Step 1. Preparing the ground for adaptation

Step 1 introduces the key elements required to start your adaptation process. To create firm foundations for your regional or local authority’s adaptation plan, you should:

• Secure high-level support by creating a favourable political situation for adaptation, bringing in the concept of just and fair resilience for all. Reference could be made to relevant legal obligations, policies, strategies, or plans at higher levels of governance such as National Adaptation Plans or strategies, the EU Adaptation Strategy, the EU Mission on Adaptation to Climate Change, and the EU Floods Directive. Such a bottom-up approach can help trigger actions at the national level, or even strengthen your position if National Adaptation Plans or Strategies specifically require regions or local authorities to develop their own strategies.

• Collect existing information by identifying evidence and data on current and potential future climate impacts, adaptation actions, good practices examples (from within or outside your region) and other relevant information at the local, regional, or national levels.  Such information can be extracted from the Climate ADAPT country profiles , the European Climate Data Explorer, the ﷟  and the Adaptation Dashboard.
• Establish coordination mechanisms and clarify internal roles and responsibilities tailored to the size and capacity of your regional or local authority (including human and technical resources) that facilitate cross-sectoral and multi-level decisions. Options include:
1. Establishing a central unit or member of staff responsible for coordinating adaptation,
2. Mainstreaming adaptation into existing workstreams, e.g., into an interdepartmental group, or
3. Assigning responsibility for adaptation to an existing department.
• Identify financing and funding sources, including national sources and EU funding of adaptation, particularly for the adaptation planning process itself.
• Foster stakeholder involvement and raise awareness to ensure public and private participation and continuous monitoring and evaluation of the adaptation actions throughout the implementation phase.

Further guidance on how regional and local authorities can prepare the ground for adaptation can be found in:

• Methods and Tools for Adaptation to Climate Change - A Handbook for Provinces, Regions and Cities

• Climate change planning for regional and local authorities

Further information on the consideration of justice at this step can be found here:

• Just transition in the context of adaptation to climate change