Project TEACHER-CE joins efforts to increase the adaptation of water management to climate change
Extreme weather events such as floods, heavy rain and droughts are increasingly causing problems in our forests and water supply. This applies not only to Austria, but to all of Europe and that is why transnational cooperation is required. The Austrian Research Centre for Forests (BFW) is therefore working together with 11 partners in the new INTERREG project TEACHER-CE to adapt water management to climate change in Central Europe.
In the upcoming two years 12 Project partners coming from 8 countries (Slovenia, Germany, Austria, Poland, Italy, Slovakia, Czech Republic and Hungary) and different fields of action – like water management, environment, forestry, agriculture, meteorology, spatial planning – will focus on the development of an integrated TEACHER-CE Toolbox. This Toolbox will climate-proof management of water related issues such as floods, heavy rain and drought risk prevention, small water retention measures and protection of water resources through sustainable land-use management.
In 9 Pilot actions in different countries the innovative Toolbox for climate change adaptation and risk prevention will be directly tested. Through these experiences and direct feed-back by involved operators, who are also so-called Associated partners in this project (water suppliers, municipalities, cities, ministries, enterprises, NGOs, environment agencies, national parks) the creation of an optimized and tailored instrument can be guaranteed.
Combing different ideas, tools and strategies
The new project is mainly based on four previous projects: FRAMWAT, PROLINE-CE, RAINMAN, SUSTREE. According to the current Central Europe Program (CE), which is co-financed by the European Union, the results of the previously funded INTERREG, Horizon2020 and LIFE projects are to be combined and new ideas, tools or strategies developed from them.
The Austrian Research Centre for Forests has already taken the lead for the SUSTREE project – for the protection and sustainable management of our forests to maintain diversity in climate change – and is responsible for the implementation of the “Toolbox” in the TEACHER-CE project. The University of Ljubljana provides coordination and serves as Lead Partner of the new project.
At the end of the project an integrated and joint strategy will be released for promoting and stimulating adoption of this innovative TEACHER-CE Toolbox for efficient use by decision makers in the field of water management planning. Due to uncertainties in future climate, the final goal will be to maximize the use of the Toolbox to effectively and robustly mainstream climate change adaption in sectoral plans like Flood-, River Basin-, Drought Management Plans and regional or local spatial plans.
Project website: www.interreg-central.eu/teacher-ce