The ClimAdaPT.Local project goal is the development of 26 Municipal Adaptation Strategies for Climate Change (MASCC), through the training of local municipality officials, engaging local communities and rehearsing an approach that can be replicated throughout the country.
In order to increase the capacity for municipalities to incorporate adaptation to climate change in their planning and territorial management instruments, several methodologies and tools were developed. One of these tools, which is an innovative part of the processes developed so far in the elaboration of these type of strategies, is local stakeholder engagement.
In this presentation, we will show the results of that consultation tool, that is the engagement and active participation of a wide and diverse group of local stakeholders in the elaboration and future implementation of the 26 MASCC. The municipalities were selected by inter-municipality community (on per each community in Portugal), which has enabled ensuring a wide geographic, socio-economic and cultural diversity.
Workshops were carried out in order to understand perceptions of climate change impact, local risks, and also dispositions and suggestions to be incorporated in the ongoing MASCC, in 26 sessions that brought together the main stakeholders of the local communities concerned.
Each session comprised several discussion tables, in which a moderator and a reporter facilitated the debate, based on a script structured in three fundamental axes: (i) perceptions of the impacts already felt, or not, of climate change in the municipality; (ii) assessment of the viability of the proposals included in the strategy designed by municipal officials , as well as obstacles, responsibilities, suggestions and recommendations; (iii) visions of the future: how climate change and local identity will be articulated in the near future.
The information gathered aimed at: (i) obtaining a global reference framework on perceptions and sensitivity to Climate Change at a local level; (ii) to complement the vulnerabilities assessment made by the technicians from each municipality; (iii) to inform, adjust and optimise the local communication strategies.
In this presentation, we will analyse results regarding climate change perceptions from the different groups of stakeholders engaged in the workshops.