Climate Adaptation Labs
SMARTER is working closely with local communities and municipalities to co-design and tailor climate adaptation solutions to different social, economic and ecological needs.
The climate crisis is global, but different communities face their own distinct climate and socio-economic challenges. To ensure our solutions for systemic adaptation consider these local challenges, we’ve set up the SMARTER Climate Adaptation Labs - a network of 10 European regions and cities.
Where we work
Tampere, Finland
Tampere is the third largest city in Finland, with a population of nearly 260,000 residents. Located in the south of the country, the city is facing increasing drought and heat stress, as well as urban flooding. These climate risks are increasingly impacting residents’ health, particularly in vulnerable population groups.
The Tampere Climate Adaptation Lab is implementing nature-based solutions to tackle heat stress at a daycare centre and the surrounding area. By improving urban biodiversity and providing multi-use areas for social activities, the Lab will help vulnerable population groups adapt to a changing climate.
Kuopio, Finland
Kuopio, a city in the Finnish Lakeland, faces similar climate challenges. By collaborating with Tampere in the planning process of their Climate Adaptation Lab, Kuopio will assess the potential to replicate solutions for a climate adapted daycare centre in their city.
Fryslân, Netherlands
The coastal province of Fryslân in the north of the Netherlands. The region is facing increasing extreme weather, making it more susceptible to flooding, drought and sea level rise. To address these challenges, the Climate Adaptation Lab will explore solutions to water safety and fresh water availability, particularly in the context of conflicting socio-economic interests from proposed extensions to ports.
North Holland, Netherlands
North Holland neighbours the province of Fryslân, separated only by the Waddensea UNESCO World Heritage Site, the largest unbroken system of intertidal sand and mud flats in the world. The province is home to the Dutch capital Amsterdam and, like Fryslân, also has a rural coastline. By collaborating with Fryslan, the Lab will integrate local and short-term needs with national and international legislation to implement long-term adaptation strategies.
Ostende, Belgium
With over 70,000 residents, Ostende is the largest city on the Belgian coast. Due to a large tourism industry, however, this figure inflates 2-3 times during the summer months as tourists flock to the city. The main challenges facing the city are flooding, sea level rise and droughts. The Ostende Climate Adaptation Lab will use nature-based solutions to develop urban green spaces that address these challenges and reduce the health impacts of climate change on its ageing population.
Flanders, Belgium
Flanders is a region in northern Belgium. It is a highly urbanised region and has a diverse economy based around the industry, transport and services sectors. The Flanders Climate Adaptation Lab will work closely with Ostende, to upscale solutions on a regional level and link them to policy on land use planning, mobility and water.
Lisbon Metropolitan Area, Portugal
The Lisbon Metropolitan Area is made up of 18 municipalities, including Portugal’s capital Lisbon. Due to dense urbanisation and its proximity to the Atlantic coast, as well as the Tagus and Sado estuaries, the area is becoming increasingly vulnerable to flash floods, heat waves, coastal erosion and sea level rise. While some of the municipalities have implemented nature-based solutions to adapt to climate change, waterfront areas, some of the most densely populated parts of the region, are facing greater pressures from economic activity and urban development, which complicate climate adaptation solutions. To overcome these challenges, the Lisbon Climate Adaptation Lab will focus on retreat strategies and greening strategies in urban waterfronts.
Gdansk, Poland
Gdansk is Poland’s maritime capital and one of the largest ports on the Baltic coast. The city is increasingly at risk from torrential rain, flash flooding and sea level rise, which not only impacts citizens, but also has knock-on effects on key economic sectors. The Gdansk Climate Adaptation Lab will enhance rainwater management and flood safety through nature-based solutions, such as rain gardens, and through improved water retention reservoirs.
Western Greece, Greece
The region of Western Greece is home to Patras, the country’s third largest city, and has nearly 650,000 inhabitants. The region has a diverse economy which includes the transport, agriculture and tourism sectors, however it is increasingly under threat from coastal erosion, as well as heat and water stress. To tackle these challenges, the region is participating in a pilot study to understand climate change scenarios and projections and to implement nature-based solutions to increase climate resilience.