CLIM-RUN – Climate Local Information in the Mediterranean region: Responding to User Needs
CLIM-RUN aims at developing a protocol for applying new methodologies and improved modelling and downscaling tools for the provision of adequate climate information at regional to local scale that is relevant to and usable by different sectors of society (policymakers, industry, cities, etc.). Differently from current approaches, CLIMRUN will develop a bottom-up protocol directly involving stakeholders early in the process with the aim of identifying well defined needs at the regional to local scale. The improved modeling and downscaling tools will then be used to optimally respond to these specific needs. The protocol is assessed by application to relevant case studies involving interdependent sectors, primarily tourism and energy, and natural hazards (wild fires) for representative target areas (mountainous regions, coastal areas, islands). The region of interest for the project is the Greater Mediterranean area which is a recognized climate change hotspot, i.e. a region particularly sensitive and vulnerable to global warming.
Within CLIM-RUN project, the research unit is involved in WP1 (Climate Services Analysis and Support) and in WP8 (Integrated case studies) and will contribute to the following activities:
- Development of impact indicators based on wide stakeholder involvement in order to assess climate impacts and support the implementation of adaptation measures at regional and local scales;
- Development of vulnerability and impact indicators/indexes to transfer climate information to different stakeholders (e.g. policy makers, business stakeholders etc.);
- Definition of risk-based conceptual frameworks for the assessment of climate change impacts on the North Adriatic coastal zones for each sector of interest;
- Identification of sector-based climate change stressors and metrics useful to transfer climate information at the regional/local scale and to construct climate change hazard scenarios;
- Definition of vulnerable receptors/targets and vulnerability indicators matrixes associated to climate change impacts for each sector of interest;
- Exchange of knowledge on relevant climate information and identification of a subset of climate services to support climate change impact assessment in the North Adriatic coastal zones.