User driven climate applications empowering regional resilience

Project Information

ClimEmpower

Grant agreement ID: 101112728

DOI

10.3030/101112728

EC signature date 26 May 2023

Start date 1 September 2023

End date 31 August 2026

Funded under

• Climate, Energy and Mobility

Total cost

€ 3 072 468,89

EU contribution

€ 2 997 468,50

Coordinated by

AIT AUSTRIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY GMBH
Austria

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - ClimEmpower (User driven climate applications empowering regional resilience)

Reporting period: 2023-09-01 to 2025-02-28

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

ClimEmpower is part of Europe’s broader effort to adapt to climate change and create a sustainable future. It focuses on five Southern European regions at high risk from climate change: Costa del Sol (Spain), Central Greece, the Troodos Mountains (Cyprus), Osijek-Baranja County (Croatia), and Sicily (Italy). These regions already face serious challenges like water shortages, wildfires, and unsustainable farming, which will be worsened by climate change.

The goal is to help these regions become more resilient—better prepared for and able to recover from climate impacts. The project does this by:

- Identifying gaps in climate data and services

- Bringing together local experts, governments, businesses, and community groups

- Creating practical online tools and educational materials

- Tailoring solutions to each region’s needs

A key part of the project is building Communities of Practice—local networks that collaborate to understand climate risks and develop solutions. These groups meet regularly to share knowledge and ensure the project addresses real-life needs.

To assess risks, ClimEmpower conducted detailed evaluations of how climate change affects areas like farming, health, water, and nature. The project also provides high-quality data and resources to help regional stakeholders learn about climate change and take action.

By highlighting social issues, like migration caused by climate impacts, ClimEmpower ensures human needs are part of the solution. Ultimately, the project aims to empower people with the tools and knowledge to act, with lessons from these regions helping others in Europe facing similar challenges.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

The first phase of the project focused on identifying regional challenges and needs by working closely with local communities, organizations, and experts to gather insights on climate resilience barriers and potential solutions.

To strengthen the knowledge base, the project reviewed available climate and socio-economic data, identified gaps, and proposed practical indicators for assessing vulnerability and adaptability. The team also explored ways to make existing data more accessible and useful.

While tools and services are still in early development, the project has created a conceptual system design, visual mockups, and early prototypes. These steps lay the foundation for digital tools that will help communities access climate information and make informed decisions.

ClimEmpower has also adapted educational resources to raise awareness about local climate risks and responses specific to each region.

Climate risk assessments were carried out in each region, focusing on issues like heatwaves, droughts, and flooding, and their impact on agriculture, water, health, and nature. A new framework was introduced to assess both risks and adaptation capacity, comparing regional strengths and weaknesses in areas like adaptability, social equity, and environmental resilience. These insights will guide future actions and support effective climate planning.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

While still in its early stages, ClimEmpower is already taking a fresh and practical approach to helping regions adapt to climate change. Unlike many past efforts that focused mainly on national or broad European levels, this project works directly with local communities to understand their specific needs, challenges, and strengths. This makes its approach much more tailored and grounded in real-world conditions.

The project is also going beyond existing practices by combining social, environmental, and economic data to get a fuller picture of climate resilience. By developing a new framework that looks not only at climate risks—like heatwaves or floods—but also at how well a community can respond and adapt, ClimEmpower is helping regions plan smarter and more effectively.

Although full tools and services are still in development, the project has already outlined a flexible system design, created visual mockups, and started prototyping simple applications. As part of its technical innovations, ClimEmpower is developing a software library that makes it easier for developers to combine data from Copernicus services with local data sources in a coherent and efficient way. This will simplify the creation of future climate action applications and services.

Another forward-looking aspect of ClimEmpower is its strong focus on education and accessibility. By curating region-specific learning resources and identifying ways to make climate data more usable for non-experts, the project is helping build long-term capacity within communities—not just delivering technical results.

Finally, by identifying specific gaps—such as the lack of detailed local data or tailored climate services—ClimEmpower is setting the stage for smarter, more targeted innovation that meets real needs on the ground.

Overview of gaps, needs and expectations: Trodos, Cyprus

Climempower application architecture

Overview of gaps, needs and expectations: Central Greece

Needs and expectations of the Sicily region

Needs and expectations of the Central Greece region

Climempower application concept

Needs and expectations of the Osijek Baranja (Croatia) region

Needs and expectations of the Costa del Sol (Andalusia, Spain) region

ClimEmpower regional resilience assessment diagram

ClimEmpower regional resilience assessment table.

Overview of gaps, needs and expectations: Osijek-Baranja region

Needs and expectations of the Trodos (Cyprus) region

Overview of gaps, needs and expectations: Sicily

Overview of gaps, needs and expectations: Andalusia