Engaging civil society – promoting climate adaptation

How can we make our regions, cities and towns more resilient and thus foster a future worth living? This was the topic of our international conference at the beginning of October in Cascais (PT). The Portuguese coastal town is a pioneer in climate action and, with the Adapt Cascais Fund, is impressively demonstrating how climate adaptation can be strengthened locally.

Like every other city in Europe, Cascais has to prepare for the effects of the climate crisis – rising sea levels, the threat of heatwaves, fire hazards and coastal erosion. The city council realised its responsibility early on: its first climate action plan was drawn up in 2009 while the city-wide climate adaptation action plan has been in place since 2017. The Adapt Cascais Fund is one key aspect of the city’s efforts. Aimed at civil society organisations, the fund allows for direct participation in climate action.

"With the Adapt Cascais Fund, we are making civil society and citizens part of our journey towards a resilient city. Through the fund, these actors can strengthen their impact on local climate protection and adaptation measures, contributing their own ideas," explains Nuno Piteira Lopes, Deputy Mayor of Cascais. So far, there have been two calls for proposals, one in 2021 and one in 2023, each with total funding of 24,000 euros and a maximum of 3,000 euros awarded per project. A total of 17 applications for projects addressing local priority issues such as the preservation of protected landscapes, coastal areas and green spaces were selected in both calls – as illustrated by the following three project examples:

Agroforestry. Promotion of an agricultural model for the regeneration of ecosystems that are better adapted to the climate crisis through, for example, faster infiltration of water into the soil or reduced susceptibility to pests.

Nature-based solutions. Enhancing the environment by establishing a green corridor and creating green spaces through community vegetable gardens involving local residents and schools.

Flooding. Communication campaign on the consequences of the climate crisis and installation of warning signs on all the main beaches in Cascais with information on local adaptation measures accessible via QR code.

“The 2021 call for proposals was the first test for the fund and it was a complete success. We received significantly more applications than we expected and more than our funding budget would have allowed. All of the selected projects were successfully implemented and have had a visible and tangible impact on the local community,” comments João Dinis, project coordinator for the City of Cascais. The fund is also impressive in terms of its figures: the results of the first projects boast 6,000 kg of plastic removed from the ocean, 1,150 metres of green spaces preserved, 380 kg of waste eliminated, 91 trees planted and 2,075 citizens involved.

With the Adapt Cascais Fund, this Portuguese coastal town has managed to combine the challenges of local climate adaptation and citizen engagement. In this way, Cascais is promoting an active civil society and releasing untapped local potential. The Adapt Cascais Fund model can be replicated and thus has the power to inspire stakeholders far beyond Cascais’ own city limits and sustainably strengthen local resilience in regions, cities and towns across Europe.

Learn more about the Adapt Cascais Fund

_{Written in October 2024}