Cooperation of cities and local companies for climate change adaptation

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

BACKGROUND

In Hungary, large areas of land have been converted into industrial zones. Urban climate change adaptation is impossible without the involvement of businesses in these industrial zones. However, there is currently a lack of cooperation between cities and industrial businesses on climate change adaption.

OBJECTIVES

The overall goal of the LIFE-CLIMCOOP project is to develop, test and demonstrate collective actions between a city government and a multinational company to reduce local climate risks and enhance joint climate change adaptation to the benefit of both parties. The pilot demonstration will particularly explore water-saving opportunities in the upstream parts of the River Saj in Hungary. The long-term objective is to replicate the methodology in other climate change-vulnerable urban and industrial areas in Central Eastern Europe.

Specifically, the project aims to:

Develop and test replicable collaboration mechanisms between a medium-sized city in a less developed region and its business partners in the local industrial park for starting and facilitating joint climate adaptation actions; Demonstrate practical examples of small-scale nature-based adaptation measures that require either resource sharing or shared implementation between businesses and cities at local level to reduce shared climate risks;

Develop, test and demonstrate a prototype solution for harvesting treated wastewater and rainwater, and its reuse to recharge groundwater aquifers and irrigate urban green surfaces, to reduce vulnerability due to limited water resources and unfold synergistic effects for both cities and businesses;

Mainstream climate adaptation into the entire structure of the business and urban government partners, and demonstrate how climate adaptation considerations can be co-integrated into local municipal and company policies, regulations and practices to their mutual benefit;

Raise awareness of the local population and the employees of the partner industry on the connection between climate change adaptation, water resources and quality of life, using smart and innovative information tools;

Build capacity and increase knowledge base for urban governments and private sector companies in Hungary and abroad to help develop and implement strategic climate adaptation partnerships, explore synergies, tackle shared risks and start mainstreaming results;

Disseminate the practical knowledge gained and foster the replication of the tested adaptation solutions for improved climate resilience in vulnerable urban-industrial locations in the Saj River Basin, in Hungary and in Central-East Europe; and

Build a locally coordinated river basin partnership for upscaling of urban and business adaptation to basin level, involving stakeholders.

The main goal of the prototype is to diversify water resource management as an adaptation to climate change, in line with EU climate policy. The project contributes to the 3rd cycle of the River Basin Management Plan, focussing on the Saj river basin. Multifunctional green areas and walls contribute to urban biodiversity, in line with the EU Biodiversity Strategy. The entire valley of Saj is a protected Natura 2000 site, so project actions are also relevant to the Habitats Directive.

RESULTS

Expected results:

Local capacity and knowledge base built and collaboration mechanisms developed, through study trips, a joint Climate Adaptation Strategy, the establishment of a Climate Platform and Future Research Group, and the launch of a Climate Fund;

Demonstration of small-scale nature-based adaptation measures, including green roofs on city and industrial buildings, a green wall in the city centre, a multifunctional urban green area, rainwater harvesting infrastructure and storage in tanks, and natural water-retention measures to reduce the risk of flash flooding;

Inventories of urban trees and small watercourses, an assessment of remediation sites for adaptation measures, and the development of an irrigation, soil protection and green infrastructure development plan for urban green spaces;

Tested prototype for treating wastewater of the industrial partner, with a capacity of 1 m3/hour, to combine with harvested rainwater for use in industry and to water public green spaces, thereby reducing water demand from the Saj river; and

Climate change adaptation mainstreamed in everyday operations, through planning and building regulations, and industry EHS regulation.

Based on the results of the laboratory wastewater treatment prototype, a full-scale application will be built after the project ends. This is planned to have a capacity of 100 m3/hour and be able to treat a considerable portion of the city's effluent.