LIFE METRO ADAPT is a European project, funded by the LIFE programme, which lasted from September 2018 to September 2021. It involved the Metropolitan City of Milan (CMM), the CAP Group, e-Geos, Ambiente Italia, ALDA- European Association for Local Democracy and Legambiente Lombardia.
LIFE METRO ADAPT aimed to mainstream adaptation strategies and measures in the development of a territorial plan for CMM and in the planning and building rules of the 134 CMM municipalities. It achieved this aim through the adoption of an innovative approach that identifies the role of intermediate governing bodies. The project also managed to promote nature-based solutions to meet a range of objectives, such as the reduction of the flooding risk and the heat-island effect, while also regenerating neglected urban spaces.
The project aimed at enhancing bottom-up initiatives and thus increasing citizen awareness and engagement in issues related to climate change adaptation. The implementation of demonstration facilities directly involved stakeholders from the building sector and engineering professionals working in water management. Furthermore, LIFE METRO ADAPT developed innovative meteorological satellite data and high precision soil sealing maps, in order to produce detailed vulnerability analysis (focusing in particular on heat islands and floods). The aim was to ensure the availability of information specific to each municipality.
Finally, the project’s goal consisted in the development of a network of metropolitan areas in Italy and elsewhere in Europe to enhance the mainstreaming of adaptation policies and measures and support the implementation of nature-based solutions.
LIFE METRO ADAPT mainstreamed climate change adaptation strategies and measures in the new territorial plan of the Metropolitan City of Milan in Italy. This has successfully enhanced bottom-up initiatives related to adaptation throughout the metropolitan area. The project team created an effective governance model, and significantly increased awareness of climate change issues among the general public, technical stakeholders, and local policymakers. They spread the ‘culture’ of climate change adaptation, in particular nature-based solutions (NBS) and sustainable drainage systems (SuDS), through a series of legal and guidance documents.
These results have led the European Commission to recognise the relevance of the project, both in Lombardy and at European level, as an example of successful climate action and to shortlist it for the LIFE Awards 2023.
The Awards recognise excellence in nature protection, environment, and climate action. A hybrid ceremony announcing the winners is scheduled for 6 June during EU Green Week 2023– the key event in the EU environment policy calendar. A special jury will nominate the winners for this award. However, citizens can make their voices heard by voting for the LIFE Citizens’ Award. Anyone can vote for the LIFE METRO ADAPT project by following this link!
More than a year has passed since September 2021, and the LIFE Metro Adapt consortium continues to share the results and methods of the project, which have led to its nomination for the Life Award 2023. Below we trace the steps that have brought us here today.
LIFE METRO ADAPT timeline – A successful year later
September 2021
The project came to an end with a very good resonance and a positive response.
February 2022
- On 22 and 23 February 2023, the Metropolitan City of Milan (CMM) brought its experience to the TAIEX TRATOLOW international workshop on “Urban Adaptation, Resilience and the SECAP Adaptation Component” taking place in Istanbul (Türkiye). The overall objective of the workshop was to further support and promote exchanges between the beneficiaries (Balkan countries: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia and Türkiye) and urban areas by sharing experiences and good practices. In particular, adaptation efforts in the Sustainable Energy and Climate Action Plan (SECAP). The focus was on the climate risks of heat and flooding, in particular on local vulnerability, impact and risk assessment, cost/benefit of adaptation solutions, local adaptation planning and implementation of adaptation solutions. In this sense, the Metropolitan City of Milan was invited to present the adaptation measures implemented in its territory through the European LIFE METRO ADAPT project.
- The Metropolitan City of Milan (CMM) called to share good practices of territorial network development during the workshop of the Interreg Maritime Project ReS_EAU – Nice 27 February 2022. CMM was also called upon in this context to bring its experience, particularly in the area of territorial engagement on the topic of climate change adaptation, which builds on the work done through the LIFE Metro Adapt Project.
March 2022
As part of The Nature of Cities Festival, a 3-day virtual event that took place from 29 to 31 March 2022, the LIFE Metro Adapt project was invited to the webinar “Reshaping Cities: How Urban Areas Can Tackle Climate Change” hold by the LIFE Beware project.
The seed session focused on the topic of Cities’ resilience to Climate Change and, thanks to the contribution of four projects (among which LIFE METRO ADAPT) it highlighted various ways and best practices in which urban areas can successfully address this issue, in an innovative way. In particular, Maria Rosaria Scoppettuolo and Valeria Guerrini from the partner Gruppo CAP presented “LIFE METRO ADAPT – The implementation of Nature Based Solutions in the Metropolitan Area of Milan”, showing the best practices developed within the project and how they successfully impacted the territory.
June 2022
LIFE METRO ADAPT is presented at the National Conference for Sustainable Development of the Italian Ministry of Ecological Transition – Tuesday 21 June 2022
September 2022
On 28 September 2022 the Metropolitan City of Milan is called upon to share its work as a case study of the effective territorialisation of the SDGs at the Regional Pre-forum for Sustainable Development: where it brought its experience in the Lombardy region by also talking about the LIFE METRO ADAPT project.
April 2023
LIFE METRO ADAPT is shortlisted for the LIFE Award 2023 under the category CLIMATE ACTION.
June 2023
6 June 2023- LIFE Awards 23 winners revealed.
In addition to the LIFE Award 2023, the LIFE Citizens Award will be launched, where citizens themselves will vote for the best project! Don’t miss the opportunity to vote for LIFE METRO ADAPT at this link!
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