In Europe, we are facing increasing flood risks under the influence of climate change. During the summer of 2021, the Netherlands, Germany, and Belgium experienced severe flood events due to … Read more
After introducing the climate challenges in Greece and other countries in the Mediterranean, with Professor Christos Makropoulos from the National Technical University of Athens we take a closer look at … Read more
Last week, several Climate Impetus partners gathered at Eurac Research in Bolzano, Italy, to delve into crucial discussions surrounding project progress and strategies. The focus was on enhancing coordination among … Read more
The complex challenge of adapting to climate change requires collaboration between many fields of expertise and the diverse approaches of different projects. IMPETUS is working closely with sister climate change … Read more
The complex challenge of adapting to climate change requires collaboration between many fields of expertise and the diverse approaches of different projects. IMPETUS is working closely with sister climate change … Read more
The IMPETUS project continues to make significant strides in addressing the complex challenges of water resource management, particularly in the picturesque Valle dei Laghi area. A recent workshop lead by … Read more
After setting the scene on IMPETUS work in the Netherlands last year, with the help of Martine Rottink, a consultant at Nelen & Schuurmans, we share some more light on … Read more
During last year’s Living Planet Symposium – an event organized by the European Space Agency devoted to the Earth Observation and remote sensing (the use of satellite technologies to gather … Read more
On the 30th of November 2023, Water Europe and ARSINOE held the Online Seminar titled ‘Water-Smart Cities: Navigating Climate-Resilient Sustainable Urbanization in the Digital Age. These seminars aim to discuss … Read more
In recent years, Greece, like several countries in the Mediterranean, has faced an escalating environmental crisis, with wildfires, flash floods, and extreme weather events underscoring the need for EU-wide solutions … Read more
*Heat stress occurs when the human body cannot get rid of excess heat and can impact wellbeing through conditions such as heat stroke, exhaustion, cramps and rashes.
"We want to enable municipality decision makers who are working on spatial developments to identify heat stress 'hot spots' and cool areas, analyse the future effects of climate change, and model the effect of different heat stress-reducing measures. The tool must provide them with an easy starting point to integrate heat stress risks in their projects."
Despite the cooling effect of the sea in the region of Zeeland, the growing risk of heat stress has become a concern.
Elderly and other vulnerable people are more impacted by the effects of prolonged heat, which can cause headaches, dizziness, insomnia and other health issues – even death. Excess temperatures also affect general comfort and liveability of cities. Water quality can be reduced, both for drinking and swimming, and infrastructure can be affected. Buildings and concrete surfaces trap heat, potentially leading to damage, and release it during the night, keeping temperatures warm.
During heat waves, it is important that everyone has access to a cool and comfortable place. Appropriate spatial planning can help to decrease and deal with heat stress. Environmental factors like water bodies, trees, and shade have a major impact on stress caused by high temperatures. Therefore, planting trees, removing concrete surfaces, creating green roofs and cool spaces can improve our comfort and health. The IMPETUS Atlantic team is developing a digital tool to support regional decision making for city planning to address these needs.
*Risk takes into account two aspects; the chance that an event will occur and the negative impact of such an event once it occurs. When there is a low chance that an event will occur, but its impacts are huge, the risk is still significant.
“In the Netherlands, an extensive system of dikes protects us against sea and river flooding. We have always put our faith in this defence and focused almost solely on flood prevention. However, pressure on our system will increase with climate change and rising sea levels. To adapt and maintain a safe living environment, we should develop other safety measures, like more robust spatial planning and contingency plans."
Rotterdam city, is located in Rijnmond – ‘mouth of the Rhine’. The Rhine river flows through this densely populated area and characterises the region. Protections such as sea dikes and storm surge barriers have been constructed to protect the region, but flooding still occurs.
People living in the city are accustomed to seeing smaller floods. The changing climate affects the interplay between rainfall, river levels and sea storms, increasing the flooding risk. Water levels could rise by a few metres, even in populated areas, with potentially massive impacts.
Mitigation measures such as storm surge barriers reduce the chance that high water reaches the city, but to minimise the impact of floods when they do occur, adaptation strategies are also needed. A city that can adapt to be safe from floods must be carefully designed. How best to design such an adaptive city?
Critical infrastructure, such as hospitals and evacuation routes, must be accessible at all times. Planning how to best protect them, homes and lives is complex. Flood water behaves in a complex way and flood risks show strong spatial variations. The IMPETUS Atlantic team is developing a digital tool to support regional decision making for adaptive city planning.
*Climate mitigation encompasses measures such as technologies, processes, or practices that reduce carbon emissions or enhance the sinks of greenhouse gases.
The Rotterdam port petrochemical industry cluster is Europe’s largest. It consumes 70% of the Rijnmond region’s energy. A large part of this energy is wasted (64%, 203 petajoules). More than half of that energy is lost with wastewater. In addition, most energy processes within these industries rely on fossil fuels, which has a significant impact on the climate.
Energy use must be minimised and fossil fuels should be replaced by renewable sources if climate change is to be mitigated. Electrification of processes opens up the possibility to use more renewable energy and can greatly impact decarbonisation. Recovering wasted heat would significantly reduce energy consumption and is a first step towards a more circular industry.
Supporting industries in a transition towards climate-neutrality depends on identifying how best to reduce their carbon footprint without sacrificing production or performance. The IMPETUS Atlantic team is creating a digital tool that supports decision making about pathways towards an effective energy transition for EU industry.