Peeking into the future of climate change mitigation: Be Ready partners join the Klima Biennale in Vienna

What better way for cities and urban planning specialists to integrate research and innovation for climate change adaptation into their policymaking than seeing it with their own eyes and testing it on the spot?  

While in Vienna for the Be Ready methodological workshop, on 10 July 2024 the consortium joined the proBach project for a visit to the Vienna Klima Biennale and a special talk on water green cities. The Biennale was an excellent opportunity for the Be Ready partners to see science in action and to ponder new ways of tackling the UHI effects in their own cities. Senior scientist Bernhard Pucher (BOKU University) held a special talk on how water resources could be used to combat climate change through blue and green infrastructures. Some notable examples that drew the attention of the Be Ready partners included, for example, the proBach project which showcased the potential of bringing sewered creeks and rivers back to the ground level of the city to create resilient habitats and mitigate climate change. Another one - the LooPi project installation - displayed a unisex urinal with a closed water cycle and urea treatment using the VertECO system, which, similar to a treatment wetland, supplies plants with water to decrease the UHI effect. Based on those examples, the guided discussion gave the Be Ready partners new insights on using water in cities and how future water management, specifically water reuse, can support UHI mitigation using blue and green acupuncture measures. 

The visit to the Biennale comes at a time when the Be Ready city partners are getting ready for their UHI vulnerability and risk assessments, which will help them define a city-specific pilot to reduce UHI effects in the next 12 months. Learn more about the pilot cities and the Be Ready approach to UHI by visiting our social media channels: LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/beready-project; Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/bereadyprojecteu