European Union flag

Objective(s)

The Manual aims to support regional and local authorities in effectively engaging stakeholders and citizens throughout the entire adaptation process.

Short description

The DIY Manual is a step-by-step guide that offers insights, participatory approaches, practical guidance, and experiences from local authorities, along with thematic tools for involving stakeholders and citizens in climate adaptation planning.

Free keywords

Stakeholder and citizen engagement; Participation; Communication; Collaboration; Co-creation

Readiness for use

Tool broadly used

This tool is fully deployed and available in all official EU languages. It has been refined based on user feedback from previous versions and on insights, experiences and needs expressed by regions and local authorities.

Applications

The Manual is used in Europe by regions, local authorities and communities, stakeholders and citizens, and partners of EU-funded projects.
Since its first publication in April 2023, it has been downloaded 2610 times by June 2025, including updates and complementary flyers. It has been used in the Technical Assistance with regions and local authorities (e.g. Tallinn, Galicia, Valladolid, etc.).

Strengths and weaknesses, comparative added value to other similar tools

Strengths:
(+) The Manual is flexible and multilingual, clear and structured, aligned with the Regional Adaptation Support Tool (RAST). It gives practical examples that can be applied to very different contexts. Its tools and methodologies were carefully selected, based on research and feedback from practitioners.
(+) There are very different examples of tools and methodologies, some that require low effort or resources and others that imply more resources, time and effort.
(+) The DIY Manual includes summary tables for the different adaptation steps, which are easy to understand.

Weaknesses:
(-) It is a written document. It might require time to read it. It still needs adaptation to each local context and needs, with more specific local technical assistance.
(-) Most of the participatory processes mentioned would need facilitation capacity and specific skills.

Complementarity: The Manual works well with other tools and approaches needed for climate adaptation, like risk assessment tools, climate risk indicators, decision-support tools, and participatory budgeting processes, among others.

Input(s)

No specific technical data inputs are required for this tool.

Stakeholder and citizen engagement requires institutional and political commitment in communication and participation, staff time, organisation, and facilitation capacity.

The tools need to be applied to each context (as explained in the Manual). Pre-existing local knowledge, stakeholder mapping and analysis, and adaptation plans or starting process or willingness of adaptation are helpful, as it is a Manual on how to engage stakeholders and citizens in climate adaptation.

Output(s)

Outputs are varied, such as stakeholder mapping and analysis, and structured participative methodologies. Outputs are qualitative and process-oriented

Replicability: Cost/effort for (new) usage

Not applicable.

Materials or other support available

The DIY Manual is further supported by thematic flyers, video materials, templates, examples, and an online helpdesk on the Mission Portal. Targeted training sessions have been developed in 2024 and 2025, and the recording and shared materials can be found on the website https://climate-adapt.eea.europa.eu/en/mission/solutions/citizen-engagement-manual

Website and maintenance

https://climate-adapt.eea.europa.eu/en/mission/solutions/citizen-engagement-manual

Contact

Link to Helpdesk: https://ec.europa.eu/eusurvey/runner/MIP4AdaptHelpDesk23

Associated project(s)

EU Mission Implementation Platform for Adaptation to Climate Change (MIP4Adapt), funded under Horizon Europe.

Step 1. Preparing the ground for adaptation
Step 2. Assessing climate change risks and vulnerabilities
Step 3. Identifying adaptation options
Step 4. Assessing and selecting adaptation options
Step 5. Implementing adaptation
Step 6. Monitoring and evaluating adaptation

It is relevant to all RAST steps. All steps are mentioned, explained and supported in detail.

National, Regional, Municipal/Local

Applicable at the national, regional, municipal, and local levels. Designed for participatory adaptation planning processes.

Geographical area

The tool is applicable to all EU regions, including coastal, mountain, urban, and rural areas, as well as beyond the EU.

Non specific

While different experiences and examples are shared (e.g. Communication campaigns for extreme temperatures and flooding), the Manual focuses on participatory examples of tools and methodologies, based on the objectives (i.e., why should stakeholders and citizens be engaged?), and all steps of climate adaptation. Thus, it supports engagement for all climate hazards.

Available in all official languages of the EU.      

Non specific

While experiences and examples are shared from different sectors, the Manual focuses on participatory examples of tools and methodologies, based on the objectives (i.e., why should stakeholders and citizens be engaged?), and all steps of climate adaptation. Thus, it supports engagement that can be applied to very different sectors.

Furthermore, it provides examples from all sectors.

Researcher, Staff of regional authority, Stakeholders, Citizen

The Manual is designed to be used by experts and to be accessible to non-experts as well.

Basic, Advanced

No technical or expert background required, but facilitation and coordination skills are needed.

A flexible, modular structure allows adaptation to user capability.         

Disclaimer
The contents and links to third-party items on this Mission webpage are developed by the MIP4Adapt team led by Ricardo, under contract CINEA/2022/OP/0013/SI2.884597 funded by the European Union and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union, CINEA, or those of the European Environment Agency (EEA) as host of the Climate-ADAPT Platform. Neither the European Union nor CINEA nor the EEA accepts responsibility or liability arising out of or in connection with the information on these pages.

Language preference detected

Do you want to see the page translated into ?

Exclusion of liability
This translation is generated by eTranslation, a machine translation tool provided by the European Commission.