SMARTER: an EU project to increase resilience to climate change
In the face of increasing climate risks, SMARTER, a four-year project funded by Horizon Europe, is helping to build climate resilience by working with European cities, regions and communities to develop and implement climate adaptation solutions. Deltares is partner in SMARTER.
Europe is the fastest warming continent in the world, meaning climate risks such as heat stress, drought, wildfires and flooding are becoming more frequent.
The EU Mission on Adaptation to Climate Change recognises these risks, as do local, regional and national adaptation strategies. However, policy knowledge gaps, financial constraints and a lack of consensus have meant the implementation of climate adaptation solutions has been slow. Furthermore, the interdependencies between risks and different sectors are not sufficiently considered to allow adaptation to happen on a systemic scale.
To overcome these challenges, 18 organisations from across Europe are collaborating on the SMARTER project. Leading climate adaptation researchers will work closely with a network of 10 cities and regions to develop nature-based solutions that can support vulnerable people and build climate resilience. For the Netherlands, this involves the coastal region of province of North-Holland and province of Friesland.
As a partner in SMARTER, Deltares will provide a foundation for developing adaptation strategies by setting up a portfolio, spatial adaptation pathways and toolbox of climate adaptation solutions and support tools, whilst also setting up a monitoring approach for climate resilience.
The lessons and insights from the collaborations with local organisations will be brought together as a portfolio of solutions, guidelines and tools that can be replicated across Europe whilst being tailored to local ecological and socio-economic contexts.
