Adapt today to secure tomorrow.
Why is climate adaptation important?
Extreme weather events such as heat waves, hailstorms, storms, forest fires, and floods are already making climate change noticeable in Austria. To ensure that our living spaces, communities, and infrastructure remain safe and livable in the future, we must actively adapt to changing climate conditions. This requires in-depth knowledge of risks and effective solutions.
National implementation of Mission CLIMATE
Austrias' Action Plan for Mission CLIMATE
The EU Mission on Adaptation to Climate Change supports more than 150 European regions and municipalities in becoming resilient to climate change by 2030. Recent years have shown that the Alpine region, and thus Austria, is particularly affected by the effects of climate change. It is therefore urgently necessary to implement effective adaptation measures in order to avoid adverse effects on society, the economy, and the environment, to maintain quality of life, to take advantage of opportunities that arise, and to promote the strengthening of natural, social, and economic adaptation capacity.
For the national implementation of the EU mission “Adaptation to Climate Change,” the Austrian Mission Action Group has drawn up an action plan that outlines the following impact pathways for achieving this mission:
- Impact pathway - Networking and coordination
- Impact pathway - Research
- Impact pathway - Implementation
Austria's goals for the CLIMATE mission
Within the framework of the three impact pathways, the Austrian Mission Action Group has defined the following goals/priorities for Austria:
- Creating and connecting climate-resilient regions: All municipalities in Austria should take measures to adapt to climate change, supported by a central competence center for climate change adaptation.
- Ensuring adaptation and avoiding maladaptation: Climate adaptation measures must be based on reliable risk assessments in order to avoid maladaptation and better understand regional risks.
- Strengthening nature-based solutions: Knowledge about nature-based measures and their effectiveness should be deepened and put into practice in order to mitigate climate impacts and create additional benefits for the environment and society.
More information about Mission CLIMATE can be found on the FFG website: https://www.ffg.at/europa/heu/missions/nationale-umsetzung/klima
How can citizen science contribute to Mission CLIMATE?
Citizen scientists can observe and report on forest fires, weather phenomena and their effects, and vegetation developments. Together with citizens, science and politics can better understand where risks arise, how severely different regions are affected, and which measures are most effective in minimizing these risks. Citizen science thus combines citizen engagement with research to develop tailored solutions at the local level.
How can You be part of this mission?
The following projects contribute to the goals of Mission CLIMATE:
Did You Know?
- Green roofs act like large sponges: on average, they absorb around three quarters (~75%) of rainwater. This reduces the burden on the sewer system and helps prevent flooding. (More information here)
- Green infrastructure in cities (e.g., trees or parks) can cool European cities by an average of 1.07 °C, and by as much as 2.9 °C at peak times. This requires at least 16% tree cover. (More information here)
- In cities around the world, extreme “urban heat islands” are on average more than twice as strong as the average effect in the warm season; locally, they can reach up to 10 °C. (More information here)
- Due to increased heat and longer droughts, Austria is now much more susceptible to forest fires than in the past. (More information here)