UPCOMING INTERNATIONAL BE READY WORKSHOP IN VIENNA, AUSTRIA

Having successfully developed and delivered the methodology and tools for urban heat islands (UHI) vulnerability and risk assessments, the project cities are now ready to start their participatory assessment process. The workshop will be hosted on July 9-10th, 2024 by BOKU University in Vienna – the task leader for the methodology development and will convene all project partners and some of the associated strategic partners.

At the workshop participants will have an improved understanding of and instruments to assess the thermal load of different infrastructures and human activities, vulnerability, adaptive capacity. As a result, cities will refine their qualitative and quantitative UHI assessment design, data collection, analysis, interpretation and visualization, and will be equipped to form their local stakeholder coalitions. The workshop is designed to promote peer-to-peer dialogue and capitalize on Vienna experience with mitigating UHI gained in a former Interreg Central Europe project “Urban Heat Islands – Development and application of mitigation and adaptation strategies and measures for counteracting the global Urban Heat Islands phenomenon”.

In the framework of the international workshop participants will attend Klima Biennale, where Be Ready will present an expert talk, “Water for the green city – how blue-green infrastructure can mitigate UHI.”

Follow the project website and social media channels for information materials and real-time input from the workshop:

Website: https://interreg-danube.eu/projects/be-ready 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bereadyprojecteu 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/beready-project/ 

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

UNDERSTANDING AND TACKLING URBAN HEAT ISLANDS (UHI)

Have you ever wondered what Urban Heat Islands (UHI) are and how they affect our cities? This phenomenon can lead to adverse health effects, increased energy consumption, and a decline in the overall quality of life.

Introducing "Be Ready": Your Partner in UHI Mitigation
"Be Ready" is dedicated to equipping local and regional authorities with the necessary tools and knowledge to understand UHI, its causes, and its impacts. Our mission is to:

Educate and Empower: Provide comprehensive knowledge about UHI to help authorities grasp the severity of the issue.
Innovate and Validate: Co-create, test, and validate innovative solutions to mitigate the effects of UHI in urban areas.
Support and Implement: Assist partner cities in developing and implementing action plans that enhance resilience against UHI, focusing on green, blue, and white measures.
Unveiling "Green Acupuncture"
Our novel approach, "Green Acupuncture," empowers cities and knowledge partners to implement targeted, impactful, and context-based interventions in critical urban areas. Our city pilots will explore solutions in three key areas:

Green Acupuncture: Vegetation-Based Interventions
Incorporating more greenery into urban landscapes to cool down cities naturally.

White Acupuncture: Innovative Surfaces and Materials
Using advanced materials and surface treatments that reflect heat and reduce temperatures.

Blue Acupuncture: Novel Uses of Water Resources
Implementing creative water management strategies to lower urban temperatures.

Join the Movement for Cooler, More Resilient Cities
Ready to learn more? Watch our brand new video to see what we’re working on and how you can join the effort to create cooler, more resilient cities. By adopting these innovative strategies, we can transform our urban environments into healthier, more livable spaces for everyone.
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NzpSDvPIKOA&t=6s 

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

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.