The CMCC Foundation is supporting the Apulia Region in the development of its Regional Climate Change Adaptation Strategy, contributing to the Steering Committee’s activities through scientific and technical expertise as well as climate risk assessment tools.
With the participation of the CMCC Foundation, which is supporting the Apulia Region in the development of its Regional Climate Change Adaptation Strategy, the Regional Steering Committee on Climate Change has resumed the methodological and organizational work envisaged under Regional Government Resolution (DGR) No. 162 of 26 February 2024. The meeting was attended by Debora Ciliento, Regional Councillor for Environment and Climate, Paolo Garofoli, Director of the Regional Department for Environment, Landscape and Urban Quality, and Paola Mercogliano, Principal Scientist at CMCC. The resolution approved the “Guidelines for the Development of the Regional Climate Change Adaptation Strategy (SRACC)”, the “Regional Guidelines for the Preparation of Sustainable Energy and Climate Action Plans (SECAPs)”, and formally established the Steering Committee.
Speaking about CMCC’s role, Paola Mercogliano, who coordinates the technical assistance activities, explained that the Foundation “supports the Apulia Region in designing a climate change adaptation strategy through a multidisciplinary approach that starts from data and integrates risk and policy assessment, including through digital platforms, while also incorporating stakeholder engagement and communication activities. This approach helps ensure that all actors involved, as well as citizens, are aware of the adaptation pathway and can embrace it as an opportunity for transformation and improvement of the Apulian territory.”
The Regional Steering Committee on Climate Change was established through DGR No. 162/2024 as part of the Regional Climate Change Adaptation Strategy framework. It serves as an interdepartmental and multilevel coordination body for the implementation of regional climate adaptation and mitigation policies. The Committee brings together regional departments and agencies (ARPA Puglia, ASSET, ARESS, ARTI and ARIF), under the coordination of the Department for Environment, Landscape and Urban Quality, in cooperation with the Head of Cabinet of the President of the Regional Government, and with the involvement of the Euro-Mediterranean Center on Climate Change (CMCC) as scientific and technical advisor.
Over the coming months, members of the Steering Committee will work to identify sectoral policies in which climate adaptation should be considered a priority; ensure the coherent integration of adaptation measures into regional strategies, plans, funding programmes and governance instruments; and improve the climate resilience of public investments. This process will be based on a thorough assessment of the regional climate context, including hazards, risks and adaptation actions specific to the territory, with the goal of establishing a stable and shared climate governance framework. Following the internal working groups, public consultations and outreach activities will be launched to engage, inform and raise awareness among citizens about climate adaptation. Many of these activities will be directly supported by CMCC representatives.
“Climate change requires institutions to develop a new capacity for prevention, planning and response,” said Councillor Ciliento. “We can no longer limit ourselves to emergency interventions; we must learn to prevent risks, identify signs of vulnerability and develop tools capable of making territories more resilient and communities better prepared. This means strengthening a cultural and administrative approach that integrates climate considerations into every level of regional planning and policymaking. Climate adaptation strategies are not solely an environmental issue: they affect public health, urban planning, water resource management, civil protection, transport, agriculture, welfare, tourism, energy and, more broadly, the economic and social resilience of our territories. The Regional Adaptation Strategy must emerge from a shared effort across regional institutions and serve as an operational tool to guide policies, planning and programming in the years ahead, helping to build a safer, fairer and more resilient Apulia.”
