Empowering climate adaptation through modular learning: The Adaptation AGORA digital academy

The Adaptation AGORA project supports the EU Mission on Adaptation to Climate Change by promoting innovative methods, best practices, and participatory education to strengthen regional and community action. A central element of the project is the Agora Community Hub, a collaborative online platform that hosts the Adaptation AGORA Digital Academy – a structured educational resource designed to boost climate literacy and engagement.

The Digital Academy offers a series of interactive modules that help citizens and stakeholders access, understand, and use open-source climate data and tools to respond to adaptation challenges and combat misinformation. It integrates a wide range of international and national web-based climate data, risk and adaptation tools and platforms with tailored learning materials and guidelines to support users across different levels of climate knowledge.

The Academy is built around nine thematic modules that guide users through the fundamentals and complexities of climate adaptation:

• What is Climate? – Understanding climate basics and variability.
• How Can Climate Models Benefit You? – Exploring model types, uses, and limitations.
• How to Use and Visualize Climate Data? – Learning to navigate and exploit data sources, tools and platforms.
• Climate Threats and Hazards – Identifying physical impacts and environmental risks.
• Climate Risks – Linking hazards with vulnerability and exposure.
• Adaptation & Governance – Exploring policy, planning, and institutional responses.
• Investigate Options and Take Action! – Supporting decision-making for local adaptation.
• Food and Climate Change – Understanding climate impacts on food systems.
• New Frontiers – Introducing emerging tools and innovation in climate adaptation.

Each module is tailored to varying levels of expertise – base, intermediate and advanced – ensuring inclusive learning. Users are guided not only on how to access data, but how to critically assess, interpret, and apply it to real-world problems. The Digital Academy is co-developed through ongoing engagement at key events like ECCA 2023, the SISC Conference 2023, and targeted stakeholder and student workshops. These co-creation processes ensure the Academy reflects the needs of practitioners, researchers, educators, and the public. This dynamic learning environment enhances scientific inquiry, promotes critical thinking, and invites data providers, educators, and policymakers to collaborate. Ultimately, the Academy fosters trust, deepens understanding, and empowers communities across Europe to take informed action toward climate resilience.