10 Case Studies Climate-ADAPT

This PDF is a curated collection of ten European case studies showing adaptation measures already being implemented to increase resilience to extreme weather. The cases are valuable because they demonstrate how adaptation works at the local and regional scale, with a focus on measures that can be replicated or adapted elsewhere. One example is Basel in Switzerland, where an incentive program was used to promote green roofs as both a mitigation and adaptation measure. The green roofs lower indoor temperatures, absorb rainfall, and reduce flood risk, illustrating a practical dual-benefit intervention that combines urban cooling with stormwater management. Another important case is Tamera, where the creation of a water retention landscape enabled the community to become more self-sufficient in water and food while reducing vulnerability to droughts, water scarcity, and floods. The report explains that the system restores the full water cycle by retaining rainwater in vegetation and water bodies, recharging groundwater, and reducing runoff; it also helps prevent landslides and floods by replacing the function of a fragile humus layer. The document emphasizes that adaptation is not only about infrastructure but about redesigning landscapes and settlement systems to work with natural processes. Because the cases are practical and place-based, they provide concrete lessons on how municipalities, communities, and planners can deploy nature-based and engineered measures together. The report is especially useful for readers interested in community self-sufficiency, water retention, urban greening, and climate risk reduction at the European local-government level.