Storms, floods and heatwaves pose new challenges for cities and municipalities in Europe. adelphi is helping them to develop strategies, ensuring that they are capable of adapting to these situations.
For densely populated cities, the visible impacts of climate change present opportunities but also considerable risks, above all to infrastructure. Municipalities must ensure, for example, that their wastewater systems are designed to deal with heavy rainfall and that they are able to guarantee drinking water and power supplies during extended dry spells. Smaller communities – such as those located on coastlines or in basins – must also be equipped to cope with extreme climate events.
On behalf of the European Commission, adelphi is helping 21 cities develop customized adaptation strategies as part of the project “Adaptation Strategies in European Cities”. Its consultants are analysing the action taken by municipalities and offering peer learning, training and coaching sessions to help them put what they have learned into practice.
Cities and municipalities in the European Union have a chance to express their concerns in a survey on the impacts of climate change, which will run until 31 May 2012. As part of the survey, each participating municipality can also apply to take part in further training courses and an exchange with other cities over the course of the project. The findings of the project, which adelphi will implement in cooperation with five other partners, will be incorporated into the European Clearinghouse for Adaptation in the long term.