Across Europe, adaptation practitioners and decision makers often draw inspiration from adaptation solutions by searching the European Union’s flagship knowledge platforms, Climate-ADAPT and the Mission Portal. However, many adaptation solutions already implemented across Europe are not yet represented in these platforms.
The REGILIENCE+ project aims to fill in the knowledge gaps of the European adaptation landscape by collecting information on adaptation solutions from recently finished or ongoing European adaptation projects and initiatives, in particular from Mission Projects. Ideally, adaptation solutions will cover all adaptation hazards, sectors, approaches, governance levels and countries of implementation.
To build this list of adaptation solutions, REGILIENCE+ assessed how many are currently available on Climate-ADAPT and the Mission Portal and, just as important, where the most significant gaps remain. The gaps identified here will define a set of priorities for the work ahead of the Mission to fill the knowledge gaps of the platforms. Below are the key insights that the assessment revealed.
Country-Level Gaps
Nearly half of European countries are underrepresented across Climate-ADAPT and the Mission Portal (Figure 1). Shared priorities for improvement in both knowledge platforms include Albania, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Georgia, Kosovo, Latvia, Malta, Montenegro, the Republic of Moldova, and Ukraine.
Figure 1- Climate-ADAPT countries and Mission Portal adaptation stories per country.
Missing Solutions for Emerging Hazards
Adaptation solutions i
n Climate-ADAPT and the Mission Portal (Figures 2 and 3) addressing wildfires, one of the most pressing and
emerging hazards, are barely represented, alongside solutions for low-temperature hazards such as extreme cold and ice and snow. In contrast, solutions addressing flooding, extreme heat, droughts and storms are the most represented. Strengthening the knowledge base of solutions for underrepresented hazards will be essential to support regions facing evolving climate risks.
Sectors falling short
Common gaps across from Climate-ADAPT and the Mission Portal include the Business and Industry, Financial, Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and Cultural Heritage sectors (Figures 4 and 5); therefore, these are identified as priorities for further development under the REGILIENCE+ list of solutions.
Additionally, certain gaps are largely different between the knowledge platforms when addressing adaptation sectors. While some adaptation sectors are well represented in Climate-ADAPT (Water Management, Disaster Risk Reduction, Urban, and Health), others remain largely unexplored, particularly solutions related to Ecosystem restoration, Mountain Areas and Land-use Planning.
An analysis of the Mission Portal reveals that solutions covering the sectors of Biodiversity Protection, Agriculture, Water Management, and Urban are abundant, but there is a notable lack of solutions addressing the Ecosystem restoration, Energy and Transport sectors.
Figure 4- Climate-ADAPT countries and Mission Portal adaptation stories per adaptation sector.
Figure 5- Climate-ADAPT tools and Mission Portal tools per adaptation sector.
Replication, Monitoring, and Evaluation Gaps
Fewer than 15% of Climate-ADAPT options and tools include information on adaptation approaches related to replication, specifically on how a solution can be adapted, scaled, or transplanted to another context (Figure 6). Critical information, such as cost-benefit analysis, maintenance requirements, societal, economic, mitigation and environmental aspects, as well as the upscaling potential, is often absent.
In line with the gaps in Adaptation Approaches from Climate-ADAPT options and tools, the Mission Portal tools database similarly underrepresents the final steps of the adaptation cycle: implementing, monitoring, and evaluating measures in practice (Figure 7).
Figure 6- Climate-ADAPT case studies, options and tools per adaptation approach.
Figure 7: Implementing, monitoring, and evaluating measures in practice.
Filling the gaps
REGILIENCE+ goes beyond compiling a list of solutions. It shows where knowledge is plentiful and where gaps remain. By identifying these knowledge gaps, the project aims to build a more comprehensive European adaptation knowledge base, one that effectively supports practitioners and decision-makers in planning and implementing climate adaptation measures.