INKA BB - Innovation Network of Climate Change Adaptation Brandenburg Berlin | Umweltbundesamt

Background and Goals

INKA BB is a network of scientists and practitioners who, by working together, aim to meet the challenges brought about by climate change. Berlin and Brandenburg are considered to be particularly vulnerable to future climate change. Temperature rises, extended dry periods and an increase in extreme weather events are likely to occur. Low annual precipitation and sandy soils with a low water storage capacity also make the region vulnerable in the future to dry periods and heavy precipitation. These factors impact not only on agriculture and forestry, but also lead to a deterioration of water quality, affecting both Brandenburg and Berlin. A specifically urban problem is the heating up of cities and the deterioration of air quality during hot spells, which can be detrimental to health. INKA BB is testing adaptation strategies with a spatial focus on the planning regions of Uckermark-Barnim, Lusatia-Spreewald and Berlin. In  each  of  these  areas,  local  partners  from  economic  actors  and  public  administration  collaborate  with scientists and public authorities.

The research planned within this project is carried out in 24 subprojects, which are linked to each other in content and follow a common, higher-level work programme. They are divided into three areas:

1. Network development and maintenance: The work involved in the “Network development and maintenance” activity area creates the institutional prerequisites and framework conditions for how network partners and other stakeholders in Brandenburg and Berlin should strategically address the long-term challenges posed by climate change. The aim is to enable network partners to undertake proactive knowledge and risk management, to support the use of climatological data and scenarios and to establish and disseminate far-sighted, interlinked action for the competitive and sustainable use of resources in the face of climate change.
2. Land use: Since the agricultural and forest land management is affected directly to climate change, appropriate adaptation strategies are to be found that will help to mitigate possible negative effects and to ensure the competitiveness of the sector.
3. Water management: Given the challenges of climate change and climate adaptation a successful water management is crucially important. Firstly, water resources in the already water-stressed Berlin-Brandenburg region are exposed to particular stresses. Second, the availability of water for agriculture, forestry and tourism, but also for ecosystem and landscape preservation is crucial if sustainable and competitive regional development of the region is aimed at.

Against this background, it is the common goal of the project partners to ensure the sustainability of land and water use and health management in the region under changing climate conditions. These strategic adaptability of representatives from industry, politics and administration to the looming climate change is encouraged.

Specifically the project INKA BB has the goal to enable entrepreneurs and business associations as well as decision makers in political administration

• to develop innovative approaches to climate change related risks and opportunities of land use as well as water and health management
• to design appropriate adaptation strategies in the cooperation between science and practice and support a durable implementation and
• to support proven adaptation strategies politically, administratively or institutional.

The adaptation strategies affect on the one hand INKA BB members, but also external partners in the region Berlin-Brandenburg. Therefore, the network understands itself as a growing organisation, which intends equally to initiate and actively design change and to act as a role model and partner that encourages learning and process change. To achieve this, the project aims to bundle the existing competencies of research, public administration, business associations and civil associations of the region.

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