Urban adaptation to climate change in Europe: Challenges and opportunities for cities together with supportive national and European policies

Abstract

Climate change leading to higher temperatures, changing precipitation patterns and sea level rise, is a reality in Europe. Climate change mitigation measures will limit the magnitude and rate of related events in the future, but they will not prevent them. Pro-active adaptation to climate change is therefore imperative. While urban adaptation to climate change at a first glance may seem to be purely a local governance issue, the strong connections between European cities and their surrounding regions, or countries, warrant a broader perspective.