Image: Martin Bergsma – stock.adobe.com
Topic

Climate Adaptation —

How can municipalities better prepare for future extreme weather events? What support is needed to enhance their capacity for climate adaptation?

The challenges

Protection against extreme weather events and gradual changes

The effects of climate change are becoming increasingly evident, with far-reaching environmental, health, and economic consequences. This underscores the urgent need to mitigate these impacts and prepare for the challenges posed by climate change. Municipalities, cities, and districts face particular pressures.

Alongside heat and health prevention, improved preparedness for extreme weather events is growing in importance. Urban planning, green spaces, and building design must also adapt to meet these new challenges. Additionally, local adaptation efforts must address slow-onset changes, such as declining groundwater levels, forest and soil degradation, and the spread of invasive species.

“The biggest challenges in planning and implementing climate adaptation measures are, by far, the lack of human and financial resources, as well as the limitations of municipal administrative structures.”

Dr. Thomas Friedrich, Research Scientist
Our research

Effective and participatory solutions for climate-friendly municipalities

Our research generates knowledge to advance climate adaptation. Working closely with municipal stakeholders, we develop strategies and measures to enhance adaptive capacity at the local level.

We analyze the challenges, barriers, and conflicts that hinder the rapid implementation of climate adaptation policies and actions. Our focus includes water resource management, infrastructure protection and rehabilitation, biodiversity conservation, and the consideration of vulnerable groups. Through participatory approaches, our research contributes to the design of holistic and inclusive solutions.

Featured Project

News

  • Recognizing and avoiding ecological tipping points in the Mongolian steppe
    News Climate Adaptation Biodiversity Land Use

    Recognizing and avoiding ecological tipping points in the Mongolian steppe

    Mongolia has one of the last intact steppe ecosystems with traditional land use and a remarkable biodiversity. The mobility of wild and domestic herd animals plays an important role in the survival of this ecosystem, which is transforming as a result of climate change. However, the nomadic way of life has declined significantly in recent decades. The MORE STEP research project is investigating the complex interactions and dependencies between nature and society in order to identify the possible emergence of irreversible processes – so-called tipping points – and thus prevent them at an early stage.

    Read more
  • What is the state of municipal climate adaptation in Germany?
    News Climate Adaptation

    What is the state of municipal climate adaptation in Germany?

    Heat, drought and heavy rain: The consequences of climate change have long been clearly noticeable. Cities and municipalities are particularly affected, since flooding or heat islands within cities represent a danger for residents as well as municipal infrastructures. However, municipalities are facing numerous challenges when it comes to planning and implementing concrete measures for climate adaptation. Under the leadership of ISOE – Institute for Social-Ecological Research, the KomKlAn research team aims to improve the knowledge base on municipal climate adaptation in Germany and thus to strengthen municipal climate adaptation activities. The Project is commissioned by the German Federal Environment Agency.

    Read more
  • Conflicts of interest over the forest of the future
    News Climate Adaptation

    Conflicts of interest over the forest of the future

    With the International Day of Forests on 21 March, the United Nations draws attention to the value of forests and to the worldwide loss of this important habitat. The effects of climate change are also taking their toll on Germany’s forests. The pressure to adapt is great and time is pressing. But discussions about the “right” landscaping and use of forests bring up many conflicts. In spite of this, how can different interest groups work together to find sustainable solutions for the forest of the future? This question is addressed by the research project “Conflicts over the Forest of the Future” led by ISOE – Institute for Social-Ecological Research. The project is funded by the German Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BMEL).

    Read more
  • How municipalities can accelerate the water transformation
    News Water Climate Adaptation

    How municipalities can accelerate the water transformation

    The United Nations is proclaiming the motto “Accelerating Change” for World Water Day on 22 March. The message: because the pressure on drinking water reserves is increasing worldwide, the change towards sustainable water use must be accelerated. The last summers of persistent heat and drought have shown that the water transformation must also gain momentum in Germany. Scientists at ISOE – Institute for Social-Ecological Research are investigating how sustainable water supply can be achieved in municipalities, for instance through the consistent use of service water in the building sector, including existing buildings and not just newly built ones.

    Read more
  • African savannas: social-ecological research with the aim to protect soils
    News Land Use Climate Adaptation

    African savannas: social-ecological research with the aim to protect soils

    Savannas are underestimated and endangered ecosystems. These drylands cover almost half of the land surface and make an important contribution to biodiversity conservation. But due to climate change and unsustainable land use, already up to 20 percent of these ecosystems worldwide are no longer intact. Using Namibia as an example, researchers from the ISOE – Institute for Social-Ecological Research are investigating how sustainable grazing management can prevent the progressive degradation of soils.

    Read more
  • Strengthening disaster management worldwide and learning from one another
    News Climate Adaptation Land Use

    Strengthening disaster management worldwide and learning from one another

    Within the research project “FlutNetz”, the aim of the scientists from Goethe University Frankfurt, RWTH Aachen University and ISOE – Institute for Social-Ecological Research in Frankfurt is to cooperate with partners from Bangladesh to improve emergency medical care during flood disasters in the country. In 2020, the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) pledged 2.4 million euros in funding for the project. After a delay due to the pandemic, FlutNetz is now getting underway.

    Read more

Events

All Events
  • Conflicts over the forest of the future
    Biodiversity Climate Adaptation Knowledge and Participation

    Conflicts over the forest of the future

    Forest conversion to mixed forest is intended to ensure the sustainability of forests threatened by climate change. Conflicts over their use are dealt with and negotiated in the “Forest of the Future” project through dialog formats such as round tables. 

    Go to Project
  • regulate – Sustainable Groundwater Management in Europe
    Blick auf See und Wald aus Vogelperspektive
    Water Land Use Climate Adaptation

    regulate – Sustainable Groundwater Management in Europe

    The junior research group regulate investigates challenges in the management of groundwater in Europe against the background of acute drought, conflictuality and the complexity of institutional frameworks. 

    Go to Project
  • WissTransKlima – Knowledge transfer for better climate adaptation in municipalities
    Climate Adaptation Knowledge and Participation

    WissTransKlima – Knowledge transfer for better climate adaptation in municipalities

    The three-year research project aims to investigate what kind of knowledge needs and barriers exist among municipal decision-makers and how the latter can then be addressed by means of better knowledge transfer. The intention is to support climate adaptation in Hessian municipalities.
    Go to Project
  • MORE STEP – Mobility at Risk: Sustaining the Mongolian Steppe Ecosystem (Phase I)
    Biodiversity Land Use Climate Adaptation

    MORE STEP – Mobility at Risk: Sustaining the Mongolian Steppe Ecosystem (Phase I)

    The MORE STEP research project investigates processes of change in the ecosystem of the Mongolian steppe and their socio-economic and ecological causes and consequences. The mobility of wild and domesticated herd animals plays a central role here.

    Go to Project
  • Approaches to long-term effective power saving advice
    Sufficiency

    Approaches to long-term effective power saving advice

    Previously tested instruments for saving electricity are to be disseminated in the electricity-saving advice project and combined with advice services offered by local authorities and consumer organizations. 

    Go to Project
  • netWORKS 3 – Sustainable concepts for the municipal water sector
    Water Climate Adaptation

    netWORKS 3 – Sustainable concepts for the municipal water sector

    The goal of the research collaboration netWORKS is to develop innovative and sustainable solutions for the municipal water and wastewater sector. The netWORKS 3 project is designed to help municipalities adapt to the changing determining conditions in the water and wastewater sector.
    Go to Project
  • Climate CO2NTEST – Acceptance and impact of the competition in the Hanover region
    Sufficiency

    Climate CO2NTEST – Acceptance and impact of the competition in the Hanover region

    The competition “Climate CO2NTEST” has the goal to support local and regional climate protection activities of cities and communities. It also encourages private households to practice climate-friendly behavior in everyday life. ISOE is evaluating the project on behalf of the Climate Protection Agency Hanover Region.
    Go to Project
  • IndUK – Individual environmental action and climate protection
    Sufficiency

    IndUK – Individual environmental action and climate protection

    The IndUK project pools results from SÖF projects on climate protection and change, promotes knowledge transfer and develops practical strategies for climate-friendly behavior.

    Go to Project
  • Germany under Climate Change
    Transformation

    Germany under Climate Change

    The German Federal Environment Agency (UBA) has mandated the project partners to study the capability to adapt to climate change and ways into a climate-robust society in 2050.
    Go to Project
  • KlimaAlltag – low carbon lifestyles in the zero emissions city
    Sufficiency

    KlimaAlltag – low carbon lifestyles in the zero emissions city

    The 'KlimaAlltag' project is investigating low carbon lifestyles in different social strata. The focus is on mobility, nutrition, home living and household energy consumption.
    Go to Project
  • netWORKS – Transformations in Network Related Infrastructure Sectors
    Water Climate Adaptation

    netWORKS – Transformations in Network Related Infrastructure Sectors

    The goal of the project group was to develop strategies and instruments that enable municipal decision-makers to take forward-looking action in the current process of transformation to the infrastructure systems.
    Go to Project
  • ecobiente - Designing Sustainable Goods more Succesfully
    Sufficiency

    ecobiente - Designing Sustainable Goods more Succesfully

    The project team of ecobiente accompanied businesses from the construction and housing sectors in developing products on the basis of ecological and target-group specific criteria.
    Go to Project
  • Gender Impact Assessment in Radiation Protection and Environment
    Transformation

    Gender Impact Assessment in Radiation Protection and Environment

    By way of example, ISOE developed the instrument of a gender impact assessment (GIA) for the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Reactor Safety (BMU).
    Go to Project
  • Sustainability Audit
    Transformation

    Sustainability Audit

    In collaboration with the Ökobank, ISOE penned some preliminary ideas for a sustainability audit. The “normal” EC Eco-Audit aims at process-driven improvements in a company's immediate environmental impact, for instance reduced consumption of paper and energy or a reduction in CO2 emissions. The sustainability audit combines the Eco-Audit with a social audit.
    Go to Project

Contact