs. However, building this interface on Réunion Island faces several interconnected challenges.

At the regional scale, Réunion Island’s regional council holds keys responsibilities spanning regional planning, economic development, research and innovation (supported by the European Fund for Regional Development – ERDF), and environmental policy, positioning it as a central actor for amplifying territorial adaptation. However, translating this strategic position into effective climate action requires overcoming significant difficulties inherent to the island’s unique context. Comprehensive expertise is needed not only on past, present, and future climate but also on their cascading effects across vital sectors – including natural hazards, ecosystems, health, resources, economic development, and land planning. To achieve this, key local challenges have to be tackled.

Key local challenges for adaptation

Réunion Island’s unique geography—remote, narrow (75km wide), and highly mountainous (up to 3000m)—poses significant challenges for climate modelling. Standard global climate models operate at coarse resolutions (50-150km), inadequate for capturing the island’s complex terrain and distinct microclimates. Its geographical remoteness also excludes it from keys European climate and climate-impact modelling projects. Consequently, the island is often “invisible” or poorly represented in large-scale studies, leading to critical gaps in data for effective territorial adaptation planning. This scarcity extends beyond climate data themselves, encompassing insufficient observational data for certain parameters (like long-term wave patterns for coastal erosion studies) and a critical lack of readily usable data detailing specific vulnerabilities and potential impacts across the island’s socio-ecosystems.

Paradoxically, strong local scientific research capacity does exist. CNRS and University of La Réunion host the internationally recognized Observatory of Atmospheric Physics (OPAR) as a WMO global station which is part of European research infrastructures ACTRIS, ICOS and IRISCC. Météo-France (MF) Réunion serves a large weather observation network to monitor tropical cyclones and issues warning as the WMO-designated Regional Specialized Meteorological Center (RSMC) for the South-West Indian Ocean. MF also coordinated the first high-resolution (3km) regional climate projections based on CMIP6 (through the BRIO project). Furthermore, numerous research institutions (University of La Réunion, CNRS, CIRAD, BRGM, IRD) conduct vital local research across diverse fields.

While enhancing scientific knowledge remains essential, data limitations should not be perceived as the only barrier to adaptation. With or without climate change, effectively addressing vulnerabilities often encounters significant hurdles related to coordination, knowledge sharing, and collaboration among local actors.

  • Strengthening the science-society interface to produce actionable insights and bridge the science-policy gap

The existing base of local expertise often remains fragmented. Research has frequently developed within disciplinary silos, lacking the interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary integration needed to generate holistic insights and readily usable outputs tailored for territorial decision-making. Several factors contribute to this gap between academic research and policy recommendations or action programs. Findings are often presented in highly technical or specialized language, making them difficult for non-expert decision-makers and other stakeholders to interpret and utilize. So far, studies have mostly focused on climate hazards themselves, with fewer studies dedicated to assessing their concrete, localized impacts across Réunion’s socio-ecosystems. Finally, the inherent uncertainties within climate projections often contrast sharply with the practical need for precise, actionable data required for critical local decisions, such as the dimensioning of infrastructure projects.

A compounding effect of the challenge of fragmented knowledge is a disconnect at the science-society interface. Even when relevant fundamental or applied research is conducted, its findings are often not effectively translated or communicated in formats directly applicable to strategic planning and public policy. This results in valuable scientific insights being underutilized, hindering the development of robust, evidence-based adaptation strategies.

  • The need for a comprehensive risk impact framework

This underscores a further, critical challenge: the lack of comprehensive risk impact studies. Such studies are needed to systematically link climate-driven hazards with vulnerability and exposure across Réunion’s diverse socio-ecosystems, leveraging existing local data. While observation systems are in place, a key gap remains in the establishment of an integrated impact analysis system coupled with corresponding long-term adaptation measures and monitoring. There is a clear need for an analytical framework to structure and strengthen risk knowledge, effectively guiding the connection between national risk management strategies and specific local challenges.

A local response to create a long-term Science-Society interface on climate risks

Recognizing these challenges, Réunion island’s regional council and other public stakeholders have initiated concrete actions to develop the science-society interface on climate risks.

  • Creation of a Regional Panel on Climate Change (RPCC) for La Réunion

In 2023, the president of Réunion regional council announced the creation of a Regional Panel on Climate Change (RPCC or GREC in French) based on an idea suggested by the CNRS. Its aim is to foster collaboration between experts, decision-makers, and the public, and to help the public authority pursue its health, energy, and food sovereignty goals impacted by climate risks. The soon-to-be-launched “GREC-La Réunion” will provide territorial expertise on climate impact and adaptation, working explicitly to improve the science-society interface and enhance the coordination and funding of climate change adaptation.

  • A new Regional Land Development Plan to meet 2050 territorial challenges

The Regional Land Development Plan (SAR in French) is a crucial prescriptive planning document for French overseas territories, providing guidelines for local authorities in implementing their local development and planning strategies. The SAR of La Réunion is currently under revision and includes a dedicated “Climate” chapter, composed of a study of the territory’s vulnerability to climate change and the development of a regional adaptation strategy. This process explicitly plans to draw on scientific research results and the expertise of the newly formed GREC-Réunion, directly linking scientific knowledge to long-term territorial planning.

  • Participation in the European CLIMAAX project

The European CLIMAAX project is one of the two flagship projects of the “Adaptation to climate change” mission of Horizon Europe funding program. The CLIMAAX local implementation project, called Réunion Island’s Climate Risks Atlas (RISC-RA), started on October 1, 2024, and is led by the regional council team and supported by a scientific consortium (Météo-France, CNRS, BRGM). RISC-RA will produce a climate risk atlas by analysing future climate risks using observed and projected climate, vulnerability, and exposure data. Guided by the CLIMAAX methodology, adapted for La Réunion, the project aims to enhance local climate risk knowledge, provide standardized and spatialized risk indicators for public bodies and scientists, and better integrate bottom-up risk reduction needs into top-down policies.

  • Complementary Research and Initiatives

Two complementary CNRS-piloted projects further enhance this integrated territorial strategy. The project “Knowledge and Solutions for Climate Change Adaptation of Overseas Territories” (supported by the Ministry of Overseas Territories) is conducting a vital review of scientific literature on climate change impacts and adaptation options specific to French overseas territories. The project “Barriers, levers and constraints to Adaptation in Territorial Public Policy” (supported by Banque des Territoires) is examining the social and political dimensions of implementing adaptation measures.

These combined initiatives demonstrate a growing commitment in Réunion Island to bridging the gap between scientific understanding and societal action. Strengthening this science-society interface is fundamental to developing and implementing an effective regional adaptation framework capable of addressing the complex climate challenges facing the island.

This opinion article is based on the CLIMAAX project’s “Deliverable Phase 1 – Climate risk assessment, project RISC-RA, Réunion Island, France” written by Kevin Lamy, Nils Poncet and Elodie Marpinard.

Contributions:

  • Région Réunion:
    • Kévin Lamy – Natural Risks and Climate Project Manager
    • Elodie Marpinard – Research and Innovation Officer
  • CNRS:
    • Jean-Pierre Cammas – Research Director, CNRS, OSU-Réunion
    • Nils Poncet – Post-doctoral researcher on the RISC-RA project on CLIMAAX, OSU-Réunion
  • Météo-France:
    • Clotilde Dubois – Engineer in charge of climate studies, Météo-France, DIROI
    • Marie-Dominique Leroux – Head of southwest Indian ocean climate department, Météo-France, DIROI
  • BRGM:
    • Rémi Belon – Head of Coastal project, Direction régionale du BRGM à La Réunion

You can download the full article here.

Citizen Survey on Climate Adaptation in Central Macedonia – Open Until 30 June 2025

Complete the survey

In the framework of the REGILIENCE project, citizens from the Region of Central Macedonia are invited to participate in the second edition of the Citizen Survey on Climate Change Adaptation.

Following the first citizen survey conducted in 2024, which gathered valuable insights into local perceptions, needs, and priorities regarding climate adaptation, this new edition seeks to build on these findings and continue fostering citizen engagement. The results of the first survey have already contributed to shaping key actions and initiatives at the regional level, highlighting the crucial role of public input in designing effective and sustainable resilience strategies.

This year, your participation is more important than ever. By sharing your views, experiences, and concerns, you will directly contribute to the development of locally adapted solutions and help ensure that the strategies implemented are truly aligned with the realities and expectations of the communities in Central Macedonia.

Key information:

  • Who can participate? All residents of the Region of Central Macedonia.

  • How long does it take? Approximately 5 minutes.

  • Deadline to participate: 30 June 2025.

Your responses will be treated confidentially and used exclusively to inform and support climate resilience planning activities within the region.

  • Complete the 2025 Citizen Survey here. 
  • Discover the insights from the 2024 Citizen Survey here.
Complete the survey

Seventh Open Training Session on Just Resilience

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On April 7, 2025, the REGILIENCE project held its 7th Open Training Session (OTS) focused on the theme of Just Resilience, addressing the urgent need for fair and inclusive approaches to climate adaptation across Europe.

As climate change continues to intensify extreme weather events across the continent, it disproportionately impacts the most vulnerable populations — including children, the elderly, people with chronic health conditions, women, and low-income communities. These groups often face higher exposure and fewer resources to cope, deepening pre-existing inequalities.

The session emphasized that adaptation strategies must go beyond technical fixes to address the social dimensions of climate risk. Ensuring fairness throughout planning, implementation, and evaluation processes is key to empowering affected communities and avoiding maladaptation. Speakers highlighted how justice — distributive, procedural, and recognitional — must guide actions at every level of governance.

This perspective aligns with the EU’s growing commitment to climate justice, reflected in its Adaptation Strategy and the 2024 European Climate Risk Assessment (EUCRA). While important progress has been made in identifying where risks fall, more remains to be done to ensure inclusive participation and recognition of all social groups in shaping climate responses.

The session brought together a range of experts and local actors to explore how just resilience can be implemented in practice. The agenda featured diverse case studies and research insights, including:

  • Nina Pirttioja (SYKE), who presented on future socio-economic scenarios for improved risk analysis and adaptation planning.

  • Marco Morabito (National Research Council – Institute of BioEconomy), who shared lessons from the Worklimate 2.0 project on occupational heat stress in Italy.

  • Zsófia Anna Ghira (University of Padova / CoolCo’s), who introduced CoolCo’s urban strategies to support heat adaptation for vulnerable populations.

  • Blai Martí Plademunt (Barcelona City Council), who presented the innovative “Transforming Playgrounds” initiative, where gender and climate adaptation intersect.

The session concluded with a Q&A and open discussion, encouraging knowledge exchange and reflection on how to translate principles of justice into concrete adaptation actions at the local and regional level.

By fostering this type of dialogue and capacity-building, REGILIENCE continues to support the development of inclusive and equitable climate resilience throughout Europe.

On this page, you can see the Open Training Sessions (OTS) available for all interested parties, that will take place between March 2023 and 2025. The sessions are organised in a series of ten online events divided into two cycles.

The Canary Islands and the Water Challenge: A Call for Sustainability and Innovation

The Canary Islands, a Spanish archipelago and an outermost region of the European Union, face unique challenges due to their geographical position and specific climatic and economic conditions. Like the other eight outermost European regions, the Canary Islands have a dedicated agenda aimed at maximizing their development and sustainability through the Smart Specialization Strategy[1]. This strategy seeks to enhance the distinctive characteristics of the territory and establish precise objectives for its growth and resilience.

One of the most critical areas of interest for the region is water management. The availability of this resource is essential for the well-being of the population, economic development, and environmental sustainability of the archipelago. Thanks to the funding of European projects, research in this field has advanced, fostering innovation and training new researchers and PhDs in various areas related to water management in the Canary Islands.

Groundwater: A Hidden Treasure

The Canary Islands are rich in groundwater, which serves as the primary source of drinking water for many of the islands. In the western islands, in particular, volcanic aquifers are crucial for water supply. However, these aquifers are highly heterogeneous, making it essential to improve knowledge about their behavior and characteristics.

Studying these aquifers will help to better quantify the natural recharge of groundwater, a key factor in understanding the water balance of the islands. It will also aid in assessing the quality of water bodies, an issue of particular relevance in places like La Palma. The eruption of the Tajogaite volcano in 2021[1] had a significant impact on the island’s water resources, and the Arsinoe project[2], developed by the University of La Laguna[3], enabled real-time monitoring of the water bodies affected by this phenomenon. Such studies are essential for developing more effective and sustainable water management strategies in the future.

Water and Energy: A Crucial Link

Another fundamental reason for prioritizing water research in the Canary Islands is its close relationship with energy production. In a context where the energy transition is a global priority, the Canary Islands face a particularly challenging situation. Currently, the archipelago’s energy mix relies 80% on fossil fuels, with only 20% coming from renewable sources. The only notable exception is the island of El Hierro, where the Gorona del Viento project[4] has made significant strides toward renewable energy self-sufficiency.

Access to and efficient management of water is key to promoting a more sustainable energy model in the Canary Islands. Technologies such as desalination or energy storage through hydraulic systems require a deep understanding of the available water resources. Therefore, the interconnection between water and energy must be a central focus in the region’s development policies.

A Drier and More Challenging Future

The climate projections for the Canary Islands are not encouraging. Studies conducted under the Arsinoe project, through the SICMA Canarias platform[5], have developed high-resolution (100 meters) climate models indicating a future with reduced rainfall, increased drought and aridity, and higher temperatures. These climatic changes will directly impact water availability, a resource already under increasing pressure due to population growth and the expansion of the tourism sector, the region’s main economic driver.

You can read and download the full article here.

Sources:

[1] https://geotenerife.com/volcanostories/the-la-palma-project/tajogaite-timeline/

[2] https://arsinoe-project.eu/

[3] https://www.ull.es/

[4] https://www.goronadelviento.es/

[5] https://canarias.sicma.red/

[6]https://www.gobiernodecanarias.org/conocimiento/temas/innovacion/RIS3ampliada/

Open Seminar #2 : Community-based adaptation and resilience

Register here

Climate change is already affecting our daily lives — through floods, heatwaves, or food insecurity. But when communities come together, they can find smart and simple ways to prepare and stay safe.
This free online seminar will show how local action can make a real difference. You’ll discover how neighbours, families, and local groups can build stronger, more connected and resilient communities.

What to expect

During the session, we will talk about:

  • How to create local emergency plans to face climate risks

  • Why strong community ties matter in times of crisis

  • How local farming and food projects can help your community stay healthy and sustainable

You’ll also be invited to take part in a new citizen survey for the Central Macedonia region — your voice can help shape better local responses to climate change.

Agenda and speakers:

  • Welcome & Introduction: Why community resilience matters and what we can achieve together (5 mins)
  • Introduction to resilience, key concepts and the foundation of resilience
    thinking – Resilient Cities Network (15 min)
  • Changing climate in Central Macedonia and adaptation measures applied by Central Macedonia region, represented by the Regional Development Fund of Central Macedonia (15 min)
  • What We Can Do: Taking Action Together: Brainstorm simple steps we can all take in our own communities? (10 mins)
  • Citizen survey introduction (5 min)
  • Q&A session
Register here

Mobilising communities for climate adaptation: From engagement to impact

On 19 March 2025, REGILIENCE hosted a breakout session as part of the European Climate Pact Annual Event “Together in Action” in Brussels and online moderated by FEDERENE, project partner. The session, “Mobilising Communities for Climate Adaptation: From Engagement to Impact”, focused on practical strategies for stakeholder engagement in climate adaptation, with contributions from REGILIENCE and its sister projects under the EU Mission on Adaptation to Climate Change: ARSINOE, IMPETUS and TransformAr.

The session brought together policymakers, practitioners, project teams, and civil society actors to discuss the role of local communities in shaping adaptation pathways. Discussions centred on the value of trust, long-term engagement, cross-sector dialogue and the importance of working within the local context to co-create effective responses to climate challenges.
 

Placing communities at the centre of adaptation

The session opened with a keynote speech from Elena López Gunn, Climate Pact Ambassador and representative of MIP4Adapt. She reminded the audience that climate adaptation is no longer a distant prospect, but a present and pressing reality. Drawing on examples such as the mobilisation that followed the floods in Valencia, she underlined that adaptation requires planning, inclusive governance, and trust between institutions and citizens. She also highlighted the intergenerational dimension of climate change, and the need for inclusive approaches that allow all voices—especially local ones—to be heard and valued.

Learning from practice: insights from EU Mission projects

REGILIENCE sister projects—IMPETUS, ARSINOE and TransformAr—shared field-based experiences on engaging communities, youth, and the private sector in adaptation processes:

  • Ioannis Arampatzidis (IMPETUS) emphasised the economic rationale for adaptation and the growing role of private sector actors in financing and co-developing solutions. He highlighted the importance of data availability and knowledge-sharing to support decision-making.
  • Marco Dettori (ARSINOE) reflected on the cultural divide between rural and urban stakeholders, particularly in the agricultural sector. He discussed efforts to improve dialogue, foster trust, and support local value chains through targeted engagement.
  • Evridiki Pavlidi (TransformAr) presented a participatory approach involving students in climate monitoring and local adaptation planning. By equipping them with data tools and opportunities to contribute, the project empowered younger generations to become active participants in resilience building

These examples illustrated a shared commitment to inclusive and locally grounded engagement, while also acknowledging the challenges of time constraints, initial scepticism, and the need to balance short-term expectations with long-term impact.

 

From discussion to action

Moderated by Nadège Seguel, Project Officer at FEDARENE, REGILIENCE project partner, the panel discussion allowed for an open and honest exchange of experiences. Panellists discussed the importance of co-designing solutions, of recognising and valuing local expertise, and of maintaining continuous dialogue between institutions, businesses, and citizens. Participants agreed that building trust is a long-term effort, but one that is essential for ensuring that adaptation strategies are both legitimate and effective.

This session was a timely reminder that successful climate adaptation depends not only on sound strategies, but on the ability to engage people meaningfully—across sectors, generations, and territories. The examples shared by REGILIENCE and its sister projects reflect a broader shift from awareness to action, and from fragmented efforts to systemic, co-designed solutions.

 

Concrete recommendations for stakeholder engagement

During the session, a new Policy Brief on Stakeholder Engagement in Climate Adaptation, developed as part of the project’s efforts to support local and regional authorities, was presented by Joanna Makocka, from F6S, REGILIENCE project partner. The brief consolidates key lessons from REGILIENCE and its sister projects, and outlines four practical recommendations:

  • Tailor engagement strategies to the local context and priorities.
  • Foster long-term relationships with communities and stakeholders.
  • Build on existing knowledge and tools developed by other initiatives.
  • Leverage EU-funded projects to support sustained, inclusive engagement.

As climate challenges accelerate, so must our capacity to mobilise communities, build trust, and turn participation into long-term resilience. The Policy Brief now available is one step in this direction, offering a concrete framework for those looking to strengthen inclusive adaptation processes at the local and regional level.

 

Addressing climate challenges 

The session emphasised that climate adaptation is not just about technological innovation, but about empowering communities and fostering collaboration among different stakeholders. Even with the scale of the challenge, we hold the power to create resilient, sustainable communities by working together.

REGILIENCE and its partners will continue supporting climate adaptation  by sharing tools, insights, and real-world practices with supporting regions and beyond.

REGILIENCE Open Seminar : How to empower citizens through digital tools

On 27 March 2025, REGILIENCE launched the first session of its Open Seminar Series with a focus on “Online Platforms for Climate Adaptation.” Designed specifically for citizens, this inaugural seminar highlighted how digital platforms can empower individuals and communities to act on climate adaptation by accessing knowledge, connecting with others, and adopting practical solutions.

The session drew participants from across the world, reflecting growing public interest in understanding how digital tools can support local resilience efforts. With a concise, accessible format and interactive discussion, the event provided a practical entry point into climate adaptation for non-specialist audiences.

 

Why digital platforms matter for adaptation

As climate risks become more complex and widespread, online platforms are proving to be vital resources for those seeking to understand and address local vulnerabilities. From accessing real-time data to exploring practical tools and innovative solutions, these platforms allow citizens to take an active role in shaping climate-resilient futures.

During the seminar, three key platforms were presented:

  • weADAPT, a collaborative knowledge platform that connects users with adaptation case studies, tools, and communities across the globe.
  • Climate Innovation Window (CIW), which showcases technological and nature-based solutions ready for implementation, especially by local authorities and practitioners.
  • MIP4Adapt, the Mission Implementation Platform for Adaptation to Climate Change, which offers guidance, resources, and direct access to outcomes from EU-funded projects, including REGILIENCE itself.

Each presentation guided participants through the features of the platform, offering practical demonstrations on how to search for tools, explore relevant content, and connect with peers.

Key takeaways from the seminar

Throughout the 50-minute session, participants gained insight into how to:

  • Navigate online platforms to find reliable, user-friendly resources;
  • Identify tools and strategies that can be tailored to their local context;
  • Participate in wider climate adaptation networks and conversations;
  • Leverage online collaboration to share stories, challenges, and successes.

The Q&A session, moderated by a REGILIENCE representative, allowed citizens to ask direct questions and share their own experiences. Questions focused on how platforms could support neighbourhood-level actions, how to build local networks using available digital tools and where to search for reliable tools.

The discussion emphasised that a lot of climate adaptation tools are already available. There is no need to reinvent a new one as platforms offer valuable resources which might be easily adopted to the local context.

If you missed the session, full recording is available here. 

Looking Ahead

This first Open Seminar confirmed the value of opening up adaptation knowledge to the general public, not just experts or institutions. It also reinforced REGILIENCE’s commitment to making resilience more inclusive, tangible, and participatory.

The next REGILIENCE Open Seminar “Community Resilience: Adapting to Climate Change”, will explore how communities across Europe are strengthening their capacity to adapt, with a focus on local knowledge, social cohesion, and participatory practices.

 This session will take place on 24 April 2025 at 15:00 CET. As always, the session will be free and open to all, in accessible language, and will include opportunities for interaction and exchange.

Stay connected and join us for the upcoming seminar in April!

The MAGICA art of convening science and policy for meaningful climate action

The best climate research in the world is worth nothing if it does not reach the ears of those who can put it to work.

Climate science must be actionable, understandable in terms that non-specialists recognise and can access – and that is what MAGICA exists to do. It operates at the heart of JPI Climate’s strategic priority of accelerating the development and transfer of knowledge from science to policy and practice within the European Research Area (ERA).

MAGICA stands for ‘MAximising the synergy of European research Governance and Innovation for Climate Action’ and it is a four-year Coordination and Support Action funded by Horizon Europe. It is an exciting collaboration of 23 partners across 13 countries whose skills cover the breadth and depth of the complex climate adaptation research-to-meaningful-action chain.

MAGICA hosts a busy arena of dialogue between the scientific community, policy decision-makers and influencers, climate practitioners and science communicators, facilitated by a dynamic and complementary series of events targeted at a range of critical climate adaptation audiences, the largest of which is ECCA – the bi-annual European Climate Change Adaptation Conference. Its 7th edition takes place this summer, June 16-18, in Rimini, Italy, with the theme ‘Smarter, Faster and More Systemic Adaptation’.

True to the ethos of JPI Climate and MAGICA, ECCA2025 puts ground-level involvement of its audiences and stakeholders at the heart of the conference – starting with the programme and advisory committees and policy board.

This coming together face-to-face, in an atmosphere of willingness to exchange, hear, challenge and debate – with confidence in being heard – is key to MAGICA. The success of our events, including ECCA2023, lies in the informal spaces between programme or agenda items, as much as in the excellent quality and range of content. From youth voices to song and performance, ECCA is an inclusive platform, embracing the roles of social sciences and the arts in unlocking communications channels and engagement for behaviour change. All these pivots round the central point of Europe’s highest quality climate science.

ECCA is an integral part of the Equinox Process, an initiative by JPI Climate and supported by MAGICA to accelerate mechanisms to enhance the transfer of climate knowledge from research to policy and action, addressing gaps in accessibility and utilization of climate science outcomes through high-level, invitation-only Equinox Summits. The high-level sessions have already convened ministers and senior officials from across Europe, IPCC working group co-chairs, leading researchers and key users of climate knowledge, discussing accelerating the transfer of climate knowledge to policy. 

Whereas ECCA has become established as the forum for dialogue on climate adaptation, Equinox also regularly convenes science policy actors on climate mitigation and a new event, the Climate Neutrality Forum, has provided a meeting and knowledge-sharing platform for leaders in policy, science and industry who are steering Europe towards climate neutrality convened in Brussels. The programme was a carefully curated balance of science-led and policy-led panels, presentations and open discussions. When each session closed the conversations carried on, with policy decision-makers able to drill down into how research can support them in implementing impactful change to protect society, the economy and the environment from the effects of climate change. In turn they were able to set before scientists the practical policy needs they have to meet when championing and implementing climate adaptation measures.

The insights from these robust discussions were taken to COP29 in Azerbaijan by MAGICA and JPI Climate to inform the global climate adaptation agenda, as were the outcomes of the 1st Assessment Report on Sea Level Rise, a collaboration between JPI Oceans and JPI Climate. This report is the result of the Sea Level Rise Knowledge Hub (KH-SLR), a joint initiative of JPI Climate and JPI Oceans and key component of the Equinox Process. The report was published in 2024 with an online launch as well as being highlighted at a series of externally-organised events which shared the same target audiences. By now you will be getting the hang of the way MAGICA operates and you will not be surprised to learn that, again, stakeholders were at the heart of this report which was very well received across the policy and scientific communities.

It synthesizes current scientific knowledge on sea level rise and its impacts across local, national and European basin scales, to support evidence-based policy and decision making, primarily targeting coastal areas. The preparation took an interdisciplinary approach in assessing state-of-the-art information, not only consolidating existing knowledge but, crucially, identifying gaps in available knowledge. It was a collaboration of nine countries, and around 60 scientific and non-scientific European experts from a variety of backgrounds.

If, like me, you are an experienced actor in the climate adaptation research-to-meaningful-action chain you will recognise that MAGICA is working to break down many of the barriers that have long frustrated us. We aim to create a reliable and trusted pathway to steer scientific research into effective climate action. But don’t just take my word for it, join us at ECCA2025 – I look forward to seeing you in Rimini in June!

Registration is open for ECCA2025 with early bird prices available until April 18. Book your place here.

Hear about MAGICA events, news and updates, follow us on LinkedIn.

You can download the full article here.

Sixth Open Training Session on Heat and Health

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On February 20, REGILIENCE hosted its sixth online Open Training Session, titled “Heat and Health: Building Resilience for a Hotter Future.” This session gathered experts and stakeholders to discuss the escalating challenges posed by increasing temperatures and heatwaves, and to share innovative solutions for protecting public health and urban infrastructure.

Several key environmental factors impact our body’s ability to regulate temperature, including air temperature and sunlight. The Wet Bulb Globe Temperature (WBGT)—a composite index that factors in air temperature, humidity, wind speed, and sunlight—helps assess heat stress. Notably, challenges begin when temperatures exceed 25°C, with each additional 2°C necessitating longer rest periods and reducing mobility. Once temperatures hit 32°C, outdoor activities should be suspended, a threshold that is particularly critical for Mediterranean regions.

 

Case Studies and Proactive Interventions

Urban and Regional Strategies:

  • In Barcelona’s coastal areas, the IMPETUS project has developed a QMRA model to predict the risk of pathogen contamination in seawater resulting from combined sewer overflow (CSO) events. Climate change is expected to intensify heatwaves and heavy rainfall, which can overwhelm sewage systems and lead to such events.

  • In Germany, cities are actively implementing heat-health measures:

    • Würzburg has established a dedicated working group to develop 48 specific heat-health interventions.

    • Hannover distributes first aid packages to homeless individuals during heatwaves.

    • Cologne leverages art and music to raise awareness, particularly targeting residents over 65.

    • Freiburg has created interactive city maps that pinpoint cooling areas during extreme heat episodes.

Innovative Urban Planning:

  • The ARSINOE project in Athens has set up a long-term risk assessment system for urban planning, integrating and visualizing risk parameters. This system highlights the benefits of interventions such as cool roofs, green roofs, urban trees, tiny forests, and other urban greening initiatives.

National Strategies and Collaborative Efforts:

  • France, for example, has been a pioneer in health prevention plans. With the oldest system in the region established in 2023, the plan evolved in 2024 into a fully governmental strategy involving 10 ministries—a milestone that was achieved over 20 years. This success was driven by informal relationships and proactive individuals who united diverse stakeholders.

 

Sharing Best Practices for a Resilient Future

The session stressed the importance of sharing information on the effectiveness of different measures. Monitoring impacts and learning from the experiences of various cities and projects across Europe is essential. By identifying which interventions work best, stakeholders can exchange best practices and foster a collaborative approach to combating heat-health challenges.

How we address these issues today will shape the world for future generations. The session offered participants actionable insights and underscored that only through continuous dialogue and shared learning can societies build the resilience necessary to face a hotter future.

If you missed the session, recordings and presentation slides are available. You can also explore previous sessions and contribute your ideas for future topics by visiting the REGILIENCE page. This series remains a cornerstone of REGILIENCE’s mission to empower regional actors in building a more resilient future. 

 

And download the following presentations:

On this page, you can see the Open Training Sessions (OTS) available for all interested parties, that will take place between March 2023 and 2025. The sessions are organised in a series of ten online events divided into two cycles.