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.
CASCADE addresses the challenges related to climate change risks, with better cooperation between national and local levels and different sectors. Close collaboration between specialists in climate change adaptation and well-prepared civil security and protection experts is CASCADE’s answer to climate change related consequences.
Eleven partners representing seven Baltic Sea Region countries are involved in the project.
"Train the trainers” training workshop aiming to increase knowledge in disaster risk reduction was organized online by the Hamburg Fire and Rescue Services (HFRS).
The flagship status is a recognition for CASCADE’s aims to improve urban resilience in cities and towns in the Baltic Sea Region, as well as the overall macro-regional resilience and CASCADE now operates as a pilot example for cross-sectoral cooperation in the region.
The announced workshop in Hamburg has taken place in the last week of October to evaluate the current state of things and to take a look into the future. As mentioned in the last update about the ongoing work in work package 3, the main question ‘Is it possible to conduct an online workshop with the written curriculum and content’ has been focused.
Things often turn out differently than expected - new plans for workshops in the CASCADE project
The worldwide Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has caused some delays for the CASCADE project. All events have been postponed or cancelled because of the European wide restrictions, although some activities have been possible to organize virtually.
CASCADE pursues to prolong the project for six months.
The first year of the project has provided a good base for moving forward and finalizing the project’s results. The mid-term project review summarizes the findings and results of the project so far (February 2020). Read the mid-term review here.
On 4 – 5 February, the CASCADE project partners gathered for a workshop in Copenhagen. The purpose was to review the components of a curricula for training in the climate change risk assessment methodology for the local level developed by the project. The training is tailored specifically for the local level context in the Baltic Sea Region and will be available for all countries in the region.
Video message delivered by European Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Management Christos Stylianides at a panel session on ‘Delivering disaster resilience at the local level’ co-organised by UNDRR and the Committee of the Regions, held on 8 October 2019 in the context of the European Week of Regions and Cities 2019.
“The global temperature has increased, and we are witnessing extreme weather leading to unprecedented challenges … now we need to be preparing for other risks that we have not previously prepared for – every country needs to be prepared for a wide range of risks” stressed Elena Višnar Malinovská from the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Climate Action opening the first transnational Policy Dialogue meeting in the CASCADE project, 16 October, during the XV UBC General Conference in Kaunas, Lithuania.
One of the main objectives of the CASCADE project is to increase the knowledge and capacity of civil protection experts and city planners by developing training courses in disaster risk reduction (DRR), including climate risk assessment and the Sendai Framework for DRR. CASCADE WP 3 Leader Hamburg Fire and Rescue Service (HFRS) organized the workshop ”Mapping the Training needs” in Hamburg, Germany on 26−27 September 2019.
The flagship status is a recognition for CASCADE’s aims to improve urban resilience in cities and towns in the Baltic Sea Region, as well as the overall macro-regional resilience. Particular focus in CASCADE is on climate change related risks and adaptation.
28 – 31 May 2019, Lisbon, Portugal. “Not acting is not an option – Climate Change is a current problem and the last four years have been the hottest ever” stressed João Pedro Matos Fernandes, Portugal’s Minister of the Environment and Energy Transition, in his opening remarks for the 4th European Climate Change Adaptation Conference (ECCA).