The Adaptation Support Tool for Islands helps (a) to understand climate change impacts (physical, market and non-market effects), (b) as data-collecting information system (climate models, vulnerability analysis and ranking of priority adaptation actions) and (c) to provide a networking area for engaging partners, experts and researchers.
The platform offers three main services, including: multidisciplinary networking amongst experts, aiming to provide advise and solutions to regional climate change policy challenges, including a search engine; access to island-level information and models useful for climate-policy design and decision-making; and a manual of best practices of mitigation and adaptation at island level.
The Adaptation Support Tool for Islands
Free keywords
Climate change, islands, modelling, local knowledge, sectoral adaptation
Readiness for use
Tool tested in several case studies
Applications
The tool has been used as input for the National Tourism Strategy 2020-2030 of Cyprus, as well as the Crete 2020 Regional Climate Adaptation Plan.
During the validation phase it has been used for the capacity building of 300 SMEs and local stakeholders.
Since 2020, more than 50 blue economy professionals of the Macaronesian islands have utilised the tool as part of the course ¨Introduction to Climate Change¨(2021-2022).
Strengths and weaknesses, comparative added value to other similar tools
Strengths:
(+) The tool is an opportunity for networking across European islands to use existing data on climate hazards from diverse disciplines in a coherent way, stimulate debates, further research, and joint projects on island adaptation to climate change.
Weaknesses:
(-) The main weakness is the lack of update of information and integration of more recent projects after the project end in 2020. In this sense, links with on-going projects are crucial.
Input(s)
After an easy two-step process of registration, free access is provided to the virtual networking tables and to opening a discussion, requesting data and/ or contacting an expert.
Output(s)
Infographics, factsheets and high-resolution maps that can be downloaded in pdf format, and containing direct links to the full report that were used to prepare them. More information in this 5-minute video.
Replicability: Cost/effort for (new) usage
The use of the tool is free; whilst updates and integration of new information (e.g. additional projects or islands) might have a cost of € 500 to 3000 approximately.
Materials or other support available
Website and maintenance
The Adaptation Support Tool is available here
The maintenance and updating of the platform is ensured and funded by the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria with its Institute for Tourism (TIDES) as administrator, providing services to the society.
Contact
Contacts are provided at The University Institute for Tourism and Sustainable Economic Development (TIDES) | European Monitor of Industrial Ecosystems (europa.eu).
Associated project(s)
H2020 SOCLIMPACT (GA776661)