Adaptation AGORA at MedCLIVAR-SISC Conference 2024
The 7th MedCLIVAR and the 12th SISC Annual Conference took place from 24 to 27 September 2024 at the University of Salento, Lecce, Italy. The joint MedCLIVAR-SISC Conference 2024 was co-organized by the University of Salento, SISC and the Euro-Mediterranean Centre on Climate Change (CMCC).
MedCLIVAR-SISC 2024 offered a comprehensive view of the Mediterranean climate’s past, present, and future. It examines the atmosphere, ocean, and land to understand how the climate has changed over time and how it might evolve in the years to come. Adaptation AGORA partners shared 2 posters and 5 presentations during the conference focussing on different topics and aspects of the project.
Read an overview of the events below:
Good practice community and citizen engagement for accelerating a climate resilient future in Europe and beyond
Presentation: Rosie Witton, Stockholm Environment Institute, Oxford (United Kingdom)
Author(s): Rosie Witton, Sukaina Bharwani
As part of the Adaptation Strategies sessions, the Agora Community Hub was highlighted as a tool for engaging citizens and stakeholder with ongoing climate adaptation projects, people, and networks within Europe. The presentation focused on how the platform was co-designed, highlighting key workshops and outcomes discussed in the Adaptation AGORA output on conducting an in-person Agora, and discussing how important it is to build and connect with other climate adaptation platforms. Following this presentation, the Adaptation AGORA team are looking to connect with climate adaptation platforms to learn and share knowledge on engagement methods and hosted a webinar on connecting knowledge to policy and practice on the 3rd October.
Scientia est potentia: exploring citizen’s knowledge on climate change adaptation strategies during drought extreme events. The Spanish Case
Presentation: Lucia Moreno, Ibercivis Foundation, Zaragoza (Spain)
Author(s): Marina Mattera, Madeline Baldelli, Lucia Moreno, Judith Bielsa, Paola Mercogliano, Alfredo Reder, Marianna Adinolfi, Arianna Acierno, Xiomara Ferrer
Between 2022-2023 the northeastern community of Catalonia in Spain has suffered continuous severe droughts and at the beginning of 2024 the local government declared state of emergency and begun implementing climate change policies and adaptation strategies. However, it is not clear whether citizens living in this region are fully aware of the climate-related risks they are exposed to, together with the existing elements that decision-makers have designed to adequately adapt. To gain a better understanding on this issue, a survey was conducted in Spain targeting residents of the Catalonia region during April-May 2024 while strict measures were implemented. The presentation, in addition to the socio-political analysis, showed the results obtained and the conclusions drawn.
Tea for the Climate: Analysing elderly’s perception on climate change risks
Poster: Lucia Moreno and Judith Bielsa, Ibercivis Foundation, Zaragoza (Spain)
Author(s): Marina Mattera, Madeline Baldelli, Lucia Moreno, Judith Bielsa, Paola Mercogliano, Alfredo Reder, Marianna Adinolfi, Arianna Acierno
To better understand elderly’s perspective, willingness to engage and pre-existing knowledge on climate change risks impact and related issues, the EU Horizon Adaptation AGORA project conducted a survey with senior citizens in Italy and Spain, followed by a workshop to understand better which could be the best methodologies and tools to engage and help them participate. During the poster session, the infographic was shown and explained, gaining better understanding about how senior citizens could be involved in co-design and co-adaptation strategies.
The AGORA Digital Academy to promote the usage of climate data and information supporting adaptation
Presentation: Marianna Adinolfi, CMCC Foundation, Lecce (Italy)
Author(s): Marianna Adinolfi, Alfredo Reder, Paola Mercogliano, Madeline Baldelli, Marina Mattera, Arianna Acierno, Marta Ellena, Andreas Hoy, Massimo Milelli, Riccardo Biondi, Nicola Loglisci
The presentation held during the conference highlighted how the Adaptation AGORA project aims to support Mediterranean communities and regions in adapting to climate change by actively engaging citizens, civil society organizations, experts, academics, policymakers, entrepreneurs, vulnerable groups, and other relevant stakeholders. The presentation also focuses on the main goal of the project that is to accelerate societal transformation by sharing citizen-led and innovative climate adaptation solutions, acknowledging that there is no one-size-fits-all approach. The talk also featured the Adaptation AGORA digital tools and mainly the “Digital Academy” as a tool for accessing climate data and monitoring risks. The talks presented the pillars of the Digital academy as mapping existing climate data and creating inventories to facilitate access and sharing of information, the eight modules, developed through an open-source learning management system, that provide an overview of climate change, models, tools, risk assessment, governance, and opportunities for empowering citizens and policymakers. Additionally, the Academy includes a “citizen science” section, encouraging active citizen participation to make it a dynamic platform enriched by user contributions.
The role of citizens in collecting weather data, the examples of I-CHANGE and AGORA Projects
Poster: Nicola Loglisci, Cima Foundation, Savona (Italy)
Author(s): Massimo Milelli, Riccardo Biondi, Nicola Loglisci, Antonio Parodi, Marianna Adinolfi, Paola Mercogliano
During the afternoon of the last day of the SISC conference, a poster was presented to highlight the potential of citizen science activities conducted in the AGORA project, as well as the advantages of sharing methodologies and data with other citizen science-oriented projects, such as I-CHANGE.
Citizen science is an effective approach to enhancing our understanding of urban climates and potential climate change hazards. By involving citizens in scientific research and data collection, communities can contribute valuable information, deepening our knowledge of urban climate dynamics.
Following the presentation of the poster, the AGORA team had the opportunity to connect with other citizen science projects to exchange knowledge and methods for public engagement.
Policy Gap Analysis for Climate Adaptation Strategies
Presentation: Dmitry EROKHIN, International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis, Laxenburg (Austria)
Author(s): Dmitry Erokhin, Nadejda Komendantova
To better understand challenges and opportunities in climate change adaptation, the Adaptation AGORA project conducted a comprehensive policy gap analysis across Europe, with a focus on Spain, Germany, and the EU level. This analysis aimed to identify critical shortcomings in the participatory elements of climate adaptation policies, particularly concerning inclusivity, stakeholder engagement, and transparency. The analysis highlighted several gap clusters, including accessibility of information, representation of vulnerable communities, financial accountability, and long-term engagement mechanisms. These clusters underscore the need for more inclusive, transparent, and resilient climate adaptation strategies.
After a productive and engaging event in 2024, Adaptation AGORA partners are looking forward to the next SISC conference which will be held in Salerno, between September 21st to 26th 2025.
To know more about the event, visit the website: https://www.medclivarconf.eu/index.php/index.php
