Urban Adaptation in Two Hungarian Municipalities: city of Veszprem and XIII District of Budapest

Research has started from the first consultations with the local stakeholders. Local stakeholders and experts from government bodies ranked urban systems according to their priority in the municipalities and identified most important adaptation challenges affecting these urban systems. Also the stakeholders assessed vulnerability of the current systems against potential future climate impacts. Projections of future climate variables were provided by scientists from Hungarian Meteorological Service (OMSZ). Climate observations indicate a significant warming tendency in Hungary. Average precipitation data do not show a clear tendency towards increase or decrease, although the frequency of extreme climate-related events is increasing.

Public health sector was identified as a priority in both municipalities. Both populstion and facilities/buildings providing important health services such as hospitals, kinder gartens, and residences for senior citizens were assessed as highly vulnerable to the heat waves stress. Functional relationship between excess mortality and increasing temperatures allows to forecast excess mortality under the future climate scenarios.Collected data about adaptive capacities of the mentioned facility allow to assess degree of climate resilience of the public health sectorT. An ageing population, poorly insulated housing, lack of awareness, and lack of adaptive capacities were found to contribute to the vulnerability of both the population and the public health system in both Veszprém and Budapest’s

District XIII: Research focused on the vulnerability of systems that ensure the smooth running of the district (the public health and social sectors, transportation, energy, drinking water supply, sewerage, buildings and recreational facilities). The biggest hotspots were identified in the electricity transmission sector due to extreme temperature stress; green spaces due to drought stress; and transportation due to climate variability and flood stress. Other urban systems were identified as being sensitive to river and flash floods, urban droughts, heat waves, freezing temperatures and strong winds.

Veszprém Research focused on urban systems prioritised by stakeholders (natural gas and electricity transmission, drainage and sewerage systems, drinking water supply, and the public health and social sectors). The public health sector was identified as the most vulnerable due to a lack of natural and technical cooling in healthcare and social institutions during heat waves. The vulnerability of other systems was assessed as low. Although all the examined systems have failed in recent years on various occasions due to climate impacts (extreme temperatures, ice and strong winds), repairs have been made quickly without any significant economic or social consequences. The vulnerability of the analysed systems may increase in the future due to more frequent extreme weather events. Governance was identified as a particular hotspot. The body responsible for electricity transmission and gas pipelines is a private entity located outside the city, thus if the frequency of network failures increases due to climate change, this entity may not be able to react in a timely and efficient way.

Climate adaptation challenges in urban areas are closely linked to various environmental and social problems. Cities thus need to integrate adaptation actions into decision making, which requires vulnerability and impact assessments and the selection of appropriate and feasible adaptation measures. The main objective of the pilot study was to enhance understanding of adaptation in the urban environment, and encourage the participating municipalities to implement adaptation policies and measures. The study performed vulnerability assessment of the selected urban systems of two municipalities, identified vulnerability hot-spots, and compiled a list of suggested adaptation measures. Awareness raising among the local stakeholders was an integral part of the case study.

A number of appropriate adaptation options for small and medium-sized cities were suggested.
Recommended adaptation policies include development of local adaptation strategies, communication of adaptation needs to neighbouring settlements and the national government in order to promote action at a more aggregated level, development of local heat wave plans, adoption of new construction codes that minimise demand for air conditioning and promote the use of natural cooling in existing buildings, introduction of innovative climate-resilient spatial planning.
Suggested climate adaptation measures for urban areas include: expansion of green areas, planting of drought-resistant plants, upgrading of sewerage and drainage systems, improved sealing of urban surfaces to cope with extreme precipitation.
Recommendations for the public health sector measures against extreme heat stress include prevention actions through early warning systems and awareness raising, introduction of special menues during the heat waves, improved cooling either through ecosystem measures such as tree planting or artificial measures such as installed air conditioning system, introduction of window shadings. To make air conditioning systems more climate friendly it was suggested to use renewable energy as power source.
The study recommends a number of soft measures such as green investments, public awareness raising, and the regular dissemination of information on extreme weather events.

The main form of stakeholder participation was stakeholder consultation. Three events per pilot study were conducted. In Veszprem the stakeholder consultations took place in Aptil 2013, October 2013, and May 2014. XIII. District of Budapest hosted the stakeholder consultations in February 2013, August 2013, and September 2014.

The first event in both municipalities represented pre-liminary consultation with the local experts. During this event the local experts selected the urban systems which they considered as most important for the functionning of the municipalities and most important past and future adaptation challenges.

The second event at each venue followed the same structure: after having introduced climate change and the OrientGate project, interactive discussion was facilitated on personal experiences of participants on sensitivity/vulnerability of the urban system and impacts of climate change. Actors involved represented different stakeholder groups, as local authorities, health care services and nursery homes, schools, research institutions,  infrastructure maintenance etc.

The third event provided a forum for participants to learn and discuss  the outcome of the pilot studies on the vulnerbility of the urban system. Then a roundtable was organized, where the discussion topics were suggested by the municipality, as follows:

Veszprem: vulnerability to climate change and adaptation related challenges in the field of food security and human health. Panelists included representative of local governements (including host), Chamber of Agriculture, Union for Gastronomy, companies  for food supply, food producers, schools etc.

XIII. District: experience on public involvement related to reducing harmful impacts of climate change, suggestions how to raise awareness and improve public participation. Panelists included representative of municipality, Red Cross, NGOs, business and economic sphere, Civil Protection Directorate  etc.

During the stakeholder events it turned out that there are lot of activities related to subject are going on at local levels and many good initatives have started already demonstrating that key players are more active here than at national level. Participants of the events were very active and welcomed the events, stressing the importance of  receiving  information,  and providing with a forum where different stakeholders could get together offering basis for future co-operation and disseminating good practices.

Success factors include previous positive experience of the municipalities regarding participation in the climate projects and strong political will of the contact points of the OrientGate project in the municipalities to bring adaptation on the municipal agendas.

The case study was carried out under the Hungarian national legislation.

1-5 years: any of the policies and measures suggested in above can be implenebted within a year provided political will is strong

It is difficult to assess. Such measure as expading of green areas does not have definite life span.

Ms. Zsuzsanna Ivanyi: ZsIvanyi@rec.org
Ms. Venelina Varbova: Vvarbova@rec.org
Ms. Mariia Khovanskai: mkhova@rec.org
Ms. Reka Prokai: Rprokai@rec.org