UNDERPIN Launches with Kick-Off Meeting to Advance Climate Adaptation Monitoring in Europe

UNDERPIN addresses critical gaps in monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL) for climate adaptation across Europe. Over the next four years, the project will design, develop, and validate an outcome-oriented framework that enhances existing approaches for assessing climate resilience. A major challenge in the field has been the lack of standardized indicators capable of measuring the real effectiveness of adaptation efforts. Current frameworks tend to emphasize processes but fall short in tracking long-term resilience outcomes.

To bridge this gap, UNDERPIN will develop and test a set of practical indicators, supported by novel data sources such as Earth observation and citizen science. A user-friendly, AI-assisted dashboard will provide real-time analysis at EU and regional levels, helping policymakers and practitioners to track adaptation progress and make evidence-based decisions. The project will work closely with stakeholders in three pilot regions - the Basque Country, Cluj-Napoca, and Normandie - to ensure that the tools developed are relevant and usable.

IIASA will play a central role in the scientific leadership of the project. The SYRR group is leading the work on developing the outcome indicator framework, while the NODES group is responsible for advancing the design of the interactive dashboard. By coordinating across these areas, IIASA will help ensure that the project’s outputs are both scientifically robust and policy relevant.

The timing of UNDERPIN is particularly significant, as the IPCC AR7 process has just begun. Insights from the project on measuring adaptation effectiveness will directly inform the forthcoming assessment, strengthening the evidence base on how well adaptation actions reduce vulnerabilities and build resilience. By aligning with the EU Adaptation Strategy and UNFCCC's Global Goal on Adaptation, UNDERPIN will help harmonize adaptation monitoring across governance levels, fostering a more coordinated and just approach to resilience-building in Europe.

Stay tuned as the project advances its work to make climate adaptation more measurable, effective, and impactful across Europe.