PROJECT DESCRIPTION
BACKGROUND
All European regions are vulnerable to climate change, although its consequences can manifest itself in several ways depending on the region. According to the estimations, both the south and southeast areas of Europe, where the Basque Country (northern Spain) is located, will be critical areas affected by climate change according to the number of adverse phenomena.In Spain, there are several regions thathave developed strategies, plans or programmes of adaptation to climate change. However, very few regions are effectively implementing and updating their plans, with the Basque Country being one of them. The Basque Country has set up the KLIMA 2050 Strategy, which encompasses both adaptation and mitigation actions, with the aim of radically improving the resilience of the Basque Country to climate change.
OBJECTIVES
The main objective of LIFE-IP URBAN KLIMA 2050 is to contribute to the full implementation of the KLIMA Strategy 2050 in the Basque Country in Spain, whose fulfilment is based on the execution of 9 goals and 24 lines of intervention. The project will:
help finalise the current Action Plan (2015-2020) and support the definition of the next Action Plans (2021-2025 and 2026-2030) of the Klima 2050 Strategy; promote the integration of the KLIMA 2050 Strategy into territorial and sectoral planning activities and analyse the effects of its integration; mainstream climate change policy into other sectoral policies (i.e. health, water and energy); implement a series of actions (best practice, demonstration and pilot) in three pilot areas (urban/peri-urban, river basin, and coastal) aimed ata) exploring the synergies between urban and rural measures (e.g. nature-based solutions, green infrastructure, sustainablemobility and renewable energies integration),b) taking full advantage of the river basin approach for the continuity of solutions (e.g. river flood mitigation and water supply) analysing the specificities of coastal environments (coastal urban settlements, harbours and natural environments); fine-tune citizen and administration capacities (structure, knowledge, tools, networks, funding access, etc.) required to implement the 24 lines of intervention of the KLIMA 2050 Strategy; improve governance in the climate change field, at all administrative scales; and multiply the impacts of the project's solutions and mobilise a wider uptake (raising awareness, training and dissemination). In addition to the IP budget itself the project will facilitate the coordinated use of 625 million EUR of complementary funding from ERDF, other European programmes (i.e. H2020) and regional, national and private funds.
RESULTS
Expected results:
establish guidelines for planning (definition of the Action Plans for 2021-2025 and 2026-2030 of the Klima 2050 Strategy, and report of prioritisation measures for 2021-2015); Integration of climate change into territorial and urban planning: - guidelines to integrate climate change into land and urban planning and for considering climate change adaptation on different scales; - incorporation of climate change in the Plan of Renewable Energies; - recommendations for urbanisation and climate change adaptation in the Punta Zorrotza Special Plan; and - methodology to adapt emergency plans to present and future risks derived from climate change. integration of climate change in sectoral policies (health, water and energy): - implementation of an environmental monitoring system, including the characterisation of biotopes and at-risk populations; - description of the dynamics of vector/pathogen cycles and associated health risk factors, and standardised procedures for their identification and detection; - preparation of action and control plans for the Basque Country; - tool to monitor the incorporation of integrated health and climate change adaptation considerations into municipal urban planning; and - improved knowledge and governance, through the integration of energy and climate in the Energy Strategy of the Basque Country. Pilots of intervention in the local area, river basins and coastal areas (Reports on flooding, water resources, droughts, and demand-resource balance); Commitment and empowerment of communities: - increase to 70% of the population of the Basque Country that associates climate change clearly with human activity, and to 70% of the population willing to change their habits to support climate change action; and - develop and test tools to improve the application of citizen science. Empowerment of administration as a driver for change: - specific training on climate change for different Basque Government departments; - tenders with "climatic" environmental criteria and five administrations with this type of procurement published, involving 20 participating/interested companies; and - deployment of ordinances and/or fiscal instruments in five municipalities. Creation of structures for climate change governance: - dissemination of 15 documented best practices of adaptation to climate change at local level; - 21 Basque municipalities report to the "Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy"; - mobilisation of 625.77 million of funds annually; and - information & centralisation platform and report on climate change observation results.
