Be Ready Project

Project Overview

The Be Ready project responds to program objective 2.2: Promoting climate change capacities in the Danube Region and disaster management on a transnational level, focusing on environmental risks and ecosystem-based approaches.

Challenge

Addressing Urban Heat Islands (UHI)

The project will tackle the common challenge of urban heat islands (UHI) faced by 19 partners and 9 ASPs from 12 countries, with Lead partner Sofia Development Association, Bulgaria. The heat waves in the summer of 2022 highlighted the urgent need to enhance society's preparedness and adaptive capacity to cope with climate change impacts and foster resilience at the city level. Currently, only a few European cities have strategies to counter UHI.

Innovative Approach

Green Acupuncture

Be Ready introduces the "green acupuncture" approach, enabling targeted, small-scale, yet powerful interventions to mitigate UHI in critical urban areas. This involves:

• Green Acupuncture: Vegetation-based interventions.
• White Acupuncture: Innovative surfaces and materials.
• Blue Acupuncture: Novel uses of water resources.

Climate Sandbox

Supporting Innovation

The Climate Sandbox approach will help participating cities define and deploy climate-oriented innovations, both in technology and service (content) and in policy, administrative, and spatial planning (enabling conditions), using the innovative digital Climate Sandbox Technological and Societal Readiness Tool.

Implementation Principles

Evaluation and Impact

Throughout the project, evaluations will be conducted to assess the usefulness of the solutions, their impact on urban planning efficiency, and their contribution to climate neutrality.

Key Outputs

Methodologies and Toolkits

• Jointly developed and implemented methodologies for UHI risk assessment, data analysis, and modelling at the city level.
• Collaborative policy development through the Climate Sandbox.

Pilot City Solutions

• Co-designed UHI solutions tested and peer-reviewed in urban environments by 12 pilot cities.

Strategic Plans

• A common strategy for improving climate change preparedness and resilience for local and regional authorities in the Danube region.
• Action plans and transformative strategic outlooks for participating partners.
• Policy recommendations.

Training and Awareness

• A virtual training program with SPOCs.
• Awareness campaigns across 12 countries over a 30-month period.