Managing climate risks: 3 ways to help build a climate-resilient future

Floods, droughts, wildfires, heatwaves: adapting to life in a world impacted by climate change and managing its various risks is undoubtedly one of the biggest challenges of our time.

So, what do we know about climate adaptation and climate resilience, how can we take action, and what inspiration can we get from the Climate Pact community on the ground?

First, what is climate adaptation?

Europe is already warming twice as fast as the global average, and extreme weather events are becoming more and more frequent and destructive, leading to loss of lives, damaged infrastructure, and limited access to vital services and resources.

Reducing our greenhouse gas emissions will help in the long run, but it won’t reverse the climate impacts we’re experiencing now. This is why we need to urgently prepare for those consequences of climate change we cannot avoid.

Climate adaptation includes measures such as building flood-barriers, creating early-warning systems for storms, preparing for new health risks, and making sure our buildings and infrastructure can withstand and recover from extreme weather events. More generally, it involves planning for uncertainty and risk.

As the challenges are different in different places in Europe, solutions need to be local and tailored, and everyone needs to be involved – citizens, governments, communities, organisations, and businesses.

This is why, in its recent Communication on managing climate risks, the European Commission sets out how we can better anticipate and address growing climate risks at different levels of government, private sector and civil society.

And many are already working on it. Here are just a few recent examples of local action that can inspire you.

What can we do to prepare better?

1. Work on water solutions

Austrian Climate Pact Ambassador Alexander Frech has a strong track record in sustainable infrastructure. He used to be the CEO of Amiblu, a leading water-management company that he now advises. Whether the problem is too little or too much water, he believes we have to manage it better.

Hot and dry weather conditions threaten our access to water. We need to take a close look at the ways we collect, use, save and store it – and identify where it is wasted. “We still don’t treat this precious resource as we should,” Alexander warns. ‘‘And water leakage due to improper piping and pipelines is a big issue.’’

At home, there are many things we can all do: fixing leaks quickly, re-using leftover water and turning off the tap. And, if you have a metred supply, tracking your water bills can be useful to see how much your actions are making a difference.

And what if there is too much water? “After a dry period, heavy rainfall usually results in flooding. So, we need the right infrastructure,” Alexander explains in the Climate Forward podcast. “In Europe, after heavy rainfall, we do not have the infrastructure to transport all of the excess water that’s not being absorbed by the ground.” Obviously, having such infrastructure could help solve the problem of water disparities between different regions in Europe.

2. Plant for protection

Trees, shrubs, bushes and grasses also help when there is too much water, because they protect against the impacts of storms and flooding. But plants are also a buffer to many other climate impacts. They provide shade and cool the environment by absorbing water through their roots and releasing vapour through their leaves. In cities this cooling effect is particularly important during heatwaves.

After several dry, hot days in July 2023, Zagreb was hit by a devastating storm that cost lives and damaged more than 10,000 trees.

Just a few months later, the Climate Pact’s Country Coordinator in Croatia, in cooperation with Greenpeace Croatia and the Meter for a Better Climate network, organised tree-planting in Maksimir Park where over 70 participants traded their polished shoes for rubber boots and got to work restoring the area. By the end of the day, Zagreb’s biggest park had 275 new trees.

The aftermath of the storm in Zagreb catalysed the community and highlighted the vital role of green spaces in cities. It also underlined the importance of local efforts to achieve the EU’s goal of expanding nature-based solutions to tackle the climate and environment crises – including a pledge to plant 3 billion trees by 2030.

You can take part by planting in your neighbourhood, garden or on your balcony, and registering what you plant to contribute to the EU’s goal and track progress towards the pledge. 

3. Re-think our approach to agriculture

Water management and adaptation across Europe’s green spaces connect to another important part of the picture: food and farming.

Agriculture is hugely affected by heatwaves, droughts and floods caused by climate change. So, we must adapt what and how we are farming to make sure our food sector is robust and resilient.

Here, climate adaptation can consist in planting a wider variety of crops capable of surviving and thriving in different conditions or avoiding crops that are vulnerable to droughts and diseases. It can also mean using farming practices that help keep soils healthy and protect biodiversity.

Pact Ambassador Emil Zorilă is passionate about climate-resilient agriculture and puts it into practice at his farm in the South of Romania, where he is able to harvest food even in the worst conditions. Emil hosts events with the Romanian House of Free Seeds to raise awareness about the impacts of climate change, exchange seeds, and share his knowledge on organic gardening and permaculture.

The EU also encourages smarter and faster adaptation in agriculture, for example with eco-schemes for farmers. These are funding opportunities, within the EU’s common agricultural policy, for diversifying crops and maintaining permanent grassland.

But remember, you don’t have to run a farm to take action! You can adapt your own backyard – our gardens need to be climate-smart too.

Take a step towards a climate-resilient future

We need water and food to satisfy our most basic needs, so it is vital to protect our access to them. By thinking about the ways we can adapt in all areas of life and all sectors of economy, making necessary adjustments and advocating for our authorities and governments to do the same, we have a chance to prepare for current and future impacts of climate change – and to protect people and prosperity.

To learn more about climate risks and adaptation measures, the EU’s Climate ADAPT platform and Mission on Adaptation are full of knowledge and useful resources.

Wondering what real-life examples of adaptation look like? Find stories and case studies, a manual for engaging others in adaptation and more useful tools to take action in our resource library.