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2023 Flagship Technical Support Project

Technical Support Instrument

Support to Climate Adaptation

DESCRIPTION OF THE FLAGSHIP

This Flagship Technical Support Project is targeted at Member States wishing to prepare for the inevitable impacts of the climate crisis. Adaptation to climate change is an increasingly pressing issue as the temperatures rise and extreme weather events multiply. The longer adaptation efforts are put off, the more difficult and expensive they will be.

Fact 1. Climate-related disasters doubled compared to the previous 20 years. Even with drastic emission abatement measures, there will be severe stress on agri-food systems, infrastructure, ecosystems, natural capital and human health;

Fact 2. Between 1980 and 2020, climate-related disasters caused economic losses totalling EUR 487 billion in the 27 Member States. Conservative estimates show that exposing today’s EU economy to global warming of 3°C would result in an annual welfare loss of at least EUR 175 billion (1.38% of EU GDP).

IMPACT OF THE FLAGSHIP

  • Strengthened disaster risk preparedness and response
  • Updated and improved climate adaptation strategies, policy framework and governance structures, at both regional and national level
  • Improved adaptation knowledge, climate-risk assessment, and stress testing
  • Implemented climate adaptation actions such as nature-based solutions

OBJECTIVES

  • Supporting the preparedness and prevention of climate-induced disasters at regional and national level using early warning systems available at EU level such as the European Flood Awareness System, the European Forest Fire Information System and the European Drought Observatory as well as other instruments such as the Copernicus Emergency Management System
  • Implementing the EU Adaptation to Climate Change Strategy as well as national and regional adaptation strategies
  • Implementing climate change adaptation measures of the national Recovery and Resilience Plans (RRPs)
  • Building relevant indicators and databases for informing, monitoring and evaluating national and regional climate adaptation action
  • Reinforcing public awareness and engagement, and building skills and professional awareness
  • Fostering the exchange of best practices via study visits, expert missions and peer-learning sessions between Member States and regions
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MEASURES OF TECHNICAL SUPPORT PROVIDED

This flagship project suggests five work packages that Member States and regions can choose from and tailor to the national and local contexts. Member States can request support for one or more work packages.

Prevention of wildfires, floods, droughts and other climate-induced disasters

  • Develop and improve early warning and monitoring systems
  • Enhance national risk assessment methodologies
  • Design national and/or regional disaster risk management strategies and action plans
  • Design national and regional policy instruments that integrate climate-related risk management (e.g., infrastructure planning)
  • Implementation of the National Risk Disaster Management plans and climate adaptation strategies
  • Identify funding opportunities for disaster risk management
  • Integrate flood risk management and other climate-induced disasters (such as heatwaves) into urban and spatial planning

Preparation, update and implementation of climate adaptation strategies

  • Prepare and update national/regional adaptation strategies
  • Monitor and evaluate ongoing strategies
  • Implement adaptation actions
  • Support stakeholder engagement and establish coordination mechanisms

Climate-related risk assessment and stress testing

  • Deployment of climate-related risk assessment and stress based on the Disaster Risk Management Knowledge Centre risk data hub of the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre (JRC)

Implementation of nature-based solutions for climate adaptation

  • Implement and scale-up nature-based solutions.
  • Assess barriers and enablers for implementation
  • Assess the vulnerability of ecosystems to climate change, perform ecologic assessment, and integrate climate pressures in the Mapping and Assessment of Ecosystem Services (MAES)
  • Support the biophysical and economic assessment of forest and water ecosystem services to support informed decision-making for policymakers and ecosystem managers

Coastal and mountain protection as well as other improved spatial and land-use planning

  • Improve spatial and land-use planning through ex-ante analysis of risks, and the implementation of mitigation action
  • Address climate change challenges in coastal/mountain areas including river and coastal management plans and mountain protecting plan
  • Ensure stakeholder engagement and ownership, training and awareness raising

RECOVERY AND RESILIENCE FACILITY RELEVANCE

Climate change adaptation measures in green activities account for approximately 6% of the total expenditures under the green transition pillar of the RRPs (total estimated expenditure of EUR 12.5 billion). The flagship project can support the implementation of climate adaptation reforms and investments, such as protective and preventative measures against floods and forest fires or the construction of tailored infrastructures for the prevention of specific climate risks.

TSI support to RRPs

HOW TO APPLY

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  • 13 MAY 2022
Support to climate adaptation

CONTACT DETAILS

REFORM-B3atec [dot] europa [dot] eu (REFORM-B3[at]ec[dot]europa[dot]eu) and REFORM-01atec [dot] europa [dot] eu (REFORM-01[at]ec[dot]europa[dot]eu)