From Climate Data to Actionable Risk Information: A Co-Developed Framework for Local Climate Resilience

Decision-makers across Europe are increasingly challenged by the escalating impacts of climate change, including extreme weather events. Addressing these challenges requires interdisciplinary and actionable approaches to translate climate science into decision-relevant information, especially at local and regional level. Within the EU Horizon project RESIST, we present a multi-regional climate risk assessment co-developed with stakeholders in three diverse European regions—Finland, Portugal, and Ukraine.

The assessment process began with a structured needs analysis through workshops and interviews with regional authorities to identify sector-specific vulnerabilities. Using an extensive climate database, we evaluated key hazards such as temperature extremes, heavy precipitation, droughts, and floods, including projected changes under different IPCC scenarios. Building on these insights, we applied an established conceptual and methodological framework to conduct integrated climate risk assessments.

A key strength of this approach is the combination of quantitative and qualitative data, geospatial analyses, and expert knowledge to produce location-specific risk profiles addressing local priorities. This stakeholder-driven process also enabled the inclusion of cascading effects and sectoral impact analyses across infrastructure, agriculture, and ecosystems, capturing dynamically varying vulnerabilities.

The outcomes identify climate risks most relevant for local actors and inform the development of context-appropriate adaptation measures using available resources. Furthermore, the approach supports cross-regional knowledge transfer by highlighting analogous risks and scalable solutions—for example, adapting heat risk strategies developed in Portugal for other heat-exposed regions.

Finally, the assessment results are designed for integration into regional digital twins, providing a foundation for multi-domain planning, from early warning enhancements to financial risk management. This interdisciplinary effort demonstrates how co-produced climate risk information can bridge the gap between physical climate science and policy needs, advancing Europe’s collective resilience to climate change.