THEMATIC CENTRE l Urban Adaptation and Health. Pilot Study. Urban adaptation in two Hungarian municipalities

Transcription

1 THEMATIC CENTRE Urban Adaptation and Heath Piot Study Urban adaptation in two Hungarian municipaities

2 Under the OrientGate project s Thematic Centre on Urban Adaptation and Heath, a piot study was carried out in two Hungarian municipaities Veszprém and Budapest s District XIII. The study assessed cimate vunerabiity with a focus on the pubic heath sector, inks between identified vunerabiities and other oca chaenges, and potentia soutions.

3 Piot goas Cimate adaptation chaenges in urban areas are cosey inked to various environmenta and socia probems. Cities thus need to integrate adaptation actions into decision making, which requires vunerabiity and impact assessments and the seection of appropriate and feasibe adaptation measures. The goa of the piot study was to enhance understanding of adaptation in the urban environment, and encourage the participating municipaities to impement adaptation poicies and measures. The study identified the pubic heath sector as a priority in both municipaities. An ageing popuation, poory insuated housing, ack of awareness, and ack of adaptive capacities were found to contribute to the vunerabiity of both the popuation and the pubic heath system in both Veszprém and Budapest s District XIII. Getting invoved The piot study was deveoped in cose cooperation with staff from the two municipaities and oca stakehoders. A participatory approach from the outset was crucia for the successfu coection of data and the detaied assessment of the adaptation needs prioritised by stakehoders. Projections of essentia cimate variabes were provided by the Hungarian Meteoroogica Service (OMSZ). Projected vaues for temperature and precipitation were generated by running two regiona cimate modes. Study focus Budapest s District XIII ies on the river Danube. It is a densey buit area with a constanty increasing voume of traffic and a reativey ow share of green spaces. Veszprém is a medium-sized city in hiy western Hungary. Research data were coected from various sources. Scientists from OMSZ provided projections of future cimate variabes, whie oca stakehoders ranked urban systems according to their priority in the municipaity. Experts from government bodies heped to identify past and future adaptation chaenges affecting urban systems. Stakehoder consutations identified synergies between the adaptation process and daiy decision making. Cimate observations indicate a significant warming tendency in Hungary. Average precipitation data do not show a cear tendency towards increase or decrease, athough the frequency of extreme cimate-reated events is increasing. Budapest s District XIII findings Research focused on the vunerabiity of systems that ensure the smooth running of the district (the pubic heath and socia sectors,

4 transportation, energy, drinking water suppy, sewerage, buidings and recreationa faciities). The biggest hotspots were identified in the eectricity transmission sector due to extreme temperature stress; green spaces due to drought stress; and transportation due to cimate variabiity and food stress. Other urban systems were identified as being sensitive to river and fash foods, urban droughts, heat waves, freezing temperatures and strong winds. Appropriate adaptation poicies and measures were recommended, with an emphasis on the need to enhance oca adaptive capacities and to communicate adaptation needs to neighbouring settements and the nationa government in order to promote action at a more aggregated eve. Vunerabiity in Veszprém Research focused on urban systems prioritised by stakehoders (natura gas and eectricity transmission, drainage and sewerage systems, drinking water suppy, and the pubic heath and socia sectors). The pubic heath sector was identified as the most vunerabe due to a ack of natura and technica cooing in heathcare and socia institutions during heat waves. The vunerabiity of other systems was assessed as ow. Athough a the examined systems have faied in recent years on various occasions due to cimate impacts (extreme temperatures, ice and strong winds), repairs have been made quicky without any significant economic or socia consequences. The vunerabiity of the anaysed systems may increase in the future due to more frequent extreme weather events. Governance was identified as a particuar hotspot. The body responsibe for eectricity transmission and gas pipeines is a private entity ocated outside the city, thus if the frequency of network faiures increases due to cimate change, this entity may not be abe to react in a timey and efficient way. The food suppy chain may aso become more vunerabe. Reiance on oca food production can thus be seen as an adaptation, mitigation and socia measure, as oca farming is promoted.

5 What can be done? The study heped to identify the most vunerabe urban systems in the two municipaities and a number of appropriate adaptation options for sma and medium-sized cities were suggested. These can serve as a starting point for shaping a oca adaptation strategy either at municipaity eve or for an individua sector. Vunerabiity assessments and the identification of potentia measures can aso connect cimate adaptation aspects with short- and ong-term urban panning. Suggested cimate adaptation measures for urban areas incude: the introduction of innovative cimate-resiient spatia panning; the expansion of green areas; the panting of drought-resistant pants; the adoption of new construction codes that minimise demand for air conditioning and promote the use of natura cooing in existing buidings; the upgrading of sewerage and drainage systems; and the improved seaing of urban surfaces to cope with extreme precipitation. The study recommends a number of soft measures such as green investments, pubic awareness raising, and the reguar dissemination of information on extreme weather events.

6 Piot Study 1: Adapted forest management at LTER Zöbeboden, Austria Piot Study 2: Cimate change adaptation measures in Romanian agricuture Piot Study 3: Cimate change adaptation in the new water regime in Pugia region, Itay Piot Study 4: Effects of cimate change on the wetand ecosystems of Attica region, Greece Piot Study 5: Water resources and the use of hydroeectricity, Itay Piot Study 6: Vunerabiity assessment in urban areas, Budapest and Veszprém, Hungary Contacts Lead partner, project coordinator Antonio Navarra Euro-Mediterranean Centre on Cimate Change (CMCC) Via Augusto Imperatore Lecce, Itay Emai: antonio.navarra@cmcc.it Giuia Gauccio Euro-Mediterranean Centre on Cimate Change (CMCC) Corso Magenta Mian Itay Te.: (39-02) Emai: giuia.gauccio@cmcc.it Piot study 6 coordinator Zsuzsanna Iványi Mariia Khovanskaia Regiona Environmenta Center for Centra and Eastern Europe (REC) Ady Endre u Szentendre 2000 Hungary Te.: Emai: zsivanyi@rec.org mkhovanskaia@rec.org