The fifth step of the Climate Resilience Guide focuses on the implementation of the selected adaptation plans. This stage involves designing an effective adaptation action plan, finding examples of successful adaptation action plans, mainstreaming adaptation into urban policies, addressing climate change through both adaptation and mitigation, and conducting a self-check to ensure thorough implementation. By following these steps, municipalities can effectively translate their resilience strategies into concrete actions that enhance their ability to cope with climate change impacts.
Designing an effective adaptation action plan is the first task in this step. This framework should integrate the findings from previous steps and be subject to public consultation and formal recognition by relevant local authorities to ensure its legitimacy and effectiveness. The plan must be comprehensive, considering all identified risks, vulnerabilities, and selected adaptation options.
Mainstreaming adaptation into urban policies and plans ensures that adaptation efforts are not isolated but integrated into the existing urban policy framework. This approach enhances resource efficiency, identifies synergies between development and adaptation, and reduces policy conflicts. Adaptation should be incorporated into sectoral policies like water management, transport, built environment, and health to maximize its effectiveness and impact.
Addressing climate change requires a dual approach of adaptation and mitigation. While mitigation focuses on reducing greenhouse gas emissions, adaptation aims to increase resilience to climate impacts. Integrating these two approaches ensures that both efforts work synergistically to achieve their respective goals. Coordination between stakeholders involved in mitigation and adaptation planning is crucial for continuous feedback and cross-checking.
For the successful implementation of this step, the following activities should be undertaken:
5.1 Creating an effective adaptation action plan
5.2 Finding examples of successful adaptation plans
5.3 Integrating adaptation into urban policies and strategies
5.4 Combining adaptation and mitigation efforts
5.5 Implementing adaptation: Self-evaluation
How to move ahead
The Community Climate Resilience Action Plans designed by the MISSION CE CLIMATE partners provides a hands-on methodology and template for preparing and documenting a climate resilience adaptation plan. It covers areas such as
- Community/public and social infrastructure
- Human health and wellbeing
- Biodiversity and ecosystem services
- Water management
- Rural landscapes and sustainable food systems.
It can be downloaded from the project’s website (https://www.interreg-central.eu/projects/mission-ce-climate/) as well as from the www.climatehub.si platform.
The platform www.climatehub.si equally aims to display examples of climate adaptation plans developed and implemented by different European communities.
