Operating under the Interreg VI-B NEXT Black Sea Basin Programme's "A Clean and Green Region" priority area, the project is co-funded by the European Union. It operates with a total budget of 1.46 Million € dedicated to strengthening regional cooperation and climate resilience over a 24-month period
A Strong International Partnership
The project brings together partners from multiple countries with strong, complementary expertise. Led by Istanbul Technical University (ITU), which provides scientific knowledge and coordination capacity, the initiative's local government partners are responsible for preparing Local Adaptation Plans and implementing pilot actions. The core partners include:
- Istanbul Technical University (ITU) - Lead Partner
- Sakarya Metropolitan Municipality (Turkey)
- Kobuleti Municipality City Hall (Georgia)
- Kavala Municipality (Greece)
- Ukrainian Association of Business Support Centres (UABSC) - Assisting in the implementation and dissemination of activities in cooperation with local administrations in Ukraine
Four-Step Implementation Framework
LAP BLACK aims to integrate climate adaptation policies into local planning through a structured, phased approach:
- Establishing Local Adaptation Teams: The first phase involves forming teams in partner cities to ensure technical cooperation between local governments and academic institutions, coordinating data collection, and managing stakeholder participation.
- Climate Risk and Vulnerability Analysis: The second phase uses regional climate projections, meteorological data, and local socioeconomic indicators to assess the vulnerability of urban infrastructure, water resources, and ecosystems. Sectoral analyses in agriculture, tourism, and water management are also conducted.
- Developing Local Adaptation Plans (LAP): Based on the risk assessments, strategic roadmaps are developed for each city, detailing priority intervention areas, adaptation measures, institutional responsibilities, and application timelines.
- Pilot Applications and Monitoring: To demonstrate real-world applicability, the project includes 3 Sustainable Park goals based on nature-based solutions, which will be continuously monitored and updated.
Spotlight on Adapazarı: Real-World Impacts and Citizen Participation
Adapazarı stands out as a critical settlement where the local impacts of climate change are concretely observed, supported by available data on population, infrastructure, and urban life.
A major milestone in the city is the establishment of a 25-person Local Adaptation Team, featuring representatives from public institutions, academia, civil society, the private sector, and local citizens, including neighborhood headmen and university student clubs. This ensures that climate adaptation is treated as a collaborative local discussion fed by daily urban experiences and community priorities rather than a document prepared behind closed doors.
Assessments in Adapazarı examined six different climate hazards, identifying the most significant risk areas for the city:
- Heavy Rain and Flooding: 29.0%
- Drought: 22.1%
- Heatwaves: 18.3%
These findings demonstrate that climate change is a multidimensional issue directly affecting daily life, water resources, transportation, agriculture, and public health. Moving forward, the preparations for Adapazarı's Sustainable Park are expected to advance as the remaining technical steps are completed.