Impact project: climate monitoring research and development in municipality of Groningen
Groningen is working on climate adaptation in order to prepare for and adapt to the changing climate. However, the municipality cannot achieve these goals by itself. It is essential for residents and businesses to embark on climate adaptation too. The municipality is developing a climate monitor to encourage them to take action.
A climate monitor can provide residents and businesses with insight into climate effects in their immediate vicinity, such as waterlogging, heat islands, and damage caused by drought. The monitor can also show how effective measures are in combating climate effects.
What is the purpose of the climate monitor?
The climate monitor is used in the context of the risk dialogue and is featured in the strategy that the municipality of Groningen set down in February 2020 on the basis of the stress test. The climate monitor serves the following purposes:
- Among residents and entrepreneurs, it must raise awareness of climate change and of the corresponding vulnerabilities of their neighbourhoods or villages;
- The monitor must inform residents and entrepreneurs of measures that they themselves can take, and must show them the impact of such measures. The monitor must present an overall picture of what is possible and what is happening;
- In the longer run, the monitor must provide insight into how all the measures are fostering the realisation of the climate adaptation goals for the municipality of Groningen;
- The municipality intends to use the monitor to gain insight into the volume of trees and greenery in the public space and on private premises, and into their use or function at the neighbourhood and village levels.
What has prompted its development?
The outcomes of the stress test constitute the basis for the climate monitor. This is the development process of the climate monitor:
- When conducting the stress test, the municipality had already invited external parties to weigh in and fine-tune the stress test. In addition to strategic partners such as district water boards and the province, such stakeholders as corporations, hospitals, healthcare institutes, and welfare institutes were involved, as were nature, greenery, and agricultural organisations. The results of the stress test can be viewed online on the groningenclimate-proof.nl
- Based on the stress test, Groningen has formulated its ambitions and its strategy. The Municipal Executive endorsed this climate adaptation strategy in February 2020; with a view to the corona crisis, the Municipal Council will probably consider the strategy in the summer of 2020. The climate monitor is featured in the strategy under “communication and participation”. This is a vital element, because it is imperative for the municipality to win individual residents and entrepreneurs over to its goals and ambitions.
How is the climate monitor being developed?
How do you present the outcomes of the stress test, in the climate monitor, in a manner that residents and entrepreneurs understand and that enables them to associate the outcomes with local climate effects? This requires translation of the outcomes of the stress test into comprehensible indicators. The Spatial Transformations – Water department of the Hanze University of Applied Sciences Groningen has played a key part in this. This research group has drawn up a survey of various indicators for climate change, climate adaptation, and the side effects. In the survey, the researchers have also considered residents’ readiness to take action and their immediate living environment. In addition to the survey, they have provided an overview of the indicators that tie in with the situation in Groningen and the available stress test results.
What else can Groningen do with the monitor?
These indicators enable the municipality to present information on the effects of climate change and climate adaptation in each area. This information is not just intended for the residents and entrepreneurs of a particular neighbourhood, industrial estate, or village. The monitor also provides input for the municipality, e.g., in the continuous process of area-specific risk dialogues. The climate monitor enables the municipality to substantiate and evaluate the risk dialogues more efficiently. Rather than remaining a collection of interconnected projects, climate adaptation can thus evolve into a continuous process. Finally, the climate monitor provides input for the area-specific communication strategy that the municipality is formulating and that it will be rolling out in the years ahead.
Special features
The climate monitor is an important source for the risk dialogue. Rather than a demarcated project with a well-defined beginning and end, a risk dialogue is a continuous process involving stakeholders, residents, and entrepreneurs. The municipality plays an active part in this process. In fact, the risk dialogue commenced by drawing up the stress test, which the municipality did in collaboration with the stakeholders. Subsequently, it formulated the climate adaptation strategy together with its partners. Now, it is focusing on collaboration with the individual residents and entrepreneurs. This total process, this risk dialogue, will grow in intensity in the years ahead. After all, it is intended to lead to closer collaboration, to raise awareness among residents and entrepreneurs, and to encourage them to take action. This goal can only be achieved if you continue to actively involve them in the process and maintain a dialogue.
Lessons to be learned
Do not underestimate the effect of marketing and advertising. A website or monitor alone will not suffice to achieve your goal. They must always be linked to a communicative action. In addition, ensure that you really have something to offer, as a municipality. Do not just provide information via a website, but arrange a total package comprising:
- information instruments, such as a digital monitor or viewers;
- specific actions, such as de-paving projects [Operatie Steenbreek];
- incentive instruments, such as grants or support for ideas submitted by residents;
- a good marketing campaign to reach people.
The municipality of Groningen is committed to an area-specific approach, inter alia, involving this climate monitor. Thus, the authorities are attempting to tailor their efforts to their residents’ immediate environment.
Contact person
Martijn Schuit
Gemeente Groningen
Martijn.Schuit@groningen.nl