Adaptation AGORA project fosters European climate resilience through collaboration and community-based adaptation. It co-designs and implements tailored solutions, engages stakeholders, and promotes climate justice, empowerment, and societal transformation aiming for a climate resilient Europe with innovative approaches and effective policies.
Adaptation AGORA, a HORIZON Europe project, aims to enhance European resilience to climate change by promoting collaboration and community-based adaptation practices. Its main ambition is to drive societal transformation in various contexts, fostering democracy, climate justice, and citizens' empowerment. The project involves citizens, experts, policymakers, and others in co-designing innovative climate adaptation solutions tailored to local needs.
Adaptation AGORA provides digital tools and frameworks to enhance awareness and empower informed citizens to actively participate in shaping sustainable local development. The project serves as a meeting point for sharing knowledge, expertise, and practices, fostering dialogue between communities and sciences. Pilot regions in Germany, Sweden, Spain, and Italy act as co-production arenas for implementing climate adaptation solutions.
The ultimate goal is to create a roadmap for transformational change, citizen engagement, and effective policy instruments, ensuring a lasting legacy of climate resilience in Europe. Adaptation AGORA strives to build a strong, dynamic community of aware citizens committed to making a positive impact on climate action and achieving a climate resilient future.
The Cooperative and Transformative Governance (CAT) research group of the Advancing Systems Analysis (ASA) program contributes to Adaptation AGORA by leading research on participatory governance. This involves analyzing participatory elements in climate change adaptation policies. By examining how different stakeholders are involved, gaps in representation can be identified and addressed, ensuring that the voices of the most vulnerable and affected communities are heard and considered. The analysis should help in crafting strategies that are not only scientifically sound but also socially inclusive and lead to broader acceptance and stronger commitment from all stakeholders.
News
12 February 2026
Drought Survey in Catalonia Reveals Public Skepticism but Strong Willingness to Engage
How do people respond when the impacts of climate change hit close to home? A new study by IIASA and CMCC from the EU-funded project Adaptation AGORA (A Gathering place to cO-design and co-cReate Adaptation) reveals a striking paradox: while citizens in Catalonia show deep skepticism toward climate adaptation policies, they also demonstrate a “strong willingness to take action themselves”.
27 November 2025
Bridging the Digital Divide: IIASA Presents Culturally Sensitive Approach to Climate Misinformation at ICEGOV, Abuja, Nigeria
At the International Conference on Theory and Practice of Electronic Governance (ICEGOV 2025), IIASA researchers highlighted the critical role of cultural context in combating climate change disinformation. Presenting the Adaptation AGORA project, they showcased a suite of innovative digital tools, including a mobile app and a dedicated Disinformation Academy, designed to empower citizens and build climate resilience through inclusive, participatory governance. The project moves beyond top-down approaches to co-create adaptation strategies that are both scientifically robust and socially legitimate.
11 October 2024
IIASA featured in the Disaster Research Days 2024 panel on Technological Shift: Boosting Innovation for First Responders in a Digital Age
In the light of new technologies and their serious impact on societies and the environment, and in the rise of global changes in natural hazards, the need for cooperation and shared understanding for shaping the future of disaster risk reduction has become clearer than ever. This year’s Disaster Research Days events are more focused on this goal, and IIASA's Cooperation and Transformative Governance Research Group leader, Nadejda Komendantova, was invited to share her innovative insights.