Institute for Ecology of Industrial Areas is working on Urban Plans for Adaptation to Climate Change for eight Silesian cities

Experts from the Institute for Ecology of Industrial Areas have completed the first series of workshops designed to develop urban adaptation plans to climate change for Bytom, Chorzów, Dąbrowa Górnicza, Katowice, Mysłowice, Ruda Śląska, Siemianowice Śląskie and Sosnowiec. Workshops were organised as part of the project of the Ministry of the Environment entitled: "Development of Urban Plans for Adaptation to Climate Change in Cities with More Than 100 000 Inhabitants".

During the workshops IETU experts together with the representatives of municipal offices discussed the results of the analysis of the cities’ vulnerability to climatic factors and began assessing their adaptation potential.

Experts analysed historical meteorological data from the last 35 years (1981-2015) and identified the most important climatic factors for cities, which are: high temperatures, heat and cold waves, torrential rains, extreme snowfalls, strong winds and storms. According to the assessment carried out in the analysed cities, the sectors which appeared to be the most sensitive to climate change are: water management, public health, transport, high intensity housing areas, spatial management and power industry.

Another element of the MPA's work is the assessment of the adaptation potential, i.e. the ability of the city to adapt to climate change, both in terms of dealing with the negative effects of these changes and taking advantage of the opportunities these changes have already caused or may cause in the future.

The work on the development of urban adaptation plans to climate change (MPA) for 44 Polish cities has been carried out since January 2017. Conducting this work has been entrusted with the Ministry of the Environment to the consortium consisting of the Institute for Environmental Protection - The National Research Institute (Consortium leader), the Institute of Meteorology and Water Management - The National Research Institute, the Institute for Ecology of Industrial Areas and a design and consultancy company Arcadis.

The project is co-financed by the European Union from the Cohesion Fund under the Operational Programme Infrastructure and Environment and from the state budget.

More information can be found on the project website – www.44mpa.pl.

The project is also present in the social media: www.facebook.com/44mpaPL and https://twitter.com/44mpaPL.