Enabling consistent science-based climate risk assessment for European regions - CLIMAAX

Climate change is increasing the frequency and intensity of natural hazards leading to long-lasting heatwaves, severe flooding, devastating wildfires, and prolonged droughts. At the same time, many regions and communities in Europe lack the necessary resources and tools to effectively cope with and manage climate risk.

The Horizon Europe project CLIMAAX supports the Mission on Climate Adaptation in enhancing climate resilience for European regions. The project provides financial, analytical, and practical support to 67 European regions to conduct their regional climate risk assessment (CRA) using the CLIMAAX CRA framework and toolbox (CLIMAAX CRA Handbook). The CLIMAAX methodological framework provides a step-by-step guide for harmonized regional CRAs. It is designed to enhance coherent practical CRA implementation based on the latest scientific developments without too many layers of complexity. The online open source Jupyter based CRA toolbox includes data, projections and risk assessment workflows for a variety of climate hazards. Together the framework and handbook support the compilation of regional CRAs.

Part of the project is a cascading fund of about 12 Million Euro. This is used to finance the 67 carefully selected European regions that conduct their own CRA building upon CLIMAAX tools and guidance. By now, the regions have completed two CRA reports. The first based on the EU / global scale datasets that are directly available from the CLIMAAX Handbook. This CRA provides a first risk scan and a scientific benchmark for local findings. However, for some hazards the datasets proofed to be too coarse. For the second CRA report local and higher resolution data is integrated in the assessment. A key-risk assessment dashboard is developed to help regions prioritize risks in consultation workshops with local stakeholders. The focus of the final phase of the CRA projects is on identifying adaptation options.

The level of experience with CRA varies between European regions. From the outcomes so far we see that EU regions are highly capable of implementing their own CRA, where needed with technical support from consortium partners and local research institutes or consultants. The fact that the regions are responsible for their own CRA and its underlying implementation plan results in high quality CRA reports that already start to trigger local climate risk management and adaptation planning.