From climate data to municipal decisions: a GIS-based decision support system for prioritising urban adaptation measures

Municipalities face increasing challenges in adapting to climate change while operating under limited financial and human resources. Climate impacts such as heat stress, pluvial flooding or low water levels affect multiple urban sectors simultaneously and interact with existing planning goals, responsibilities and socio-economic priorities. This complexity creates a strong need for integrated, transparent and comparable information that can support evidence-based prioritisation of adaptation measures across departments and policy fields.

Within the research project R2K-Klim+, the web-based, GIS-supported decision support system KLAUS (KLimaAnpassung Urbaner Systeme) has been developed and implemented in close cooperation with Duisburg in Germany. KLAUS is integrated into the municipal geodata infrastructure and bundles decision-relevant information in a  map-based environment. It combines spatial assessments of climate signals with an evaluation of vulnerabilities and potential effects of adaptation measures, making heterogeneous information accessible in a way easier to understand.

A core component of KLAUS is a dedicated assessment methodology that translates climate impacts such as heat and flooding into transparent and comparable indicators. These indicators reflect both physical exposure and social vulnerability, enabling the identification of areas where negative climate effects accumulate and where adaptation measures can generate the greatest benefit. The system is designed as a cross-sectoral tool that supports transdisciplinary use by different municipal actors from urban planning, water management, environmental protection and public health.

The presentation demonstrates the practical application of KLAUS using screenshots from the web service and concrete municipal use cases from Duisburg. Examples include the identification of suitable locations for new drinking water wells considering climate impacts and vulnerable population groups, the spatial identification of deficit areas as a basis for targeted funding measures, and the use of pluvial flood simulations to support settlement drainage planning. These use cases illustrate how scientific assessments can be translated into actionable knowledge for day-to-day municipal decision-making.

The contribution focuses on two questions that are highly relevant for many cities: Where do climate impacts spatially accumulate, and how can they be represented in a way that is understandable and comparable across sectors? How can limited resources be allocated to measures that promise the highest overall benefit? In addition, the presentation discusses key conditions for successful implementation in municipal practice, including compatibility with existing workflows, comprehensibility of visualisations and transparency of the underlying evaluation.

The KLAUS prototype is publicly accessible and currently populated with data for the City of Duisburg. Its modular structure allows transferability and further development for other municipalities and application contexts, contributing to the science–policy–practice interface in climate change adaptation.