About LIFE UrbanAdapt

LIFE Urban Adapt is working on:

An increased risk of flooding due to intensive rainfall and rising sea water levels.
Elevated temperatures caused by the urban heat island effect (UHI).
Damage to flora and fauna on land and in water.

ROTTERDAM

Our climate is changing. As a world port city in the Dutch delta, Rotterdam will notice the effects of this. The sea level is rising, which will eventually have consequences for the safety of our dykes. River discharges will become more extreme, increasing the risk of flooding and thus increasing the risk of casualties and (economic) damage. Very intensive rain showers will also occur more often, which the current sewer system can no longer handle and that will lead to water on the streets and other nuisances. At the same time, the chance of prolonged periods of drought and heat increases, which can affect the liveability of the city.
Rotterdam is a forerunner in the field of climate adaptation and in 2001 was the first major European city with an EU-approved climate strategy. The elaboration of this strategy is already visible in several small-scale public locations, such as the water squares.
From 2013, the Rotterdam Adaptation Strategy (RAS) will chart the course along which we will adapt to climate change. Implementation of measures in the city is progressing steadily, but in order to make great strides, climate adaptation must be integrated on a larger scale. This requires commitment not only from the municipality, but also from residents, companies and other social organisations.

EU & CLIMATE CHANGE

To protect the European economy and society from the negative effects of climate change, the EU is looking for sustainable solutions that can contribute to this. That is why the importance of urban adaptation strategies is high on the European policy agenda. Rotterdam is known as a front runner in the field of climate adaptation and was the first major European city with an established adaptation strategy. This complex process requires good cooperation with all relevant stakeholders, where mutual interests are sought and found to implement effective climate adaptation measures together. LIFE Urban Adapt wants to show the potential of this participatory approach for implementing urban climate adaptation strategies and measures. Click here for more information about the European LIFE program.

News

KNOWLEDGE SHARING: Antwerp visits Rotterdam

June 20, 2017

The delegation visited a large number of the Rotterdam climate adaptation projects, with a strong emphasis on the social component of climate adaptation projects. Flooding can only be solved in the future if all parties involved work together to arrive at an optimal solution. Public-private partnership is a spearhead at both demonstration locations…

MONITOR: Progress visit by NEEMO / LIFE

11 May 2017

During the visit, the project progress was first presented, after which the project team gave guided tours of the project locations Mallegat and Nassauhaven, where natural banks are being built to improve the flora and fauna in the Nieuwe Maas while at the same time creating more environmental greenery for the inhabitants of the neighboring districts. . After a delicious cup of coffee in cafe…

ZOHO: Separated sky water system for Vijverhofstraat

December 11, 2016

One of the solutions that will be applied to make the neighborhood climate-adaptive is the decoupling of the sewer and the rainwater drainage system. This will start in the Vijverhofstraat. A development plan procedure has been started for decoupling both systems, which will run for at least 1.5 years. This initiative is part of the LIFE…

TIDES PARK: Ecology in the Nassauhaven

July 13, 2016

First large and multi-year measurement. The monitoring offers a unique opportunity to gain insight into what is going on in the Nassauhaven (a harbor basin under the influence of tides with ebb and flow) and the positive contribution that the construction of a nature-friendly bank can make.

VIDEO: Water in your neighborhood?

July 11, 2016

Sometimes it rains so hard that the sewers can't handle it. Fortunately, we have a solution for that in Rotterdam. Watch the video about rainwater and sewage in the ZoHo/Agniesebuurt:

WEBINAR: Covenant of Mayors webinar on LIFE

June 7, 2016

Webinar agenda 9 June 2016 from 11:00-12:00 Eugenia Mansutti (CoMO) – very short introduction of the speakers and aim of the webinar (5') Bernd Decker, Jelena Milos – European Commission Presentation of the 2016 LIFE calls (20 ') General introduction to the calls Climate Action calls – mitigation and adaptation Integrated projects Cleo Pouw, City of…