COP24 – INTERREG contributions to climate change adaptation

COP24 – INTERREG contributions to climate change adaptation

Dr. Anna Starzewska-Sikorska participated on 8 December 2019 in the session: INTERREG contributions to climate change adaptation, organised by the Interact Programme experts.
During the session examples of projects supporting adaptation activities implemented under the European Territorial Cooperation Programmes - INTERREG were discussed. Dr. Anna Starzewska-Sikorska presented the experience gained by local governments and research units during the implementation of the projects: LUMAT - Implementation of Sustainable Land Use in Integrated Environmental Management of Functional Urban Areas and CIRCUSE - Circular Land Use Management.

It is worth mentioning that revitalisation activities support also the adaptation of the city to climate change. The problem of exposure of urban population to the negative effects of climate change will increase, as more and more people live in cities and functional areas (currently about 75% of the population in Europe). Activities increasing the resilience of cities to the negative effects of climate change require - in addition to an integrated approach in the planning and implementation of individual projects - the creation of partnerships involving entities at various levels of management, which these projects are able to implement - said Dr. Anna Starzewska-Sikorska.

There are about 35 territorial cooperation programmes in the European Union, called INTERREG, from which public organisations can get financial support to develop and implement particular projects in order to better understand and adapt to climate change.

During the session Nebojsa Nikolic, the Interact Programme and Monika Strojecka-Gevorgyan, the Ministry of Investment and Economic Development, emphasised the importance of European Union funds and INTERREG programmes for building cooperation and involvement in activities aimed at climate protection and adaptation to the effects of climate change. They also presented information on how to obtain funds from INTERREG programmes.

IETU has a wide experience in coordinating such projects, which is also connected with creating new ideas that attract academic partners - and what is even more important - local government. This is an opportunity to a mutual acquisition of funds from the European Commission for the implementation of projects - added Dr. Starzewska-Sikorska.