Adaptation to climate change through citizen participation: Willingness to act and operational empowerment of different social milieus - AKT@HoMe
The consequences of climate change can be seen in an increase in the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events such as heat, drought and extreme precipitation. The urban population is particularly affected by increasing heat stress. Sustainable urban development therefore requires climate change adaptation measures as well as the acceptance and participation of urban dwellers. The feasibility and effectiveness of adaptation measures vary spatially due to the given local conditions and provide a framework for action. At the same time, awareness, ability and willingness to act vary in different social milieus.
Education and participation offer approaches to develop an experience-based understanding of climate change risks for citizens. This results in opportunities for active participation and social and community integration. Participation and community building can ultimately increase the willingness to act for the decentralized implementation of climate change adaptation measures.
The aim of AKT@HoMe is to analyze milieu-related willingness to act and operational ability to participate in measures to adapt to and mitigate climate change. AKT@HoMe compares two neighborhoods in Cologne with different social structures in terms of their access and willingness for effective and sustainable participation in climate change adaptation. One study area is located in Neustadt-Süd around the Volksgarten park. The other study area is a neighborhood in Cologne-Mülheim between Wiener Platz, Mülheim train station and Keupstraße.
In the various work packages, a social perception analysis is initially carried out in the two neighborhoods. Questionnaires are used to identify the social structure of the respondents as well as information on awareness, willingness and ability to participate in climate change adaptation measures. At the same time, the existence and adaptation potential of nature-based solutions (NBS) is also mapped and analyzed. To develop skills and encourage participation, continuous and event-related education and participation measures are offered in both neighborhoods. This includes excursions for citizens, participating in district festivals, etc. as well as the integration of schools. In both neighborhoods, climate elements such as air temperature, wind speed, relative humidity, etc. are are continously measured by using a citizen science approach. On the one hand, the measured data is used to activate the involved citizens, and on the other hand, it serves to calibrate and validate an ENVI-met microclimate model which is setup to simulate heat events in the two neighborhoods during the project period. According to the surveys, agent-based scenarios for the implementation of climate change adaptation measures are derived and modeled.
The project is carried out in collaboration with the TH Cologne.
Project duration: April 2024 - March 2026
Funding: RheinEnergie Stiftung