The impact of climate change on cities and citizens is huge, and with 85 % of people globally living in cities on the coast mostly, the challenge is that coastal cities learn from each other for the best adaptation measures. Exchanging knowledge is therefore the goal of ‘SOS Climate Waterfront’, an EU-funded project that brings together pro-fessionals, municipalities, stakeholders, and citizens from different countries and cities.

Together we can find and share effective adaptation measures in pursuit to make cities more resilient to climate change. This way we gain time for more structural mitigation measures to reduce the effects of the still-growing CO2 outburst.

As part of the program, participants visit each other’s cities to take part in workshops and exchange lessons learned. Each visit (secondment) lasts 30 days. Over three years (to 2023), 160 exchanges will take place from which the NL-Team fulfils 16. The Dutch team, being the only not all-university team, has added an extra goal: we work as well on ‘climate change awareness’. Our work should be a contribution to our society in general.

EU-funding

The SOS Climate Waterfront project is funded by Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions, the European Union’s reference program for doctoral education and postdoctoral training. Part of the expenses are reimbursed; the participants are not paid otherwise.

See also: SOSWaterfront EU