Co-creation of strategic action for climate change adaptation of territories and local economies

Introduction

Despite the progress made at European scale on policies and funds that promote Climate Change Adaptation (CCA), the inclusion of CCA in the public and private investment agendas at local level remains scarce. Yet few initiatives involve entire territories in joint action and generalized investment on CCA. Furthermore, the initiatives have not fully reached the most vulnerable economic activities. Local governments and economic sectors do not perceive with sufficient clarity that investments in adaptation today will lead to lower costs in the future. Meanwhile, we realize how the impacts of climate change are increasingly recurrent and severe.

Project Overview

The SIP LIFE eCOadapt50 aims to raise awareness and action in CCA at the local level involving key stakeholders, mainly governments and economic actors from the primary and tourist sectors. The specific strategic framework of LIFE eCOadapt50 is established by the Local Climate Adaptation Strategy (LSACC) developed by LIFE-CLINOMICS and the CCA action plans derived from it for each territory involved.

Integration with Local Strategies

It integrates coordination with the strategies of the local action groups of Catalonia and the CCA proposals of the Rural Development Plan of Catalonia.

Learning from Experience

LIFE eCOadapt50 learns from the LIFE-CLINOMICS' experience in developing strategies for mobilizing local investments, articulating political and social agendas to transform the local economy around CCA, and proposes a new model of long-term governance. The project foresees the full incorporation of the banking and insurance sector in the action, as a guarantee of the implementation of action plans.

Objectives and Outcomes

In synthesis, LIFE eCOadapt50 identifies the vulnerability of different territories of Catalonia and determines actions to increase their resilience. Local stakeholders receive training and support to become more resilient and to invest in CCA. The result is a co-adaptation process that empowers local territories and stakeholders to better adapt to climate change challenges.