27.7.2023
Step 4:
EN
Official Journal of the European Union
C 264/17
Developing an action plan and implementing adaptation actions
Step 4 of the guidelines will help to: — turn adaptation options into adaptation actions; — create an adaptation action plan; — prepare the ground for implementation through adaptation pathways.
An adaptation action plan translates proposed adaptation options into specific adaptation actions that can be implemented.
In general, the plan details what needs to be done (by whom and when), resource needs, allocation and availability.
Adaptation action plan(s) are therefore an integral part of any adaptation strategy since they facilitate the implementation of adaptation actions.
The action plan usually covers a shorter time horizon as opposed to the climate adaptation strategy, and it is revised more regularly.
The implementation of a single climate adaptation strategy may therefore be covered by multiple action plans.
Step 4.a.
Essential elements of an adaptation action plan Case example 4: mainstreaming adaptation in water management for flood protection in Isola Vicentina, Italy Isola Vicentina (Italy) signed the EU’s Mayors Adapt initiative in 2014 and since then began the process of developing its Municipal water management plan (MWMP) to integrate climate change adaptation into its water management policies.
The plan analysed each drainage basin, river and stream flowing through the municipality, evaluating their maximum water flow rate and flood-wave size with different return periods (5, 10, 20, 30, 100, and 300-years).
The critical issues identified were the starting point to plan prevention and preparedness measures, as well as around 50 punctual protection measures, such as: (i) adoption of a management and maintenance regulation framework over small private ditches, (ii) one of the three planned water retention areas is now under construction, and (iii) identification of a 10-hectare pilot area to simulate how the preservation of woodlands can improve the resilience of the municipal territory to flooding and landslides.
— Implementation steps and pathways, taking into account the uncertainty of climate change impacts in the shortterm (2030s), mid-term (2050s), or long term (2100s).
An adaptation action plan can be structured in adaptation pathways, where the implementation scheme for each adaptation option consists of a sequence of measures towards an ultimate adaptation goal.
Therefore, adaptation pathways resemble a decision tree and, since measures can be implemented progressively, allow for flexible policy planning.
Climate-induced extreme weather events or changes in the projected future climate can trigger a review mechanism to see if an adaptation pathway still meets the adaptation objective.