TUS researchers ADAPTO strategy to fight climate change

Efforts to bolster community resilience to tackle climate change were a key focus at a gathering in France involving representatives from Technological University Shannon (TUS) and Tipperary County Council.

ADAPTO – a €1.4million European project – is focussed on helping communities adapt to the unavoidable impacts of climate change.

The third international ADAPTO project partners’ meeting took place on June 4th and 5th in Brittany, France, hosted by Bretagne Development Innovation, and brought together eight partner institutions from five European countries.

Representing Ireland were the Sustainable Development Research Institute (SDRI), based in the TUS Thurles campus, as well as the local authority in Tipperary. 

Along with TUS and Tipperary County Council, there are six other partners:  Bretagne Development Innovation, France; Regional Development Fund of North Aegean, Greece; Kaunas University of Technology, Lithuania; Lubelskie Voivodeship, Poland; Cyprus Energy Agency, Cyprus, and Ypsonas Municipality, Cyprus.

The aim was to share effective solutions and best practices in addressing the urgent challenges posed by our changing climate.

The project team travelled to the coastal town of Gâvres, near Lorient, with a permanent population that is only around 700, swelling to 3,500 in peak season. Gâvres faces significant threats from increasingly severe storms, flooding and coastal erosion.

Partners learned about a successful local initiative called ADALITT-BREIZH, which actively involves citizens in monitoring coastal changes.

This citizen-science approach sees residents collecting vital data on coastline evolution, leading to more precise predictions of future climate impacts and informing effective protection strategies for both properties and natural heritage.

Participants observed firsthand how these community-driven actions and nature-based solutions are effectively reducing climate risks with visible results including strengthened coastal zones and reduced erosion.

At the meetup, Christian Carton, the Mayor of Gâvres, said: “Relocation is not an option for us. Our goal is to find sustainable and lasting solutions right here, in our community.”

The Irish representatives talked about a wide range of practical measures including innovative green infrastructure projects, flood management strategies and various community involvement and education initiatives.

Researcher Elaine Cleary from the TUS delegation said: “This two-day event has immense value for efforts to combat climate change in Ireland. Cross-border exchanges like this highlight practical solutions that can be implemented here, fostering a collaborative spirit in the European effort to adapt to climate change.  

Eddie Meegan, Climate Change Specialist for Tipperary County Council, highlighted how important it is deploy nature-based solutions across the county.

“We have shared our experience with the group and learned from other regions how they involve citizen participation to implement nature-based solutions in their communities,” he said.