Under the slogan “Let’s feel the climate”, the Polish government worked with 44 of the country’s most populous cities to increase their resistance to climate change.
- 08 August 2019
A high level of urbanisation means that climate change will have an impact on the dynamics of urban development and thus on the quality of life of the inhabitants. Therefore, increasing the ability to adapt to the negative effects of climate change and supporting resilience to climate change are one of the most important elements of global and Polish climate policy.
Organised and co-financed by the Polish Ministry of the Environment, the urban adaptation plan project determined vulnerability levels and identified sectors, areas and urban hazards relating to climate change in each city. Next, a consortium of experts identified and defined the most effective measures to be implemented.
The proposed measures include a modernised flood-protection system, more effective water management procedures and the development of information and alarm systems. City inhabitants will benefit from aesthetic changes to their cities through adjustments in urban infrastructure and the construction of vegetated areas to reduce heat. The proposed measures are expected to be realised in all cities by 2030.
Raising awareness on a national level
The project produced and distributed a large amount of educational material, for both adults and children, including films, brochures, training sessions and newsletters. Several conferences and a debate were organised to inform the country’s population and raise awareness of the effects of existing and forecasted threats, such as extreme temperatures, heat waves, heavy rainfalls, storms and urban flooding. The project is expected to initiate similar activities in smaller towns and communes.
Led by the Polish National Research Institute, the consortium included leading companies and institutes from the environment protection, meteorology and ecology sectors. They collaborated to improve the quality of life in each city, increase the level of safety and generate social and economic benefits from the adaptations.
Increasing resilience
Cities are particularly sensitive areas to climate change. Over 60 % of the Polish population – totalling 23.3 million people – lives in cities, making urban areas a priority for adaptation to climate change. This project is the first step in strengthening resistance to a changing climate in Polish cities. It is the first time that a European country simultaneously performed systematic actions on such a scale. Once realised, the project will have a positive effect on close to 30 % of the Polish population.
Total investment and EU funding
Total investment for the project “Developing Plans for Adaptation to Climate Change in Cities With a Population Above 100 000 Inhabitants” is EUR 7 282 455, with the EU’s Cohesion Fund contributing EUR 6 190 087 through the “Infrastructure and Environment Poland” Operational Programme for the 2014-2020 programming period.