The European Union is looking for solutions to help cities prepare for heatwaves, droughts, and floods.

More than 400 regions and local authorities in Europe are involved in the EU Mission on Climate Change Adaptation, according to the 2025/26 activity report. The document shows how cities and regions in Portugal, Slovenia, Italy, Estonia, Spain, and Sweden are testing concrete solutions, from urban micro-forests and heatwave plans to digital tools for assessing climate risks.

Europe is trying to transform climate change adaptation from a political objective into a list of local projects: tree planting on streets, urban micro-forests, heatwave plans, risk maps, and projects ready for funding. The 2025/26 activity report of the EU Mission on Climate Change Adaptation shows that over 400 regions and local authorities are already involved in this European network. The document provides one of the most concrete images of how the European Union is trying to prepare cities and regions for the climate effects that are already being felt: extreme heat, drought, flooding, rising sea levels, pressure on infrastructure, and vulnerabilities in agriculture, water, health, and urban spaces.

In short More than 400 regions and local authorities are involved in the activities of the EU Mission on Climate Change Adaptation. 333 regional and local authorities from all 27 member states have signed the Mission Charter, along with 17 signatories from associated countries. The mission includes 65 projects funded through Horizon Europe, with a European investment of 615 million euros by December 2025. Over 290 regions and local authorities have received technical assistance for adaptation plans, demonstration projects, funding, or citizen engagement. The report presents concrete examples: urban micro-forests in Portugal, heatwave plans in Slovenia, digital tools for water in Puglia, and biodiversity protection in northern Sweden.

The report shows that the main stake is no longer just the adoption of climate strategies, but the ability of local administrations to turn them into fundable and implementable projects. MIP4Adapt, the mission's implementation platform, has provided technical assistance, mentoring, and practical resources to local and regional authorities between 2023 and 2025.

This assistance has focused on three main areas: climate adaptation planning, development of demonstration projects, and finding funding, as well as citizen engagement and local actors. The report mentions support for 152 signatories of the Charter in the area of adaptation plans, for 127 signatories in the development of demonstration projects, and for 116 signatories in citizen engagement and local actors.

One of the most important pieces of information in the report is that local authorities have received help in identifying and characterizing over 160 demonstration projects for climate adaptation. These projects are important because they transition from general formulations, such as "climate resilience," to visible measures for citizens: green spaces, adapted urban infrastructure, flood protection, nature-based solutions, or risk monitoring systems.

In Figueira da Foz, Portugal, technical assistance has helped the municipality prepare projects for regional funding. Two projects have been further developed: an initiative for urban micro-forests and a project for tree planting and increasing climate resilience in the city. One of the projects has been submitted for regional funding, and the process has strengthened the city's capacity to design and finance adaptation measures.

In Valongo, also in Portugal, the report describes initiatives such as "All Streets with Trees" and "Urban Microforest Network," designed to expand green infrastructure, reduce urban heat, and improve flood management. The projects are presented as examples of adaptation with multiple effects: reducing thermal stress, improving air quality, and increasing soil permeability.

In Maribor, Slovenia, authorities are preparing an action plan for high temperatures, with measures such as tree planting, shaded public spaces, and cooling areas. The report presents the city as a practical example for localities facing more frequent and intense heatwaves.

The report also includes examples from other European regions: using native seeds and better-adapted crops in Navarra, Spain, increasing the resilience of protected areas to protect biodiversity in northern Sweden, and the digital transformation of water management in the Puglia region, Italy.

Another relevant element is the development of tools for local administrations that do not have the technical capacity necessary for complex climate assessments. The report mentions a climate risk assessment manual, a regional planning tool, the European Environment Agency's dashboard, and resources that use data from Copernicus, the Joint Research Centre, and other European sources.

These tools can help authorities identify vulnerabilities, compare risks between territories, choose adaptation options, and monitor progress. For local administrations, the difference is important: climate adaptation no longer depends solely on political will but also on access to data, technical capacity, and funding.

The report also contains a warning dimension. In the preface, Elina Bardram, the mission manager, states that climate change "will not wait," and the scale of the challenges requires faster and more decisive joint action from institutions and citizens. The message of the report is that regions and cities are the place where climate policies are tested under real conditions.

The EU Mission on Climate Change Adaptation is funded through Horizon Europe and aims to accelerate climate resilience by 2030. According to the European Commission, the experience gained through this mission will contribute to the future integrated framework on climate resilience and risk management.

The report shows how climate change reaches very practical decisions of local administrations: which streets need shading, where micro-forests should be planted, how a city prepares for heatwaves, which areas are at risk of flooding, and how funding can be obtained for projects that would otherwise remain only on paper.

https://2eu.brussels/en/news/the-european-union-is-seeking-solutions-to-help-cities-prepare-for-heatwaves-droughts-and-floods