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Empowering Urban Communities
in Adapting to the Climate and Biodiversity Crisis
Nature-based Solutions are growing right in our neighborhoods.
Co-ADAPT Project
Empowering change for sustainable cities
The project aims to engage urban communities in Berlin, Vienna, Kosice and Ankara in adapting to the climate and biodiversity crisis through nature-based solutions (NBS). By raising awareness, demonstrating, educating and training about NBS, and promoting participation, citizens and local civil society will be empowered to collaboratively implement small-scale NBS. Thereby, they co-shape urban areas in a sustainable manner and create community-driven models that can be replicated across different urban areas in Europe.
Climate change and biodiversity loss
Urban areas are increasingly vulnerable to climate change and biodiversity loss, facing challenges such as heatwaves, droughts, floods, and declining ecosystem services. With vast sealed surfaces and limited ecological diversity, cities require effective adaptation strategies to enhance resilience. Nature-based solutions (NBS) offer cost-effective interventions that address these challenges while improving urban biodiversity. However, municipalities often lack the necessary resources and expertise to implement NBS and engage local communities effectively. While the EU has prioritized NbS, broader civic participation is needed to accelerate implementation and ensure locally tailored solutions.
Social Engagement & Governance Gap
Despite growing awareness of climate risks, there remains a significant gap between policy ambitions and local action. Many urban adaptation strategies are designed top-down, limiting the active involvement of citizens and local stakeholders. This lack of participatory governance reduces the long-term effectiveness and ownership of implemented solutions. Strengthening community engagement and co-creation processes is therefore essential to ensure that nature-based solutions are locally relevant, socially accepted, and sustainably maintained.
Need for Scalable and Replicable Models
Many successful NbS initiatives remain isolated pilot projects and fail to scale up or be replicated in other urban contexts. A key challenge lies in transforming small-scale interventions into transferable models that can be adapted across different cities and communities. Developing replicable frameworks, supported by practical tools such as DIY guides, case studies, and policy recommendations, is essential to amplify impact and contribute to broader European climate adaptation goals.
Knowledge and Capacity Gap at Local Level
Although nature-based solutions are increasingly recognized at policy level, practical knowledge on how to design, implement, and maintain small-scale interventions is still limited among citizens, civil society, and even local authorities. There is a need for accessible, hands-on learning opportunities that translate theoretical concepts into actionable practices. Capacity-building initiatives, such as workshops, demonstrations, and peer learning, are crucial to bridge this gap and empower communities to take initiative.
What are Nature-based Solutions?
Building a better future through nature's own processes
Nature-based Solutions (NbS) are actions that protect, restore, or enhance natural ecosystems—or mimic their functions—to address societal challenges such as climate change, biodiversity loss, disaster risk, and human well-being.
Unlike conventional “grey infrastructure” (e.g. concrete flood barriers or drainage systems), NbS work with nature’s own processes, including water retention, cooling, carbon sequestration, soil regeneration, and habitat creation.
Examples of NbS in urban areas include rain gardens that absorb stormwater, green roofs and walls that reduce urban heat, tree planting and urban forests that improve air quality and provide shade, and permeable surfaces that enhance water infiltration. These solutions not only increase climate resilience but also create healthier, more liveable environments for communities.
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