Local pilot projects are being developed in seven Basque municipalities

The media pieces cover the actions proposed in Bakio, Bermeo, Bilbao, Donostia/San Sebastian, Gernika-Lumo, Vitoria-Gasteiz, and Zarautz to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and respond to the specific climate risks of each municipality, favouring their climate resilience for 2050.

Each of the seven pilot cases is broken down into three parts. On the one hand, the technical videos point out the particularities and initial requirements of each municipality, and describe the selected climate action interventions in detail. While they are aimed at technical staff, they are also a source of detailed information for interested members of the general public.

The second type of video, which is shorter than the previous ones, covers the different interventions in a more visual way. This is supported by pop-up books and shows the reality of each of the municipalities in 2050 after the implementation of the actions. In this case, their agile and entertaining style makes them more appropriate to share among the general public, schoolchildren, etcetera.

This compilation of media pieces will be released to coincide with the COP 28 meeting in Dubai

In addition, each municipality also has a third version which, in the form of a trailer, offers a preview of the content of the two previous types of videos. This progress, on the other hand, will be published in the run-up to COP 28.

Actions planned by the seven partner municipalities of the project and summarised in videos

The aim of the Bakio project is to protect the Estepona River against flooding and to improve the environment by creating a marsh and a flood forest next to the river to reduce the risk of floods affecting the urban centre.

Bermeo, for its part, is working on the recovery of the Tonpoi natural space, developing a peri-urban green infrastructure, located next to the town centre, for public use with criteria adapted to climate change.

Bilbao is making progress in the urban development of Punta Zorrotza, incorporating the perspective of climate change and adaptation in the specific modification of the General Urban Development Plan for the Punta Zorrotza area.

Donostia/San Sebastian has launched several actions to mitigate and adapt to climate change in areas such as mobility, territory, energy, and the circular economy. These include the environmental recovery of the Artikutza dam and the area around the Errekatxulo watercourse, and the installation of photovoltaic solar panels for self-consumption in municipal buildings.

The construction of the Bekoibarra road in Gernika will improve urban connectivity including climate change adaptation criteria to ensure greater resilience against flooding, while avoiding the dragging of pollutants into the Oka riverbed in the Urdaibai Biosphere Reserve.

Vitoria-Gasteiz is making progress with the initiative Basaldea-Centro de Empresas Agroecológicas (The Basaldea Agro-Ecological Companies’ Centre) to promote entrepreneurship in ecological agriculture, and also with the projects to bring nature into school playgrounds, improve the municipality's trees, and grow the green areas in the Old Town through Natural Solutions.

Finally, Zarautz is continuing with the blue-green ring for adaptation to climate change in the municipality and is working on the study of alternatives for the adaptation of the urban waterfront.

About LIFE IP Urban Klima 2050

The largest climate action project in the Basque Country will transform the Basque region by coordinating a total of 40 climate change mitigation and adaptation actions in the 2019-2025 period. It is led by the public company Ihobe, part of the Department of Economic Development, Sustainability and the Environment, which works together with some 20 organisations. It will facilitate the effective deployment of the Basque Country's Climate Change Strategy, Klima 2050, at the urban level.

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