REACHOUT

We are developing climate services in seven European City Hubs

Customer
Location
Duration
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European Commission
Europe
2021-2025

REACHOUT

We are developing climate services in seven European City Hubs

Customer
Location
Duration
Read more
European Commission
Europe
2021-2025

Climate change is already leading to extreme weather events affecting cities worldwide. CAS wants to help and encourage cities to become climate-proof and is therefore working with Deltares and several other European research partners on the big European project REACHOUT. REACHOUT responds to the Horizon 2020 call Developing end-user products and services for all stakeholders and citizens supporting climate adaptation and mitigation. A key requirement of this call is to tackle the last mile of climate service delivery for the most relevant sectors and to deliver solutions towards meeting the decarbonisation and adaptation goals of the European Green Deal. In REACHOUT, we are developing solutions to make urban areas in Europe more climate-proof. We do this together with local governments, businesses, financial institutions, civil society organisations and residents. 

REACHOUT advances climate services in seven City Hubs across Europe: Amsterdam, Athens, Milan, Cork, Gdynia, Lillestrøm and Logroño. To do so, REACHOUT brings together expert organisations in the field of climate adaptation from all over Europe who help the City Hubs take the next step with climate adaptation. How this is done varies from City Hub to City Hub. For example, one City Hub needs risk maps to better understand what impacts of climate change the city is vulnerable to. Another City Hub prefers support in choosing appropriate measures. The project lasts 3,5 years and is funded by the European Commission.  

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Tailored climate services and Toolkit

REACHOUT provides each City Hub with tailored climate services, such as heat maps or a roadmap for adaptation measures. We do this as much as possible by building on existing knowledge, data and tools from other H2020 projects, Copernicus, GEOSS and the European Joint Research Centre (JCR). In almost all City Hubs, the municipality is the main partner. For these municipalities, we tailor climate services as much as possible. At the same time, we try to develop the services in such a way that they can also be used by other parties in the City Hub, such as neighbouring municipalities and civil society organisations. Eventually, all climate services we develop will become available in the REACHOUT toolkit, so that all Europe cities and other interested parties can access these climate services. The toolkit will be distributed to cities affiliated to Resilient City Network and C40 Cities, among others. 

Tailored climate services and Toolkit

REACHOUT provides each City Hub with tailored climate services, such as heat maps or a roadmap for adaptation measures. We do this as much as possible by building on existing knowledge, data and tools from other H2020 projects, Copernicus, GEOSS and the European Joint Research Centre (JCR). In almost all City Hubs, the municipality is the main partner. For these municipalities, we tailor climate services as much as possible. At the same time, we try to develop the services in such a way that they can also be used by other parties in the City Hub, such as neighbouring municipalities and civil society organisations. Eventually, all climate services we develop will become available in the REACHOUT toolkit, so that all Europe cities and other interested parties can access these climate services. The toolkit will be distributed to cities affiliated to Resilient City Network and C40 Cities, among others. 

Climate stories

One of the climate services we develop for each municipality is the climate story. This is an interactive story that brings climate change and adaptation closer to your target audience. We create these climate stories using storytelling. Together with the municipalities, we work out a topic they would like to communicate better about with their target groups. Three climate stories have now been published: a story about heat in the Italian city of Milan, a story about heat in the Spanish city of Logroño and a story about living with water in the Norwegian city of Lillestrøm. In the stories, we also incorporate the results of the other climate services we have developed, for example with attractive visualisations and infographics.

Climate stories

One of the climate services we develop for each municipality is the climate story. This is an interactive story that brings climate change and adaptation closer to your target audience. We create these climate stories using storytelling. Together with the municipalities, we work out a topic they would like to communicate better about with their target groups. Three climate stories have now been published: a story about heat in the Italian city of Milan, a story about heat in the Spanish city of Logroño and a story about living with water in the Norwegian city of Lillestrøm. In the stories, we also incorporate the results of the other climate services we have developed, for example with attractive visualisations and infographics.

City Hub Amsterdam

The City Hub Amsterdam is different from the other City Hubs. In Amsterdam, not the municipality, but pension investment company APG is our main partner. We work with APG to improve climate services for the financial sector. Here, we mainly focus on ways to improve the physical data of climate risk analyses and methods for real estate on a European scale.

How is CAS involved?

CAS plays a key role in REACHOUT. We ensure that end users get the climate services they really need. We do this in an innovative way, including by showing what urban planners, local stakeholders and residents can do using European open climate data. We also lead the climate services work package and work with the cities involved to build their climate story.

And through the PhD research of our colleague Eva Boon, we try to find out how the various REACHOUT stakeholders engaged in a co-production process define the success of the climate service.

Online learning programme

During the project, Resilient Cities Network will organise four times an online learning programme for the seven European City hubs. The first learning programme took place on 8 April 2022. We hosted two sessions: one on climate risk analysis and one on storytelling. During the session on climate risk analysis, we explained what such an analysis can consist of and how cities can carry it out. We also made a first overview with all participants of the possible impacts in their own city. The session on storytelling dealt with the challenge of communicating climate change. We showed how climate stories can help getting the message across.

City Hub Amsterdam

The City Hub Amsterdam is different from the other City Hubs. In Amsterdam, not the municipality, but pension investment company APG is our main partner. We work with APG to improve climate services for the financial sector. Here, we mainly focus on ways to improve the physical data of climate risk analyses and methods for real estate on a European scale.

How is CAS involved?

CAS plays a key role in REACHOUT. We ensure that end users get the climate services they really need. We do this in an innovative way, including by showing what urban planners, local stakeholders and residents can do using European open climate data. We also lead the climate services work package and work with the cities involved to build their climate story.

And through the PhD research of our colleague Eva Boon, we try to find out how the various REACHOUT stakeholders engaged in a co-production process define the success of the climate service.

Online learning programme

During the project, Resilient Cities Network will organise four times an online learning programme for the seven European City hubs. The first learning programme took place on 8 April 2022. We hosted two sessions: one on climate risk analysis and one on storytelling. During the session on climate risk analysis, we explained what such an analysis can consist of and how cities can carry it out. We also made a first overview with all participants of the possible impacts in their own city. The session on storytelling dealt with the challenge of communicating climate change. We showed how climate stories can help getting the message across.

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