LIFE
& Climate change adaptation
The EU LIFE Programme The LIFE programme is the EU’s funding instrument for the environment. The general objective of LIFE is to contribute to the implementation, updating and development of EU environmental policy and legislation by co-financing pilot or demonstration projects with added value. Since its start in 1992, LIFE has been continuously co-funding innovative projects that help address the EU’s transition to a low-carbon and climate-resilient economy, strategically underpinning the implementation of the EU strategy on adaptation to climate change and demonstrating ways to meet the climate action challenges from now to 2030. With more than 4 171 initiatives supported to date, 142 projects have been exclusively on climate change adaptation – with a total allocation of €308 million. LIFE has thus tackled possible threats and hazardous events, making a significant contribution to the fight against climate change. Of the many issues addressed by LIFE, there is a focus on practices and measures that promote resilient communities, safeguard natural resources, encourage protection of ecosystems and foster adaptive technologies for economic sectors that are vulnerable to climate change. LIFE has focused on forest fires and flood prevention measures and the application of the precautionary principle. It also made a particular contribution to the development and elaboration of hydrological and climate models as tools necessary to address water scarcity and droughts. Other projects supported by LIFE developed tools and novel technologies demonstrating realistic climate change scenarios for specific sites to enable impact and vulnerability assessments and suggest the most appropriate adaptation measures to protect biodiversity and improve urban and rural resilience. Two such good LIFE practices are profiled here, and a list of 14 other projects is attached. Further details about these, plus more than 125 other climate change adaptation projects, can be found in the LIFE project database: ec.europa.eu/environment/life/project/Projects/ Title: HydroClimateStrategyRiga - Integrated Strategy for Riga City to Adapt to the Hydrological Processes Intensified by Climate Change Phenomena
F L O O D R I S K M A N A G E M E N T
Project number: LIFE08 ENV/LV/000451
Title: ACT - Adapting to climate change in Time Project number: LIFE08 ENV/IT/000436 Contact: Comune di Ancona (Local authority) Email: marco.cardinaletti@comune.ancona.it
Contact: Riga City Council
Website: www.actlife.eu/EN/index.xhtml
Email: renars.grinbergs@riga.lv Website: www.rigapretpludiem.lv
HydroClimateStrategyRiga
ACT
Certain areas of Riga are subject to regular flood events. For that reason, the project conducted a preventative study of hydrological processes, such as sea water surges caused by storms – a major flood risk in Riga – spring spates, territorial flooding caused by precipitation and coastal erosion, which in combination with climate change may lead to economic loss as well as having a negative impact on the natural and cultural heritage.
The Adapting to Climate Change (ACT) project developed a local adaptation strategy that took into consideration the environmental, social and economic impacts of climate change through a well-defined, integrated and participatory process.
The acquired data and the Riga City Relief Model – exclusively developed for the exploration, modelling and anticipation of the effect of such hydrological processes – were used as a basis for practical suggestions and flood prevention recommendations in the territory of Riga city. Moreover, the project’s specialists analysed successful flood threat combating practices in other European cities, such as Antwerp (Belgium), the Hague and Rotterdam (the Netherlands) and Hamburg (Germany), where flood management is based on extensive and long-term flood risk research, modelling, monitoring, forecasting and planning. Solutions to reduce flood threat were provided, like reconstruction and construction of dams or ramparts, watergates and floodgates, earthwork, improvement of rainwater drainage and melioration systems, as well as coastal strengthening. Finally, the methodological approach enables new construction projects to be included and evaluated in the model, thus facilitating the decision-making process of local authorities into the future.
Three municipalities in regions that appeared particularly vulnerable to the effects of climate change – namely Ancona (Italy), Patras (Greece) and Bullas (Spain) – were examined so as to identify an effective municipal strategy for local climate change adaptation measures. Each municipality created a Local Adaptation Board (LAB), a multidisciplinary and inter-sectorial working group to consider aspects like environmental protection, soil protection and water resources management. Preliminary studies analysed the effects of climate change, with the evaluations being used to help draft the local adaptation plan (LAP) for each city. ACT identified a successful approach to drafting an adaptation plan at local level by increasing the knowledge base of local actors and citizens about problems linked to climate change. It also highlighted the importance of implementing preventive measures to tackle current climate change events and enhance urban resilience, as well as mapping out all sources of information to identify possible gaps and demonstrate solutions for the most vulnerable systems and sectors.
U R B A N R E S I L I E N C E
Environment
Factsheet-LIFE-ClimateAdaptation.indd 1
28/04/15 17:53