LEAD PARTNER SEMINAR FOR THE INTERREG DANUBE PROGRAM

The Serbian Chamber of Commerce hosted in Belgrade the lead partner seminar for the Interreg Danube Program April 23-25, 2024. As the coordinator of the Be Ready Project, SDA also took part in the event. The seminar brought together over 120 representatives of project consortia, funded under the 1^st call of DTP Interreg in 2023. The 2-day event was an opportunity to meet with the management of the program, to learn the do’s and don’ts of successful project management, and to network with sister projects and organizations from the partner countries in DTP.

SDA has already started the implementation of its project, Be Ready, which addresses the climate mitigation capacities of local authorities in 12 countries of the Danube region, with a special focus on urban heat islands. Follow the project’s Facebook and LinkedIn profiles to find out more about the project activities and how to get involved.

This project is supported by the Interreg Danube Region Programme co-funded by the European Union.

ON EARTH DAY, WE PRESENT A PROJECT CONTRIBUTING TO CLIMATE RESILIENCE

On Earth Day (April 22), let's acknowledge the efforts and contributions of projects in our city that help preserve both the city and the planet for future generations.

In the face of growing global climate change, the need to respond to its impacts has never been more urgent. The Danube Transnational Programme (DTP) promotes economic, social, and territorial cohesion in the Danube River region, enabling partners from 14 countries to test innovative solutions for climate resilience.

The first call of the Interreg Danube Region Programme attracted 290 concepts, of which 89 passed to the second stage, and 60 reached the stage of financing agreements. Twenty of these projects fall under the priority "A greener, low-carbon Danube Region."

One innovative project from this selection is Be Ready (UrBan hEat islands REsilience, prepAreDness and mitigation strategy). The project aims to provide local and regional authorities with tools to identify urban heat islands and understand their causes and consequences on human health, productivity, energy consumption, and biodiversity. The project brings together 19 partners from 12 countries jointly developing solutions to mitigate the effects of heat islands in urban environments. Partner cities, including Sofia, will develop action plans to overcome urban heat islands through data analysis, urban planning solutions, regulations, increased awareness, and infrastructure measures.

A key aspect of the project's approach is the concept of "urban acupuncture" - specific small interventions with a large effect. Urban pilot activities will explore solutions in three areas: "green acupuncture," using vegetation; "white acupuncture," using innovative surfaces and materials; and "blue acupuncture," related to new ways of using water resources.

You can get involved and support actions fighting climate change in Sofia, and make the world more sustainable for everyone. Find more information about the project on our social media pages on Facebook and LinkedIn, as well as on the project website: https://www.interreg-danube.eu/projects/beready.

This project is supported by the Interreg Danube Region Programme co-funded by the European Union.

INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON COUNTERMEASURES TO URBAN HEAT ISLANDS 1/03/2024

The conference "Countermeasures to Urban Heat Islands", organized on March 1, 2024 by the Sofia Development Association, brought together leading policymakers, academic experts and researchers, representatives of European cities and regions from 12 European countries, who discussed together the causes, effects and solutions to overcome urban heat islands.

The conference was opened by Julian Popov, Minister of Environment, who pointed out that we need to start thinking seriously about climate adaptation and take specific actions to overcome the effects of heat islands – energy efficiency, green roofs, restoration of urban rivers.

The Deputy Minister of Regional Development Angelina Boneva shared with the participants the recipe for dealing with urban heat: recognition of the problems related to warming and urbanization; development of a strategy; sharing of experiences; institutional involvement; and development of appropriate, place-based solutions.

Nadezhda Bobcheva, Deputy Mayor of Sofia Municipality on environment, explained the complexity of the topic – the intersection of the economy, urban planning, ecology, social cohesion. That is why Sofia's work is in different aspects – improving green spaces, creating groves in neighborhoods, schoolyards and inter-block spaces.

Experts from the universities of Vienna, Bratislava and Sofia presented scientific models and methods that can benefit municipalities. Representatives of European cities and regions shared their approaches and challenges.

The conference is held within the project "Be Ready" under the Interreg Danube Program, led by the Sofia Development Association. "The project aims to equip cities with research and tools and help them develop pilot solutions for climate resilience and adaptation together with citizens," said Sevdalina Voynova, Head of BeReady. Sofia Municipality is a strategic partner in the project.

This conference is supported as part of Be Ready, an Interreg Danube Region Programme project co-funded by the European Union.

BE READY KICK-OFF MEETING IN SOFIA: A COLLABORATIVE STEP FORWARD

Sofia, Bulgaria – February 29, 2024

On 29.02.2024 in Sofia, Bulgaria, the Be Ready Project marked a significant milestone with its kick-off meeting. The event brought together 19 partners and 9 ASPs (Associated Strategic Partners) from 12 different countries, all gathered by the Sofia Development Association, the Lead Partner of the project.

The meeting took place on-site, commencing with a warm introduction and welcoming words from Sevdalina Voynova, SDA. Following this, representatives from each partner organization took turns presenting their work, providing insights into their respective organizations and the countries they represent. This exchange set a collaborative tone for the meeting, emphasizing the diverse expertise and shared goals of the consortium.

A key segment of the meeting featured a comprehensive management explanation of the project. Gusztáv Csomor, Danube Programme Managing Authority/Joint Secretariat, joined online to offer clarifications and answer questions regarding the project and the Interreg Danube Region Programme. This session was crucial in aligning the partners' understanding and expectations, ensuring a cohesive approach moving forward.

The consortium then delved into specific aspects of project execution. Svetlana Lomeva led a panel on financial guidelines, providing essential insights into the project's budget management. Nikola Řezáčová, JINAG, gave information and clarification on the Quality Management Plan of the project. This was followed by Denitsa Lozaniva from BISI, who outlined the communication strategy for the Be Ready project, highlighting the importance of effective dissemination and stakeholder engagement.

The productive day concluded with a Steering Committee meeting, which set the stage for a workshop focused on the project's first major activity: "Developing Shared Methodology and Tools for Urban Heat Island (UHI) Vulnerability and Risk Assessment, Including Tools for Community Engagement." Bernhard Pucher from BOKU University led this workshop, guiding participants through the development of methodologies and tools aimed at enhancing urban resilience to heatwaves.

The Be Ready kick-off meeting in Sofia successfully laid the groundwork for a collaborative and impactful project. As partners return to their respective countries, the momentum generated in Sofia promises to drive forward initiatives that will strengthen urban resilience across the Danube region.

This conference is supported as part of Be Ready, an Interreg Danube Region Programme project co-funded by the European Union.

INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE "COUNTERMEASURES TO URBAN HEAT ISLANDS"

Sofia Development Association (SDA) organizes an international conference "Countermeasures to Urban Heat Islands" on March 1, 2024. The conference is held within the Be Ready project under the Interreg Danube Region Program, which includes a consortium of 19 partners from 12 countries in the Danube region with lead partner SDA.

2023 was the hottest year on record. The recent unprecedented heatwaves demonstrate the acute need to strengthen the readiness and adaptive capabilities of society to cope with the effects of climate change and promote resilience at the urban level.

The conference is dedicated to science, design, engineering and public policies to effectively address the effects of urban heat islands in cities.

Among the speakers are Julian Popov, Minister of Environment and Water; Angelina Boneva, Deputy Minister of Regional Development and Public Works; Nadezhda Bobcheva; Deputy Mayor of Sofia Municipality for Ecology.

A G E N D A

09:30 - 10:00     Registration 

10:00 - 11:00     Climate resilience policies and UHI 

        Julian Popov, Minister of Environment and Water

        Angelina Boneva, Deputy Minister of Regional Development and Public Works, National Coordinator, EUSDR      

                                   Nadezhda Bobcheva, Sofia Deputy Mayor, Green System, Ecology and Land Use 

11:00 - 12:00     Approaches and solutions to overcome urban heat islands

        Dr. Bernhard Pucher, BOKU University, Vienna, "The Vienna Experience - Strategy for Urban Heat Islands"

        Branka Knezevic, Municipality of Podgorica, "The role of cities in overcoming heat island effects"

        Helena Jurašková, DEX Innovation Center, Czech Republic and European Institute for Technology and Innovation Health, "The  Climate-Health Nexus"

                                        Lydia Vitanova, PhD, GATE Institute, Sofia University St. K. Ohridski, "How can  urban data and scientific methods be used to estimate UHIs? Sofia case study“

12:00 - 12:30          Discussion

                                               Moderator of the event:
            Sevdalina Voynova, Sofia Development Association

This conference is supported as part of Be Ready, an Interreg Danube Region Programme project co-funded by the European Union.