- 1 240 000 EUR
mobilised for local adaptation projects
- Six
projects launched after first call
- 2021-2025
Implementation timeline
Solutions
The TransformAr project aimed to develop, test and demonstrate innovative products, services and pathways for adaptation to accelerate the transformation of EU regions that are vulnerable to climate hazards. Thanks to its diverse partners, it showcased the solutions being developed in six demonstrator regions. One of those demonstrators was in the Guadeloupe archipelago, an outermost region vulnerable to droughts, floods and other hazards.
Nudging solution
This digital tool combines technology with behavioural nudging techniques to promote water conservation among hotel guests, who make up a significant portion of the population during the touristic season. Digital shower sensors were installed in participating hotels in the archipelago, capable of measuring water usage and shower duration. This real-time data is then uploaded to Aquardio Hub, which is a central platform for analysis. This analysis was paired with nudging communications to encourage reduced water usage.
Guadeloupe Adaptation Fund (FLAG)
FLAG is an innovative financing mechanism that pools public and private local budget lines to support small-scale adaptation projects. The target of this fund is the agriculture and tourism sector. The fund aims to unlock ad redirect budgets for customised adaptation solutions and bridging the gap between private needs and interests in climate adaptation. The fund was established in three main phases. The first was a feasibility study of the proposed financial mechanism, using data from desk research, interviews, and workshops with stakeholder groups from the tourism and agriculture sectors. The second phase was the design of FLAG’s decision-making and governance structure, focusing on aspects such as the legal and administrative requirements for pooling budget lines and the criteria for awarding projects. The third and final phase was the launch of a call for proposals, followed by the selection of the first batch of local adaptation projects. Project proposals had to align with adaptation categories, including governance, investment, and research and innovation. Six projects were selected for a total budget of EUR 1.24 million. FLAG facilitated the mobilisation of over EUR 1 million of this funding, with EUR 900 000 coming from public grants and EUR 100 000 from private-sector actors.
Co-benefits
Economic
The solutions implemented in Guadeloupe generate important economic co-benefits by improving the efficiency of water use and increasing the mobilisation of funding for adaptation projects. The nudging solution helps hotels reduce water consumption, effectively reducing operational costs and easing pressure on local water supplies during peak tourist seasons. FLAG provides the most significant economic benefits. In the French outermost regions, including Guadeloupe, climate change adaptation actions are underfunded. Several challenges exist in accessing EU funds due to various factors, including complex administrative processes and a lack of communication about available opportunities. By mobilising and directing public and private finance to support local adaptation projects, this helps fund action that would previously have not been possible. The projects themselves, relating to agricultural and tourism resilience, also contribute to protecting local livelihoods of communities that depend on these sectors economically.
Social
The solutions strengthen community resilience by promoting behavioural change and stakeholder collaboration. The nudging solution raises awareness among hotel guests about responsible water use, encouraging more sustainable habits that can ultimately continue beyond their stay on the island. FLAG brings together different actors, including tourism and agricultural operators, public institutions and banks, to jointly identify and finance adaptation priorities. This improves local participation in decision-making, supporting vulnerable communities who depend on these vulnerable sectors.
Environmental
The solutions implemented contribute to the sustainable management of the islands’ natural resources, both directly and indirectly. The nudging solution works to reduce freshwater consumption in hotels, helping to conserve limited water resources in an already water-scarce region, thus helping to strengthen the resilience of fragile groundwater ecosystems. FLAG, on the other hand, supports projects that themselves work on resource management, such as the Resafor project that promotes agroforestry for vanilla production.
Replicability
Scaling up the resilience of outermost regions by strengthening the tourism and agricultural sector
Best suited for
This model is best suited for outermost regions of the EU, which are considered hotspots for multiple climate risks such as hurricanes, sea level rise, forest fires, volcanic activity, droughts and floods. It is particularly well suited for those regions that are very economically dependent on tourism and agriculture. The nudging tool works well in areas where hotel management is open to taking steps to improve water efficiency through a behavioural approach. The FLAG portion of the model is relevant for those regions that experience barriers to accessing international funding, particularly funding related to adaptation actions. In this way, regions can mobilise and redirect existing funds to meet adaptation needs in vulnerable areas by using small-scale, locally led actions.
Stakeholders' role
The model relies on close collaboration between many different stakeholders. Hotels participate by installing water monitoring devices and engaging guests in water-saving initiatives, while technology providers manage data collection and its analysis. FLAG development and implementation involve many additional stakeholder groups, such as public authorities, financial institutions and private sector organisations.
Built-in scalable tools
Both solutions developed through this model incorporate features that support replication and scaling. The low-cost nudging tool combines commercially available water sensors with a central digital platform that can be adapted for different accommodation types and locations. FLAG offers a transferable governance and financing framework, and lessons learnt and approaches from this can be reapplied to other regions facing similar situations.
Funding pathways
The pilot case was developed through the Horizon-Europe-funded TransformAr project, as part of the EU Mission on Adaptation to Climate Change.
