A €20 million EU-backed project in Spain’s Basque Country has carried out climate adaptation work in towns, river basins and cities, with more than 90% of its planned actions completed ahead of its end date in late 2026.
The seven-year programme, known as LIFE IP Urban Klima 2050, has involved more than 20 organisations, the European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency (CINEA) reported in a release.
It is part of the EU’s LIFE programme, which funds environmental and climate projects.
An initial socio-economic analysis for the project estimated it contributed between €5.3 million and €9.3 million to Basque GDP in its first four years and helped preserve around 100 jobs.
LIFE IP Urban Klima 2050 is one of more than 90 LIFE “strategic integrated projects”, which are designed to help authorities put environmental and climate plans into practice at local, regional and national level.
Projects in towns, cities and river basins
In the coastal town of Bakio, the project includes nature-based flood protection such as inland marshlands and flood forests, which are expected to save about €240,000 a year in flood damage costs, CINEA said.
In Zarautz, concrete steps are being removed so the beach can return to a more natural state, while the promenade has been raised to improve accessibility and reduce flooding and structural damage.
In Bilbao, work is under way to restore and “re-naturalise” Txinbo Park to increase its capacity to absorb and manage floodwater and reduce flooding risk linked to the Cadagua River.
In Vitoria-Gasteiz, parts of the Medieval Quarter have been “re-greened” to reduce the urban heat island effect — where built-up areas become significantly warmer than surrounding places — and improve comfort during hot weather.
A green corridor has also been created around the Jundiz industrial park to improve environmental quality and ecological connectivity, while further inland an analysis was carried out to address summer water supply problems in the River Baia basin.
