CASCADE Final conference
The final conference brought forward the results and recommendations from the project, including the launch the Climate Risk Preparedness Toolbox, and discussed future of climate change adaptation, disaster risk reduction and resilience.
The event was opened by Björn Grönholm, Director of strategic projects from the City of Turku by congratulating the CASCADE project on achieving insights and results in evaluating the state of preparedness and national practices of climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction in the Baltic Sea Region.
In his opening remarks he emphasized the importance of improving the awareness and building political support for solving climate change related challenges and presented the CASCADE project as an example of regional and local cooperation based on global decisions.
Opening words, Björn Grönholm, City of Turku
After Mr Grönholm, we heard a presentation about how the Sendai Framework for disaster risk reduction is implemented in Finland from senior specialist Jari Honkanen from the Ministry of the Interior in Finland.
Opening words: Sendai framework implementation in Finland, Jari Honkanen, Ministry, of the Interior in Finland.
Keynote speech
A keynote speech delivered by Andrew Bower, from UN DRR Regional office for Europe and Central Asia, focused on how to build local disaster risk resilience. The speech discussed the regional implementation of the Sendai framework and how the results from the CASCADE project support these efforts. The Making Cities Resilient 2030 (MCR2030) cross-stakeholder initiative and its roadmap for improving local resilience was presented emphasizing a strong message how regional cooperation reinforces local resilience
Keynote speech, Andrew Bower, UN DRR Regional office for Europe and Central Asia.
Insights and results from CASCADE
The CASCADE project coordinator Miikka Toivonen from the Southwest Finland Emergency Services, City of Turku, presented the project and the main results collected in the Toolbox for Climate Risk Preparedness
Insights and results from the CASCADE project, Miikka Toivonen, Southwest Finland Emergency Services
Building capacities on climate risk assessment
The next section of the final event focused on the CASCADE project’s solutions on how to build capacities in climate risk assessment and assessment.
We heard and overview and lessons learned from training course curriculum created in the CASCADE project from Markus Jostes, Hamburg Fire and Rescue Service.
Training course overview, Markus Jostes, Hamburg Fire and Rescue Service
And Cecilia Lundberg from Åbo Akademi University presented how the training course for local authorities was adapted as educational material for higher education.
Managing climate risks in the BSR - educational material for higher education,Cecilia Lundberg Åbo Akademi University.
EU and BSR climate adaptation policy
Franziska Seufert from the Council of the Baltic Sea States presented the work done in the CASCADE project on policy recommendations integrating climate change adaptation (CCA) and disaster risks reduction (DRR) in the Baltic Sea Region and aiming at addressing the needs and challenges for mainstreaming climate risk assessment into management and policy planning on the national and local level, to ensure coherence of relevant policies in the macro-region.
Policy recommendations, Franziska Seufert from the Council of the Baltic Sea States.
Elena Višnar Malinovská, Head of Unit of Climate Adaptation in the European Commission presented the new EU Strategy on adaptation to climate change also highlighting how urban areas are particularly vulnerable to climate change impacts. The vision for the EU is to be a climate-resilient society, fully adapted to the unavoidable impacts of climate change by 2050.
EU Adaptation Strategy, Elena Višnar Malinovská, Head of Unit of Climate Adaptation in the European Commission.
Resilience and vulnerability related to climate change
In the last section of the final conference we heard experiences from the local level. Miika Meretoja, Senior specialist from the City of Turku presented how the city prepares for the phenomena caused by climate change and how adaptation and resilience is included in Turku Climate Plan and how climate risk assessment was conducted in the city.
Resilience and vulnerability of the City of Turku, Miika Meretoja, City of Turku
The final conference ended in a joint session where moderators Heidi Tuhkanen and Evelin Piirsalu from SEI Tallinn engaged the audience with questions related to climate adaptation and how to ensure societal learning and how to include also the most vulnerable segments in society.
Plenary discussion, moderators Heidi Tuhkanen and Evelin Piirsalu from SEI Tallinn.
The closing words were offered by CASCADE project coordinator Miikka Toivonen.
Watch the whole event recording below:
About CASCADE:
Natural disasters like floods, storms or heat waves with cascading effects are growing by magnitude and number in all regions in the world, including the Baltic Sea Region. In order to address these evolving challenges related to climate change risks, better cooperation between national and local levels and different sectors is crucial. Preparedness to climate change related consequences demands close collaboration between specialists in climate change adaption and civil security and protection experts.
CASCADE – Community Safety Action for Supporting Climate Adaptation and Development project presents a unique, innovative approach seeking to improve urban resilience in cities and towns, as well as the overall macro-regional resilience. The project brought together civil protection specialists and climate change adaptation experts to jointly fight the impacts of climate change.
The project aims to improve the capacity to understand, assess, and treat current and future climate change related risks on the local level, focusing on the particular in Baltic Sea Region (BSR) conditions
