On Monday 29 April, the European Environment Agency (EEA) published a report calling for urgent urban adaptation to climate change in the European Union. This study follows on from the climate risk assessment presented by the EEA on 11 March (see EUROPE 13368/11).
According to the document, cities, which are home to 75% of Europe’s population, are on the front line when it comes to climate impacts, where temperatures can be 10 to 15°C higher than in surrounding areas due to the urban heat island effect.
While more than 19,000 adaptation actions have been registered by 2022, mainly targeting the water (17%), buildings (13.6%) and health (7.6%) sectors, the report shows that the increase and intensification of adaptation measures is not keeping pace with climate change.
It stresses the importance of nature-based solutions, which are integrated into 91% of local climate action plans and physical infrastructures to strengthen urban resilience. Civic commitment and institutional support are also seen as key to effective and equitable adaptation.
The report: https://aeur.eu/f/bzz (Original version in French by Nithya Paquiry)