Council leading the fight against climate change

Undated handout file photo issued by NASA of a rift in an Antarctic ice shelf where one of the largest icebergs on record has broken away, scientists have announced. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Issue date: Wednesday July 12, 2017. Researchers who have been monitoring a huge crack in the Larsen C Ice Shelf, which had left a vast iceberg more than a quarter the size of Wales "hanging by a thread", say the rift has finally completed its path through the ice. See PA story ENVIRONMENT Ice. Photo credit should read: John Sonntag/NASA/PA Wire

NOTE TO EDITORS: This handout photo may only be used in for editorial reporting purposes for the contemporaneous illustration of events, things or the people in the image or facts mentioned in the caption. Reuse of the picture may require further permission from the copyright holder. — Undated handout file photo issued by NASA of a rift in an Antarctic ice shelf where one of the largest icebergs on record has broken away, scientists have announced. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Issue date: Wednesday July 12, 2017. Researchers who have been monitoring a huge crack in the Larsen C Ice Shelf, which had left a vast iceberg more than a quarter the size of Wales "hanging by a thread", say the rift has finally completed its path through the ice. See PA story ENVIRONMENT Ice. Photo credit should read: John Sonntag/NASA/PA Wire NOTE TO EDITORS: This handout photo may only be used in for editorial reporting purposes for the contemporaneous illustration of events, things or the people in the image or facts mentioned in the caption. Reuse of the picture may require further permission from the copyright holder.

The Collaborative Learning Initiative Managing and Adapting to the Environment (CLIMATE) project brings together a multitude of partners from Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland, Sweden and the Faroe Islands.

Welcoming the project, Mayor of Derry City and Strabane District Council, Councillor Maolíosa McHugh, said it can play a key role increasing the public’s consciousness of climate change.

“This is a very exciting initiative that will place our council at the forefront of climate adaptation,” he said,

“The Climate project will put in place the necessary strategic process to ensure our publicly accessible green spaces are more environmentally sustainable and adaptable to climate change.

“There is a responsibility on all of us to be aware of how our actions can impact on global warming and this project can help educate the public and raise awareness of the effects of climate change on a European wide basis through comprehensive animation.”

The transnational partners’ bring a blend of practitioners, policy makers, statutory agencies as well as academia together to develop approaches to tackle specific climate related issues while also offering the opportunity for shared learning and knowledge transfer.

Partners’ Mid-Sweden University, University of the Faroe Islands, Climate NI and Climate Ireland will undertake a wide ranging examination and assessment of existing and emerging climate adaptation initiatives to inform the development of a best practice toolkit for local authorities to employ in enhancing their climate adaptation capacity levels.

Project partner the Rural Area Partnership in Derry (RAPID), in conjunction with associate partners; Vatnajokull National Park, South-East Iceland Nature and Research Centre (Iceland), Adaptation Scotland, Department of Agriculture Environment and Rural Affairs (NI), the Swedish Hydrological and Meteorological Institute, County Administrative Board of Vasternorrland (Sweden), International Barents Secretariat, County Governor of Finnmark (both Norway) and SEV (Faroe Islands) will disseminate climate adaptation best practice collated to a wider audience, including community groups and individuals, whilst providing support to stakeholders by assisting to build capacity and provide tools that will enable communities and authorities in northern Europe to better adapt to climate change.

Overall the project is underpinned by a strong two way knowledge sharing ethos whereby involved UK and Irish partners’ gain key knowledge of the wider European approach to climate adaptation, whilst UK and Irish partners will share their expertise and portray the benefits of engaging the community in adapting to and overcoming environmental issues.