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

ZOHO: Networks with Water Sensitive Rotterdam

November 9, 2017

Various initiatives have been set up in Rotterdam that aim to make the city greener, more resilient and climate-adaptive. Water Sensitive Rotterdam is one of these initiatives and offers a platform to everyone who is committed to a greener, climate-adaptive Rotterdam. Representatives of the LIFE Urban Adapt project recently visited the WSR-Café to…

ZOHO: Rain barrels of all kinds

November 1, 2017

In October 2017, the actual construction of the barrels began, which will be placed near the rain garden in December of that year. Interested in the building and construction process, take a look at Studi Bas Sala's Twitter. In addition to this large public water storage capacity, the first smaller smart water barrels have also been placed on…

TIDES PARK: Construction of Nassauhaven has started

September 15, 2017

The nature-friendly bank takes the form of a gentle slope. The realization of a very gradual transition from water to land stimulates the effect of ebb and flow on nature development. As a result, the nature-friendly shoreline can offer fish a spawning and hiding place, and opportunities for new macrofauna are created. The water and riverbank vegetation plays a role in this…

ZOHO: Start construction rain garden

September 1, 2017

Due to climate change it is raining more and more often and harder. This causes unnecessary nuisance in many neighborhoods because the sewers often overflow and therefore requires creative, new solutions that place less of a burden on the sewer. A common solution is to separate the waste and rainwater systems, but that probably does not solve the problems. In ZOHO…

ZOHO: Design rain garden ready

11 August 2017

If everything goes according to plan, the residents of the Zomerhofkwartier will be able to enjoy this extra piece of greenery in the center of Rotterdam at the beginning of 2018. The rain garden is part of the LIFE URBAN ADAPT project and the area approach for the Agniesebuurt.

KNOWLEDGE SHARING: Climate adaptive cities in Barcelona

June 21, 2017

The LIFE platform meeting on climate adaptation in the urban area was organized this year in Barcelona. During the two-day meeting, a large number of LIFE projects were presented in four different tracks, including our own LIFE Urban Adapt project. In addition to the enormous amount of knowledge and insights that were shared, the meeting was…