The RESIST Project: Testing Adaptation Solutions to Key Climate Challenges

Climate change is generating impacts on a global scale, such as an increase in floods, forest fires, heat waves, droughts and soil erosion. In this context, the RESIST project, part of the “Adaptation to Climate Change” Mission of the Horizon Europe program of the European Union, has the aim of contributing to regions being more resilient to climate change. As part of this project, Catalonia and eleven other regions chosen by the European Commission will test ways of adaptation to improve preparedness, detection and response capacities in the face of extreme emergencies caused by climate change.

The project has a duration of five years, a total budget of 26.6 million euros and includes 56 partners from the European Union, Norway and Ukraine. The application of the project in Catalonia, with a budget of 2.5 million euros, will be done through the collaborative and interdisciplinary work of the Direcció General de Protecció Civil of the Departament d’Interior de la Generalitat de Catalunya, the Centre d’Investigació Aplicada en Hidrometeorologia (CRAHI) of the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC), the CareNet research group (IN3, Universitat Oberta de Catalunya), the company Hyds and the city councils of Terrassa and Blanes. Specifically, in Catalonia the project will focus on providing tools to achieve an earlier detection of meteorological hazards, with an emphasis on developing regional measures, political instruments and technological solutions that take into account the characteristics of the different territorial realities. Special attention will be given to the most vulnerable activities and spaces, such as campsites and other recreational and tourist areas, as well as schools, health centres and other key facilities. CareNet, moreover, will contribute to consider to a greater extent the social aspects in the proposed adaptation measures and to promote a more inclusive, diverse and collaborative prevention, preparation and response strategy. The conclusions derived from the work done in Catalonia will be shared with the Italian region of Puglia and the Portuguese region of Baixo Alentejo, especially those related to the problems caused by floods and forest fires.

Funding Body: European Commission

Programme: EU Horizon Europe

Start date: 01/2023

End date: 01/2025

Funds: 2.000.000 €