Climate change Adaptation
Climate change is presenting us with ever greater challenges: Extreme weather, rising temperatures and changing precipitation patterns are affecting our environment, infrastructure and quality of life. Our Climate Change Adaptation Programme supports municipalities and regions in the province of Salzburg in adapting to these changes at an early stage and developing sustainable, future-proof solutions.
The changing climate
One serious consequence of global warming is the change in the weather with an increase in extreme events. In recent years, this has led to an increase in heavy rainfall, flooding, mudslides, rockfalls and landslides, as well as longer periods of heat and drought.
Due to its topographical location with high alpine terrain and alpine foothills, the province of Salzburg is affected by climate change in many ways – and will continue to feel the effects in the future. This includes both the large catchment areas on the main Alpine ridge with the changing permafrost and snowfall boundary area as well as the valley locations and the lowlands, which are challenged by increased settlement pressure and more frequent heavy precipitation events as well as hot and dry periods.
The consequences of climate change can therefore also be clearly felt in Salzburg. Summers are getting hotter and hotter, extreme events are increasing, glaciers are melting and new species and pathogens are emerging. This makes it necessary to adapt to these and other consequences.
Adaptation to climate change is therefore the second important pillar of climate policy alongside climate protection. It deals with the unavoidable consequences of climate change.
Resilient together for the future
The SIR supports municipalities and regions in the complex issue of adapting to climate change. In order to effectively organise the challenging process of climate adaptation, knowledge is pooled and the actors involved are networked with each other.
The aim of the Climate Change Adaptation programme is to prepare municipalities in the province of Salzburg for the unavoidable consequences of climate change and to strengthen their resilience to hazards and risks as proactively and preventively as possible.
Pilot phase
Advisory modules, working and organisational formats to support the municipalities of Salzburg will be implemented and further developed in a development and pilot phase (2024-2025), each with a different thematic focus in five pilot municipalities (one per district).
The programme is carried out in 3 modules:
As initial information, the municipalities are given a clear view of climate change in relation to the municipal area and local knowledge is collected. Subsequently, future challenges are identified and analysed on the basis of data in consultation with the municipality. The aim is to prioritise the planning and implementation of measures based on the climate data analysis.
Pilot municipalities
Flachgau
Seeham
Tennengau
St. Koloman
Lungau
Unternberg
Pongau
Bad Hofgastein
Pinzgau
Mittersil
Contact
DI Viktoria John
Climate change Adaptation
Mag. Fritz Zobl, MSc
Climate change Adaptation