Adaptation to climate change in Swiss cities

Innovative strategies for climate change adaptation create chances and synergies to other urban developments of cities.

12.01.12 - Cities are significantly touched by climate change because of their important density of population, buildings and infrastructure. This project develops possible measures for Swiss cities to pretend or reduce the impacts.

The actual climate scenarios for Switzerland preview a significant rise in temperature, changes in the pluvial regime as well as an increase of extreme events as for example heat waves.

Because of their high density of population, buildings and infrastructure, cities are significantly touched by its consequences. In addition, city-specific situations and socio-economic developments can amplify the climatic changes. Such evolutions can be the increasing soil sealing, the heat island effect, as well as increasing population living in cities.

The project „Adaptation to Climate Change in Swiss Cities“ encourages the dialogue between cities and the Swiss government. During the project, the specific challenges of the cities are identified and possible measures to react are developed. The measures shall support the cities to reduce possible conflicts between adaptation measures and other urban developments and to benefit from possible synergies.

Within the projects, two workshops are organised to discuss these different aspects with several Swiss cities. Basic documents prepared before the workshops build the basis of the workshops; a final report will summarise the results of the overall project.

The first workshop took place on 24 of November 2011 in Bern.
Program and presentations
The second workshop will take place on 3rd may 2012 in Biel.