Periodic Reporting for period 1 - TransformAr (Accelerating and upscaling transformational adaptation in Europe: demonstration of water-related innovation packages)
Période du rapport: 2021-10-01 au 2023-03-31
TransformAr aims to develop and demonstrate products and services to launch and accelerate large-scale and disruptive adaptive process for transformational adaptation in vulnerable regions and communities across Europe. Climate change impacts are here and now. The impacts on people, prosperity and planet are already pervasive but unevenly distributed, as stated in the new EU Blueprint strategy (European Commission-EC, 2019). To reduce climate-related risks, the EC and the IPCC agree that transformational adaptation (TA) is essential. Transformational pathways are deemed essential for climate and social resilience to achieve rapid and far-reaching TA.
Relying on existing successful initiatives, the project will address water-related risks and impacts of climate change through six TransformAr lighthouse demonstrator regions and communities that will test solutions. The 6 TransformAr lighthouse demonstrators face a common challenge: water-related risks and impacts of climate change. Based on existing successful initiatives, the project will develop, test and demonstrate solutions and pathways, integrated in Innovation Packages, in 6 territories. Transformational pathways, including an integrated risk assessment approach are co-developed by means of 9 Transformational Adaptive Blocks. A set of 21 tested actionable adaptive solutions will be tested and demonstrated, ranging from nature-based solutions, innovative technologies, financing, insurance and governance models, awareness and behavioural change solutions.
Relying on existing successful initiatives, the project will address water-related risks and impacts of climate change through six TransformAr lighthouse demonstrator regions and communities that will test solutions. The 6 TransformAr lighthouse demonstrators face a common challenge: water-related risks and impacts of climate change. Based on existing successful initiatives, the project will develop, test and demonstrate solutions and pathways, integrated in Innovation Packages, in 6 territories. Transformational pathways, including an integrated risk assessment approach are co-developed by means of 9 Transformational Adaptive Blocks. A set of 21 tested actionable adaptive solutions will be tested and demonstrated, ranging from nature-based solutions, innovative technologies, financing, insurance and governance models, awareness and behavioural change solutions.
WP1 led the creation of Innovation Ecosystems (IE), i.e. multi-stakeholder platforms at demonstrator level, to co-design regional adaptation pathways. First, guidelines for engaging with relevant stakeholders (D1.1) and a baseline profile report (D1.2) were delivered. In each IE, co-design workshops have been carried out from February 2022 to January 2023.
In WP2, climatic, hydrological and environmental data has been consolidated (D2.1) to provide graphical/tabular outputs on the main climate vulnerabilities and impacts in the WP1 workshops to support the development of the adaptation pathways in WP3. The eco-hydrological model SWIM (Soil and Water Integrated Model) has been implemented at demonstrator scale to estimate how climate change would impact water resources.
WP3 developed and applied the Playbook for Transformative Adaptation (D3.10). First sets of adaptation pathways and lessons learned are bundled in D3.3. The Governance baseline (D3.1) and solution catalogue (D3.2) were developed to contextualize and to feed the reflection during the co-development of adaptation pathways workshops.
WP4 started in September 2022. Most of the solutions are currently in the design phase. Thanks to the adaptation pathway workshops, more insights are gained on the local needs and interests. Working sessions are happening to format the six deliverables of WP4.
Work to date in WP5 has built on the outcomes of WP1 and WP3 to identify and engage with new actors and change agents across Europe to influence and implement climate resilience strategies. The monitoring preparation of solutions for WP4 has also started.
WP6 oversaw the submission of two deliverables: D6.6. Preliminary Exploitation Plan, and D6.1. Results on the public acceptance and preferences. For D6.1. a discrete choice experiment is set up to distribute to 9000 members of the public spread over 6 countries in June 2023.
WP7 started with the development of the project’s visual identity, website and social media (D7.3) together with the communications and dissemination plan (D7.2). Joint communication activities have been implemented with TransformAr’s sister projects (ARSINOE, IMPETUS and REGILIENCE). Cooperation has also been initiated with other relevant projects.
In WP8, the project’s Executive Committee (EC) (WP leaders and the coordinator) holds monthly conference calls, and the consortium meets every half-year (so far, in Antwerp in October 2021, Sardinia in June 2022, Guadeloupe in December 2022). Several deliverables have been submitted in WP8: Quality Plan (D8.1) Management Plan and Tools (D8.2) Data Management Plan – version 1 & 2 (D8.3 D8.6) and Guidance for Quality (D8.5).
In WP2, climatic, hydrological and environmental data has been consolidated (D2.1) to provide graphical/tabular outputs on the main climate vulnerabilities and impacts in the WP1 workshops to support the development of the adaptation pathways in WP3. The eco-hydrological model SWIM (Soil and Water Integrated Model) has been implemented at demonstrator scale to estimate how climate change would impact water resources.
WP3 developed and applied the Playbook for Transformative Adaptation (D3.10). First sets of adaptation pathways and lessons learned are bundled in D3.3. The Governance baseline (D3.1) and solution catalogue (D3.2) were developed to contextualize and to feed the reflection during the co-development of adaptation pathways workshops.
WP4 started in September 2022. Most of the solutions are currently in the design phase. Thanks to the adaptation pathway workshops, more insights are gained on the local needs and interests. Working sessions are happening to format the six deliverables of WP4.
Work to date in WP5 has built on the outcomes of WP1 and WP3 to identify and engage with new actors and change agents across Europe to influence and implement climate resilience strategies. The monitoring preparation of solutions for WP4 has also started.
WP6 oversaw the submission of two deliverables: D6.6. Preliminary Exploitation Plan, and D6.1. Results on the public acceptance and preferences. For D6.1. a discrete choice experiment is set up to distribute to 9000 members of the public spread over 6 countries in June 2023.
WP7 started with the development of the project’s visual identity, website and social media (D7.3) together with the communications and dissemination plan (D7.2). Joint communication activities have been implemented with TransformAr’s sister projects (ARSINOE, IMPETUS and REGILIENCE). Cooperation has also been initiated with other relevant projects.
In WP8, the project’s Executive Committee (EC) (WP leaders and the coordinator) holds monthly conference calls, and the consortium meets every half-year (so far, in Antwerp in October 2021, Sardinia in June 2022, Guadeloupe in December 2022). Several deliverables have been submitted in WP8: Quality Plan (D8.1) Management Plan and Tools (D8.2) Data Management Plan – version 1 & 2 (D8.3 D8.6) and Guidance for Quality (D8.5).
The work performed so far has enabled great progress beyond the state of the art. The Innovation Ecosystems have been launched and the multi-actor approach defined in WP1 will continue to guide the engagement of stakeholders throughout the project and provide breakthrough innovations in stakeholder engagement. To support this engagement, several scientific innovations have been produced. WP2 has enabled to consolidate the knowledge for development of adaptation planning solutions, notably completing the CMIP6 and linking it with model SWIM (Soil and Water Integrated model) to provide more updated and more reliable ecohydrological assessment across the Nexus Climate-Water-Food-Ecosystems. Building on these results, WP3 leads to the development of the “Playbook for Transformational Adaptation”, aiming to answer the challenge of insufficient clarity that currently exists on how adaptation pathways can be developed for the regions and communities in compliance with EU Adaptation Strategy. The governance framework report and catalogue of solutions has also been developed to provide insights for the demonstrators, rather than generating scientific breakthroughs. The latter however contribute to a toolkit that includes assessing avoided damages, socio-economic impact assessment, adaptative action planning and portfolios of solutions.
WP1, WP2 and WP3 will further provide essential results by their end, supporting the deployment and testing of solutions in WP4 and their monitoring in the long-term in WP5. WP1 and WP7 will lead to the building of a Network on Climate Change Adaptation to accelerate transformational adaptation and reinforce the EU Missions Community of Practice. WP2 will result in a socio-economic impact assessment of climate change and integrated risk assessment, which will lead to a prioritization of the most vulnerable regions and key community systems to climate change. The forthcoming work of WP3 e.g. on economic impact assessment of solutions, will further improve the functionalities of the Playbook. WP4 will deeply rely on results obtained so far, going one step further in the engagement of key stakeholders to implement the 21 solutions of TransformAr to produce real socio-economic impacts in each demonstrator. The methodology for replication potential assessment to be developed at the same time, and the resulting learning stories from this implementation will enable wide spread of the solutions identified and take over by further regions. This will be greatly supported by WP5 developing monitoring methodology, protocols and systems of these solutions, coping with the diversity of solutions and contexts, and therefore data. WP6 finally aims to capitalise, consolidate and integrate the outcomes of TransformAr into “Innovation Packages” (IP’s) for Transformational Adaptation, which consist of a catalogue of solutions, a guidance document on transformational adaptation and the demonstrator-specific adaptation portfolio of solutions and plans. Exploitation will be completed with targeted communication and dissemination activities to maximize impact of these results while further collaborating with sister projects and future Mission projects.
WP1, WP2 and WP3 will further provide essential results by their end, supporting the deployment and testing of solutions in WP4 and their monitoring in the long-term in WP5. WP1 and WP7 will lead to the building of a Network on Climate Change Adaptation to accelerate transformational adaptation and reinforce the EU Missions Community of Practice. WP2 will result in a socio-economic impact assessment of climate change and integrated risk assessment, which will lead to a prioritization of the most vulnerable regions and key community systems to climate change. The forthcoming work of WP3 e.g. on economic impact assessment of solutions, will further improve the functionalities of the Playbook. WP4 will deeply rely on results obtained so far, going one step further in the engagement of key stakeholders to implement the 21 solutions of TransformAr to produce real socio-economic impacts in each demonstrator. The methodology for replication potential assessment to be developed at the same time, and the resulting learning stories from this implementation will enable wide spread of the solutions identified and take over by further regions. This will be greatly supported by WP5 developing monitoring methodology, protocols and systems of these solutions, coping with the diversity of solutions and contexts, and therefore data. WP6 finally aims to capitalise, consolidate and integrate the outcomes of TransformAr into “Innovation Packages” (IP’s) for Transformational Adaptation, which consist of a catalogue of solutions, a guidance document on transformational adaptation and the demonstrator-specific adaptation portfolio of solutions and plans. Exploitation will be completed with targeted communication and dissemination activities to maximize impact of these results while further collaborating with sister projects and future Mission projects.