Periodic Reporting for period 1 - RESIST (Regions for climate change resilience through Innovation, Science and Technology)
Reporting period: 2023-01-01 to 2023-12-31
The EU’s strategy on climate change adaptation (CCA) calls for measures that are smart, swift and more systemic. In line with these adaptation actions, the EU-funded RESIST project will increase resilience and accelerate the transformation of climate-vulnerable EU regions. It will do this through the implementation of four large-scale demonstrations of resilient innovations and transfer of know-how and these solutions to eight twinning regions. Through quintuple helix partnerships that involves academia-business-government-public working towards sustainable environment, the project will promote a participative approach to resilience. RESIST will reduce time-to-market for more than 100 new CCA solutions, provide novel regional measures and policy instruments and engage with 22 million citizens.
WP1 has laid the foundation for the further development of innovations by performing the needs assessment for 12 regions. The results were clustered, and concisely summarized and also identified common needs, strengths and expertise for transfer between regions. The Graphical Digital Twin development for all 12 climate vulnerable regions started with 4 workshops to increase awareness about digital technology and its potential, and set concrete plans for Graphical Digital Twin development over next period. A technical framework for assessing and benchmarking the processes and technologies used in the context of climate change adaptation activities at the regional level has been released.
WP2 focused on the identification of the needs for a mutual-learning scheme, tailored to the specific requirements of both the Large-Scale Demonstrators and Twinning Regions. This input will shape the design of a dedicated mutual-learning scheme for knowledge-sharing and replication of climate change adaptation and innovations in the future. The series of webinars with entrepreneurial ecosystems have been designed by adopting a collaborative approach, aiming to ensure a tailored and impact-full experience for the participating regions.
WP3 focused on demonstrating innovations at Large Scale Demonstrators (LSD) and Twinning regions. LSDs have set a solid background, e.g. mobilised the stakeholders, conducted surveys and interviews, selected the demonstration sides and progressed with the planned activities. The Twinning Regions participated in knowledge and experience exchange activities mostly.
Selected examples are shown per LSDs located in Finland, Denmark, Spain and Portugal.
LSD1 Southwest Finland
• Renovation and redesign of the storm water system in the Rauvola bay started. Spatial data was collected on current and future land cover and land use, inventory of the fauna and flora, mapping of the water bodies and stormwater networks.
• Oriketo industrial area advanced in data collection, hydrological model development and stakeholder involvement. E.g. data necessary to hydraulic and hydrologic models, such as drainage network and geomorphological data, were collected from different sources.
• A sub-catchment of Savijoki river leading to the Archipelago Sea presented a significant amount of data available for hydrological modelling purposes.
LSD2 Central Denmark
• IoT groundwater logging activities selected two demonstration areas: Bøvlingbjerg in the municipality of Lemvig (west coast), and in the municipality of Hedensted in Juelsminde (east coast).
• Two locations for demonstration houses selected and steps undertaken to design these houses. VIA UC has been in the process of organising the tendering process in respect of the EU regulations.
• Best Adapt tool was advanced to include recreational values model based on hedonic housing prices. This model was developed by Aarhus. The tool is being prepared to incorporate all water sources in the cost/benefit calculations.
LSD3 Catalonia
• First version of the city-level real-time multi-hazard Early Warning system Argos-City implemented by HYDS in Terrassa and Blanes with the local datasets available in real-time and the updated definition of warning rules and configuration of the notifications.
• Development of the new version of the Argos City platform based on VUE JS Framework and the Web-App version of Argos City advanced.
• Implementation of the real-time Site-Specific Warnings in Terrassa and Blanes by UPC progressed. The initial version of designing warning messages implemented by UPC and has been based on existing local self-protection plans available in Terrassa and Blanes for floods.
• Exploration of the social vulnerability maps and field visits implemented by UOC in collaboration with municipality social services and civil protection for better inclusive risk communication in case of floods and community engagement considering vulnerable groups.
LSD4 Central Portugal
• The two demonstration areas, Coimbra and Médio Tejo, defined the intervention areas and approach.
• In Coimbra’s demonstrator, 14 municipalities were selected to be intervened – 10 hectares in each municipality. CIM Médio Tejo, with support of MédioTejo21 and IPP, identified the intervention areas for integrated management and village condominiums/urban agglomeration protection areas and initiated the technical site visits. All together, the areas to be intervened represent 160 hectares.
• BLC3 continued to develop and optimise processes for the genetic mapping of forest/shrub species, to correctly identify possible genes that could confer resilience/resistance to global warming. The awareness raising actions were carried out to presented different tree species to convert the areas that have a high risk of rural fire due to the high amount of biomass.
WP4 progressed in establishing the foundations to measure and maximize social impacts of the LSDs through a Transformative Social Innovation Strategy and Social Impact Assessment. The field work started by conducting interviews with multiple partners in the LSDs to capture current structures and ongoing dynamics in terms of climate change adaptation.
WP5 focused a significant number of measures have been placed to ensure effective communication and exchange of information between the partners and these measures brought fruitful outcomes. A strong pass has been set towards influencing policymakers at the EU/national/regional levels in the context of identified collaborations, built connections, and formed high-level advisory board.
WP2 focused on the identification of the needs for a mutual-learning scheme, tailored to the specific requirements of both the Large-Scale Demonstrators and Twinning Regions. This input will shape the design of a dedicated mutual-learning scheme for knowledge-sharing and replication of climate change adaptation and innovations in the future. The series of webinars with entrepreneurial ecosystems have been designed by adopting a collaborative approach, aiming to ensure a tailored and impact-full experience for the participating regions.
WP3 focused on demonstrating innovations at Large Scale Demonstrators (LSD) and Twinning regions. LSDs have set a solid background, e.g. mobilised the stakeholders, conducted surveys and interviews, selected the demonstration sides and progressed with the planned activities. The Twinning Regions participated in knowledge and experience exchange activities mostly.
Selected examples are shown per LSDs located in Finland, Denmark, Spain and Portugal.
LSD1 Southwest Finland
• Renovation and redesign of the storm water system in the Rauvola bay started. Spatial data was collected on current and future land cover and land use, inventory of the fauna and flora, mapping of the water bodies and stormwater networks.
• Oriketo industrial area advanced in data collection, hydrological model development and stakeholder involvement. E.g. data necessary to hydraulic and hydrologic models, such as drainage network and geomorphological data, were collected from different sources.
• A sub-catchment of Savijoki river leading to the Archipelago Sea presented a significant amount of data available for hydrological modelling purposes.
LSD2 Central Denmark
• IoT groundwater logging activities selected two demonstration areas: Bøvlingbjerg in the municipality of Lemvig (west coast), and in the municipality of Hedensted in Juelsminde (east coast).
• Two locations for demonstration houses selected and steps undertaken to design these houses. VIA UC has been in the process of organising the tendering process in respect of the EU regulations.
• Best Adapt tool was advanced to include recreational values model based on hedonic housing prices. This model was developed by Aarhus. The tool is being prepared to incorporate all water sources in the cost/benefit calculations.
LSD3 Catalonia
• First version of the city-level real-time multi-hazard Early Warning system Argos-City implemented by HYDS in Terrassa and Blanes with the local datasets available in real-time and the updated definition of warning rules and configuration of the notifications.
• Development of the new version of the Argos City platform based on VUE JS Framework and the Web-App version of Argos City advanced.
• Implementation of the real-time Site-Specific Warnings in Terrassa and Blanes by UPC progressed. The initial version of designing warning messages implemented by UPC and has been based on existing local self-protection plans available in Terrassa and Blanes for floods.
• Exploration of the social vulnerability maps and field visits implemented by UOC in collaboration with municipality social services and civil protection for better inclusive risk communication in case of floods and community engagement considering vulnerable groups.
LSD4 Central Portugal
• The two demonstration areas, Coimbra and Médio Tejo, defined the intervention areas and approach.
• In Coimbra’s demonstrator, 14 municipalities were selected to be intervened – 10 hectares in each municipality. CIM Médio Tejo, with support of MédioTejo21 and IPP, identified the intervention areas for integrated management and village condominiums/urban agglomeration protection areas and initiated the technical site visits. All together, the areas to be intervened represent 160 hectares.
• BLC3 continued to develop and optimise processes for the genetic mapping of forest/shrub species, to correctly identify possible genes that could confer resilience/resistance to global warming. The awareness raising actions were carried out to presented different tree species to convert the areas that have a high risk of rural fire due to the high amount of biomass.
WP4 progressed in establishing the foundations to measure and maximize social impacts of the LSDs through a Transformative Social Innovation Strategy and Social Impact Assessment. The field work started by conducting interviews with multiple partners in the LSDs to capture current structures and ongoing dynamics in terms of climate change adaptation.
WP5 focused a significant number of measures have been placed to ensure effective communication and exchange of information between the partners and these measures brought fruitful outcomes. A strong pass has been set towards influencing policymakers at the EU/national/regional levels in the context of identified collaborations, built connections, and formed high-level advisory board.