LIFE Nadapta. Integrated strategy for climate change adaptation in Navarre
Description of the case study
In 2015, the Government of Navarre committed to preparing a Climate Change Routemap for Navarre (KLINA) which address the international objectives in the EU strategy and in the Paris Agreement (COP21) and favours a transition to a low-carbon economy. Following development of this routemap, Navarre began its implementation through the Life NAdapta project.
This is the first LIFE Europe project to implement a regional-scale adaptation strategy and the results will therefore serve demonstration purposes for other regions.
The confluence in Navarre of different biogeographic regions (Alpine-Pyrenean, Atlantic and Mediterranean) and climates (oceanic, continental) makes this area a good laboratory for designing and testing different climate change adaptation measures.
One of the main challenges facing the project is the development of Integrated Projects (IPs) for implementing regional environmental or climate plans/strategies which roll out these policies in other areas. The IPs must also ensure stakeholder participation and promote coordination.
The main objective of the Life NAdapta project is to increase resilience against climate change in Navarre by supporting the implementation of all the actions in the KLINA climate change routemap. This will be achieved by means of 53 measures across six strategic areas:
- water: demand management and implementation of a floods and droughts action plan.
- forests: define new forest growth models in zones which are most vulnerable to climate change so as to conserve their ecological value and improve forest productivity.
- agriculture: implementation of innovative techniques for soil adaptation to climate change, irrigation water usage and pastures which are managed in such a way as to ensure quality in agriculture and animal health.
- health: define new adaptation measures linked to climate-related disease (e.g. measures which address increasingly more frequent and intense extreme heat waves or which prevent the establishment of invasive vectors which transmit emerging viral diseases, such as the Asian tiger mosquito.
- infrastructure and land use planning: define urban and housing adaptation measures in line with achieving a new urban and rural energy model built upon energy efficiency and climate change adaptation.
- monitoring: definition of climate change indicators for establishing control and warning systems which facilitate rapid decision-making.
The project prioritises climate change mitigation and specifies 53 adaptation actions across 6 areas:
- climate change monitoring: definition of climate change indicators relative to water, forestry, agriculture and the human environment which feed into control and warning systems (System of Territorial Development Indicators, SIOTN) to enable rapid decision-making.
- training for the local stakeholders responsible for disseminating and implementing the Sustainable Development Goals, making use of the Nels network of local sustainability entities in Navarre.
- water: development of new early warning systems for flooding and other environmental emergencies, preparation of green infrastructure projects for restoring and regenerating fluvial areas in the form of flood control channels or basins, new modelling tools and water demand management plans.
- forests: assessment of vulnerable forest zones and preparation of management plans, selection of forest reproductive material which is adapted to future changes, development of new analysis and planning tools for forest management which is adapted to climate change and its various scenarios.
- agriculture: development of optimisation plans and management strategies for adapting agriculture to the climate using organic material, rotation and land management, adaptive management to the correct use of water in irrigation, roll-out of rapid warning systems for infestations and emerging diseases in plants and animals, development of correct management of pastures and silvopastoralism to tackle forest fires.
- health: development of new epidemic/health surveillance systems to detect climate change impacts in the general population, including workplace impact; development of new tools for surveillance, for assessing health impacts and for improving air quality; development of new rapid warning systems for detecting and controlling invasive vectors which could affect human health; development of new surveillance systems for changes in pollination periods and pollen composition and the corresponding human impact.
- infrastructure and land use planning: new measures for managing and adapting the built environment to climate change; analysis of the vulnerability of critical infrastructure which is threatened by climate change; pilot projects in the urban and rural environment including housing, public amenities and areas of economic activity; adaptive landscape management.
- communication: launch of AGORA KLINA as a participation forum for entities and people interested in staying informed about climate change developments in Navarre, staying up to date on its effects and getting involved with the roll-out of initiatives.
Case study developed and implemented as a climate change adaptation measure.
The Government of Navarre (Department of Rural Development, Environment and Local Government; Department of Health-Navarre Institute of Public and Occupational Health), GAN, NILSA, INTIA, NASUVINSA and the Public University of Navarre (UPNA).
Additional Information
The NAdapta project is promoted by the Government of Navarre (Department of Rural Development, Environment and Local Government; Department of Health-Navarre Institute of Public and Occupational Health) in collaboration with the public organisations GAN, NILSA, INTIA, NASUVINSA and the Public University of Navarre (UPNA).
The AGORA KLINA space has been established as a participation forum for entities and people in Navarre interested in staying informed about climate change developments in Navarre and getting involved with the roll-out of climate change initiatives.
Success: first regional adaptation strategy funded by EU LIFE; coherence and integration of all sectors affected; long timeframe for implementation and evaluation of measures.
Limiting: high number of sectors and proposed actions; management of key sectoral stakeholders for rolling out demonstration actions; diversity of the biogeographic contexts involved in one region.
The total project budget is €15,565,090, of which the EU has contributed €9,339,055 through the LIFE Programme.
The project is part of the European Commission's LIFE grants programme, specifically the strand on “Integrated Climate Change Adaptation Projects”, and contributes to the region’s adaptation objectives and sectoral climate change policy.
2017-2025 (8 years - in progress)
Reference information
PYRENEAN CLIMATE CHANGE OBSERVATORY
Avenida Nuestra Señora de la Victoria, 8
22.700 - Jaca
Huesca - España
+34 974 36 31 00
info_opcc@ctp.org