With an increase in extreme meteorological events climate adaptation becomes a central element of a sustainable future of communities.

The probability of extreme meteorological events is rising and so is the necessity for local administrations to plan adaptation to a changing climate. For small and medium sized cities this is a particular challenge because they often lack the personnel and the know-how for the elaboration of an adaptation plan. In this project the partners will form an Action Planning Network in order to design integrated climate adaptation action plans. The chosen approach will concentrate on building capacity within the different departments of the administration to integrate climate change as a "threat multiplier" into their institutional activities. It will further concentrate on an intensive participatory process to involve the many stakeholders who need to actively support the Plan. The transnational exchange and learning activities will therefore concentrate on the reorganization of the administrative structure for implementing transversely climate policies, on the organisation and implementation of a broad participatory process and on methodological and procedural questions of elaborating the adaptation plan. These plans will be elaborated with prevention and risk management being one priority but paying also attention to chances and opportunities the actions offer in terms of health, jobs, social cohesion and environmental quality.