Periodic Reporting for period 4 - PLACARD (PLAtform for Climate Adaptation and Risk reDuction)
Reporting period: 2019-12-01 to 2020-05-31
PLACARD started in 2015, the same year of both the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction and the Paris Agreement. This context created a momentum in several policy areas, where the linkages between disaster risk reduction (DRR) and climate change adaptation (CCA) were highlighted and the potential of climate change to increase climate extremes and exacerbating adverse impacts was stressed. Both research communities – DRR and CCA – aim to reduce negative impacts of climate change and disasters on the natural environment, human society and economies by anticipating risks and uncertainties and by addressing vulnerabilities. However, each field does so through different actors and institutions, and with different time horizons, research methodologies, language, policy frameworks and patterns in mind. These differences can lead to suboptimal strategies and duplicated research funding programmes. As climate change is likely to make extreme events more frequent and intense, it becomes paramount to mainstream CCA and DRR into both development practice and planning at the sub-national, national and international levels.
PLACARD’s vision was to become a recognized platform associated with high quality dialogue, knowledge exchange and collaboration between CCA and DRR communities. In a landscape where there is a large and complex variety of stakeholder networks, research, policy initiatives and sources of information and knowledge, PLACARD was a hub for activities to enhance the coherence and give direction to CCA and DRR research, policy and practices, to strengthen cooperation in these domains and counter the ongoing process of fragmentation. The PLACARD concept (Figure 1) followed three key principles:
1. Provide a common ‘space’ where CCA and DRR communities could come together, sharing knowledge and experiences and creating opportunities for collaboration;
2. Facilitate the communication, information and knowledge exchange between both communities especially at the science-policy-practice interface;
3. Support the coordination and coherence of CCA and DRR research, policy and practices.
Figure 1 - PLACARD concept for increasing the coordination between CCA and DRR research, policy and practice.
PLACARD’s vision was to become a recognized platform associated with high quality dialogue, knowledge exchange and collaboration between CCA and DRR communities. In a landscape where there is a large and complex variety of stakeholder networks, research, policy initiatives and sources of information and knowledge, PLACARD was a hub for activities to enhance the coherence and give direction to CCA and DRR research, policy and practices, to strengthen cooperation in these domains and counter the ongoing process of fragmentation. The PLACARD concept (Figure 1) followed three key principles:
1. Provide a common ‘space’ where CCA and DRR communities could come together, sharing knowledge and experiences and creating opportunities for collaboration;
2. Facilitate the communication, information and knowledge exchange between both communities especially at the science-policy-practice interface;
3. Support the coordination and coherence of CCA and DRR research, policy and practices.
Figure 1 - PLACARD concept for increasing the coordination between CCA and DRR research, policy and practice.
PLACARD (co-)organized 48 dialogues (i.e. conferences, workshops, webinars, sessions), many of them in collaboration with other projects, institutions and initiatives. This includes the organisation of the 4th European Climate Change Adaptation conference on May 2019 (ECCA2019 - https://www.ecca2019.eu/). The findings of these dialogues between different stakeholders were used as input to a set of project deliverables and recommendations to research programmes (e.g. Horizon 2020, Horizon Europe), EU initiatives (e.g. C3S, ERA4CS, EU Green Deal), International initiatives (IPCC), policies (EU Adaptation Strategy, Union Civil Protection Mechanism) and online platforms (Climate-ADAPT).
A set of key reports were elaborated to better distil findings and convey the information and knowledge collected in these dialogues: 1) “Economics and finance of CCA and DRR” identifies the gaps and possible solutions on the economics and finance of CCA and DRR (https://www.placard-network.eu/wp-content/PDFs/PLACARD-Economics-and-finance-of-CCA-DRR.pdf); 2) “Bonding CCA and DRR” provides insights through showcasing innovative activities that target cooperation, collaboration, improved communication, increased coherences, and capacity-sharing between both communities (https://www.placard-network.eu/wp-content/PDFs/PLACARD-Insitutional-strengthening-May2020.pdf); 3) “PLACARD Summary of evolving issues in CCA and DRR: 2015-2020” identifies eight topics relevant for both communities with a set of research questions that can further support collaboration (https://www.placard-network.eu/wp-content/PDFs/Evolving-issues-brief-2015-2020.pdf); 4) The “Foresight promotion report for policy & decision-makers” promotes foresight and its potential applications in DRR and CCA (https://www.placard-network.eu/wp-content/PDFs/Foresight-report-2018.pdf).
Considering the amount of growing information and knowledge relevant for CCA and DRR, the project has paid close attention to information and knowledge management (IKM). Here the “Transforming knowledge management for climate action” provides a roadmap to facilitate the uptake and use of knowledge about CCA and DRR (https://www.placard-network.eu/wp-content/PDFs/PLACARD-Transforming-knowledge-for-climate-action-2020.pdf). The project has also created an innovative search and discovery tool “PLACARD Connectivity Hub”, which allows users to search multiple online knowledge platforms in the same place (http://connectivity-hub.placard-network.eu/).
A set of key reports were elaborated to better distil findings and convey the information and knowledge collected in these dialogues: 1) “Economics and finance of CCA and DRR” identifies the gaps and possible solutions on the economics and finance of CCA and DRR (https://www.placard-network.eu/wp-content/PDFs/PLACARD-Economics-and-finance-of-CCA-DRR.pdf); 2) “Bonding CCA and DRR” provides insights through showcasing innovative activities that target cooperation, collaboration, improved communication, increased coherences, and capacity-sharing between both communities (https://www.placard-network.eu/wp-content/PDFs/PLACARD-Insitutional-strengthening-May2020.pdf); 3) “PLACARD Summary of evolving issues in CCA and DRR: 2015-2020” identifies eight topics relevant for both communities with a set of research questions that can further support collaboration (https://www.placard-network.eu/wp-content/PDFs/Evolving-issues-brief-2015-2020.pdf); 4) The “Foresight promotion report for policy & decision-makers” promotes foresight and its potential applications in DRR and CCA (https://www.placard-network.eu/wp-content/PDFs/Foresight-report-2018.pdf).
Considering the amount of growing information and knowledge relevant for CCA and DRR, the project has paid close attention to information and knowledge management (IKM). Here the “Transforming knowledge management for climate action” provides a roadmap to facilitate the uptake and use of knowledge about CCA and DRR (https://www.placard-network.eu/wp-content/PDFs/PLACARD-Transforming-knowledge-for-climate-action-2020.pdf). The project has also created an innovative search and discovery tool “PLACARD Connectivity Hub”, which allows users to search multiple online knowledge platforms in the same place (http://connectivity-hub.placard-network.eu/).
PLACARD has significantly contributed to increase the awareness of the need and the advantages it brings to harmonize CCA and DRR. The initial stocktaking work done among key CCA and DRR actors showed two distinct clusters of communication and collaboration, indicating limitations on how the two communities still work together (see Karali et al. 2020 - https://doi.org/10.3390/su12031275). The different reports identify some of the problems and provide possible solutions and recommendations for different type of stakeholders. While specific contexts require appropriate solutions, general recommendations were found to further increase knowledge sharing and collaboration between CCA and DRR: 1) improve communication and harmonize language, 2) connect actors and look forward and 3) build structures for cooperation. Further details can be found in PLACARD Manifesto (https://www.placard-network.eu/wp-content/PDFs/PLACARD-manifesto-May2020.pdf) and in Mysiak et al. (2018) (https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-18-3137-2018).
Several topics have been identified where opportunities exist to further increase the collaboration of CCA and DRR (https://www.placard-network.eu/evolving-issues-brief-2015-2020/). One such topic to which the project contributed was the development of climate services (CS) for DRR. In collaboration with two European initiatives, C3S and ERA4CS, it was identified key challenges for the use of CS by the DRR communities and the existing opportunities to develop CS that support DRR (see Street et al., 2019 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijdrr.2018.12.001).
The main event organised during the project was ECCA2019. This was the first major conference with a strong focus on the importance of interaction between the CCA and DRR communities, promoting dialogue and inspiring collaborative action between different. The conference provided a key opportunity to consult these stakeholders and identify the most relevant areas that require further work. The findings were used to inform Horizon Europe (see https://www.ecca2019.eu/wp-content/docs/ECCA2019-conference-briefing.pdf).
The launch of PLACARD Connectivity Hub has significantly contributed to enhance the knowledge exchange between online portals and platforms, such as PreventionWeb, Climate-ADAPT and weADAPT. Consequently, this will greatly facilitate the reach of these platforms to other types of actors contributing to break out existing silos in CCA and DRR communities.
PLACARD has elaborated a set of concrete recommendations on how narratives can be appropriately used to increase the collaboration of the two communities and create action (https://www.placard-network.eu/wp-content/PDFs/PLACARD-narratives-recipe-book.pdf).
Several topics have been identified where opportunities exist to further increase the collaboration of CCA and DRR (https://www.placard-network.eu/evolving-issues-brief-2015-2020/). One such topic to which the project contributed was the development of climate services (CS) for DRR. In collaboration with two European initiatives, C3S and ERA4CS, it was identified key challenges for the use of CS by the DRR communities and the existing opportunities to develop CS that support DRR (see Street et al., 2019 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijdrr.2018.12.001).
The main event organised during the project was ECCA2019. This was the first major conference with a strong focus on the importance of interaction between the CCA and DRR communities, promoting dialogue and inspiring collaborative action between different. The conference provided a key opportunity to consult these stakeholders and identify the most relevant areas that require further work. The findings were used to inform Horizon Europe (see https://www.ecca2019.eu/wp-content/docs/ECCA2019-conference-briefing.pdf).
The launch of PLACARD Connectivity Hub has significantly contributed to enhance the knowledge exchange between online portals and platforms, such as PreventionWeb, Climate-ADAPT and weADAPT. Consequently, this will greatly facilitate the reach of these platforms to other types of actors contributing to break out existing silos in CCA and DRR communities.
PLACARD has elaborated a set of concrete recommendations on how narratives can be appropriately used to increase the collaboration of the two communities and create action (https://www.placard-network.eu/wp-content/PDFs/PLACARD-narratives-recipe-book.pdf).