Building Climate Resilience in European Cities and Regions

Our multi-city program that supports cities with their building urban resilience plans.

Summary

Resilient Cities Network is embedding resilience thinking in adaptation across cities and regions in Europe through its multi-city partner programs REACHOUT, ARSINOE, and REGILIENCE, funded under the Horizon 2020 Framework Program. These programs aim to better equip cities and regions in using climate services and identify innovative solutions to reduce their climate risks while building their overall city resilience. Moreover, these programs support the EU Mission for Adaptation to make 150 European regions and communities climate resilient by 2030.

The Challenge

Over the last decade, the risk of climate change disasters in all geographic regions of Europe has increased significantly. The frequency and magnitude of heatwaves, flooding and droughts have left the continent vulnerable and at high risk of further shocks and stresses. While the problems are apparent, several regions are underprepared to deal with these risks, due to insufficient technical expertise, tools and tailor-made climate services to build capacity and resilience.

Reachout

The prime objective of REACHOUT is to bridge the last mile in climate service delivery to better support all European cities in building resilience to climate change by a pragmatic approach that builds upon existing achievements and addresses the main barriers to uptake. In collaboration with seven City Hubs across Europe (Amsterdam, Athens, Cork, Gdynia, Lillestrøm, Logroño and Milan), the program will co-develop tailor-made adaptation strategies integrated in climate resilient urban development.

REACHOUT is coordinated by Deltares, and brings together research partners, climate service providers and city stakeholders and will last until March 2025.

Resilient Cities Network is mainly responsible for co-creation and engagement activities within the City Hubs, as well as for the development of a learning program on climate services.

Website: https://reachout-cities.eu/

Arsinoe

The ARSINOE program shapes the pathways to resilience by bringing together the System Innovation Approach (SIA) and Climate Innovation Window (CIW). The SIA addresses the growing complexity, interdependencies and interconnectedness of modern societies and economies, focusing on the functions of the cross sectoral system as a whole and on the variety of actors. The CIW is the EU reference innovations marketplace for climate adaptation technologies. This project will be demonstrated in nine diverse regions in Europe as a proof of concept with regards to its applicability, replicability, potential and efficacy.

In ARSINOE, Resilient Cities Network will work together with the city of Athens and its stakeholders to co-create and co-design innovative pathways to solutions using the above-mentioned approaches. The program is coordinated by the University of Thessaly and will last until September 2025.

Website: https://arsinoe-project.eu/

Regilience

REGILIENCE, or “Resilience Strategies for Regions”, aims to support communities, cities and regions in their efforts towards building climate resilient pathways, fostering the adoption and wide dissemination of the most promising solutions. REGILIENCE aims to support regions in addressing their needs and challenges, starting from existing knowledge, expertise and available solutions. In particular, it will support replication of projects and Initiatives in 10 selected vulnerable regions in Europe. To make this support effective, REGILIENCE will implement almost 700 activities such as events, trainings, peer-to-peer mentorship, tailored support, as well as informational and communication material. The program will share experiences, learn from failures, provide guidance and disseminate knowledge and tools.

The program will be implemented over 48 months by nine partners, under the lead of IEECP and Fresh Thoughts and with the engagement of networks (ICLEI, Fedarene, F6S) and knowledge holders both in research and practice (FC.ID, adelphi, REGEA). Resilient Cities Network will coordinate and lead various activities, such as the peer-to-peer mentorship, testing innovative public-private partnerships, training activities and the development of a Resilience Fundamentals Course and a citizen Resilience Scan Tool.

Website: https://regilience.eu/the-project/