Advancing Urban Heat Island Resilience: Workshop Highlights from the Be Ready Project

Podgorica, the capital city of Montenegro, hosted a workshop focused on urban heat islands (UHI) and methods for assessing vulnerability and risks associated with this phenomenon. This initiative was organized as part of the Be Ready project (UrBan hEat islands REsilience, prepAreDness, and mitigation strategY), funded by the Interreg Danube Program.

The event brought together representatives from various non-governmental, research, and business organizations, and state authorities committed to collaboratively addressing the impacts of climate change in Podgorica.

The workshop aimed to create a platform for shared learning, enabling participants to develop models using data for comprehensive analyses of UHI emergence and consequences. These models support scenario planning, simulations, and policy-making processes across the city, fostering joint efforts to mitigate the climate change effects.

Project coordinator Branka Knežević emphasized the project's role in raising awareness of urban heat islands, identifying their root causes, and enhancing cities' preparedness to address these challenges.

“One of the essential tools is UHI risk assessment, which marks the first steps we have taken by engaging experts to assist in conducting Podgorica’s risk assessment and elaborating the city report,” Knežević explained. She added that another goal of the project is for cities to collectively define mitigation mechanisms through pilot initiatives (which are planned for next year)

Milan Krstev, a team member from the partner organization Science and Technology Park in Niš, Serbia, presented the Be Ready methodology for UHI vulnerability and risk assessment. He detailed its four tools and stressed that one of the critical initial steps—gathering comprehensive data from diverse sources—has been completed. Krstev emphasized that effective solutions depend on the availability of such data.

The workshop also included an interactive discussion, where participants stressed the importance of collaboration among local and national institutions, NGOs, academia, and other stakeholders. The goal is to tackle climate change challenges through innovation and problem-solving tailored to the specific needs of urban environments.

The event concluded with the signing of a Local Coalition Pact by Podgorica stakeholders, establishing a framework for cross-sector cooperation. This pact aims to unite efforts across various sectors to effectively address the consequences of urban heat islands.