REHUBS aims to enhance the climate resiliency of rural areas and small to medium-sized communities that are highly vulnerable to risks such as droughts, heatwaves, wildfires, floods, and biodiversity loss. The project will develop an integrated framework of adaptation solutions, digital tools, and participatory approaches tailored to local needs. Through design, implementation and validation REHUBS will introduce a Climate Risk Assessment model, Early Warning System, flood and drought modelling tools, Smart Irrigation Systems, and a Risk Assessment and Adaptation Platform (RAAP) recommending a list of cost-effective nature-based solutions. REHUBS will promote local capacity-building through an online academy, AI chatbot, and Rural Micro Hubs. The developed solutions will be implemented and validated across Demonstration and Replication Cases ensuring their long-term resilience. It also introduces innovative financing mechanisms to ensure sustainability and replicability, supporting different European regions. REHUBS outcomes will boost rural adaptive capacity, support EU climate goals, and ensure sustainable development in climate-vulnerable regions.
Project Objectives
1. Enhance the climate resiliency of rural areas and small to medium-sized communities.
2. Development of an integrated framework of adaptation solutions and digital tools.
3. Promotion of local capacity-building.
4. REHUBS solutions will ensure the long-term resilience, sustainability and replicability, supporting different European regions by introducing innovative financing mechanisms.
5. Boost rural adaptive capacity, support EU climate goals, and ensure sustainable development in climate-vulnerable regions.
Methods
1. Participatory approaches tailored to local needs.
2. Risk assessment methodology.
3. Problem structuring methods.
4. Design, implementation and validation processes.
5. Analysis of regional needs and local challenges.
Barriers
1. Limited Access to Data: Difficulty in accessing integrating and harmonised climate data from multiple sources to ensure accurate and consistent climate projections.
2. Stakeholders reluctance: Resistance of local authorities' employees, local communities and professionals to participate in the Risk assessment practices (lack of awareness or understanding of the benefits).
3. Low level of new technologies adoption by public bodies: Public bodies are often cautious in adopting new technologies due to limited funding and weak ties to innovation.
4. Policy and Decision-Makers' Reluctance: Policy- and Decision-makers show reluctance to integrate the REHUBS principles, regarding it as "just another complicated theoretical approach".
Funding
The DRYAD project is co-funded by the European Union. Grant Number: 101214051
Partners
DREVEN, UPC, LINKS, AGA, RFF, ANRI, EBOS, ITC, AQUA, AFL, LWCY, ARX, VOST, ICLEI, AEIDL, ART21, SGAB, NOVA, MANL, TOEB, SOFAD, CIMBB, SAKIAI, SNI, RCMS, REDEA, GIB
