LIFE Clinomics

LIFE Clinomics creased the climate change resilience of various territories and economies in Catalonia (Spain). The team involved several municipalities, private businesses and other stakeholders in developing a strategy and action plans to encourage local involvement in climate change adaptation. This will result in environmental and economic benefits for the community in the longer term.

The project LIFE CLINOMICS helped increase resilience to climate change in three territories (Monsteny and Terres de l’Ebre Biosphere Reserves and Alt Penedès county) and in four economic sectors (agriculture, forestry, fisheries and aquiculture, and tourism). As a first step, it assessed the climate change vulnerability of these territories and sectors. Its studies then formed the basis for determining a strategy for local climate change adaptation and the drafting of Action Plans for adaptation to climate change for the three territories. In total, the three Action Plans include about 100 different actions for climate change adaptation.

A participatory approach was adopted towards the drafting of these plans, engaging relevant local and economic stakeholders via the territorial (MeTACC) and sectorial (MeSACC) governance platforms established under the project. For each territory, two pilot actions outlined in the plans were implemented and monitored to demonstrate the long-term environmental and economic benefits of adaptation measures. The demonstration activities in Terres de l'Ebre Biosphere Reserve focused on aquaculture and vine dry crops, especially the optimisation of crop support irrigation. Alt Penedès also demonstrated the  optimisation of irrigation of vine crops, along with grazing as a forest fire prevention measure, while demonstration activities at Montseny focused on adapting forests and agrarian and tourism activities to climate change as a way of increasing their resilience. The six pilot actions carried out will continue after the project end, with several already receiving funding commitments. The project moreover drafted a strategy for climate change adaptation to promote similar actions in other territories.

A key outcome of the project was the raised awareness of public and private stakeholders on the subject. The project also contributed to the development of the Catalan Adaptation Strategy 2021-2030. The vulnerability studies carried out formed the basis for the participative process currently in place, while the pilot activities are providing a valuable reference source for future activities. Finally, the project directly facilitated the incorporation of climate change adaptation into the agenda of local authorities and municipalities through the Mayors Adapt initiative and is fully in line with the European Climate Pact launched in December 2020.