Municipal and regional climate risk management

Local authorities such as municipalities or counties but also entire regions are increasingly faced with the task of adapting their infrastructure, residential areas, and administrative processes to the consequences of climate change. Recurring heat waves, heavy rainfall, and prolonged periods of drought are placing pressures on the population, the economy, and the environment. Local authorities are particularly challenged in this regard: they must take precautions, assess risks, and implement measures to prevent damage and ensure quality of life.

The German Federal Climate Adaptation Act requires local authorities to develop their own strategies and adaptation plans. In practice, however, integrating these new tasks into existing administrative structures is proving challenging. There is often a lack of standardized assessment methods, transparent and comprehensible decision-making criteria, and uniform indicators for monitoring and performance review.

At FiW we support municipalities, counties, regions, and all affected stakeholders in systematically recording climate risks and embedding them in planning processes. Our services include the creation of integrated adaptation concepts, technical support for funding applications, and the development of digital tools for decision support. Using appropriate models, we analyze flood risks, heat stress, and drought effects. In addition, we develop evaluation indicators that enable transparent prioritization of measures.

But we also focus on communication: we involve administrations, specialist authorities, politicians, businesses, and the public in participatory processes and promote knowledge transfer and self-reliance. The aim is to enable local authorities to identify climate risks at an early stage and independently implement sustainable adaptation strategies - as a basis for resilient, livable, and climate-adapted cities and regions.