The City of Bialystok (Poland) has developed the "City of Bialystok Climate Change Adaptation Plan to 2030" as part of the government project "Development of Climate Change Adaptation Plans for Cities with Populations over 100,000."
This plan, which began formulation in January 2017 and spanned 24 months, outlines strategies to mitigate the impacts and risks associated with climate change. It is also a critical tool for securing EU funding for related projects.

The plan focuses on several key areas:

Water management
Transportation
Land use
Public health
It includes specific measures such as the expansion of sewer systems, construction of retention basins, and the development of green spaces to reduce heat. The plan also addresses adjustments for managing the risks posed by extreme heat (including tropical nights where temperatures stay above 20°C) and issues stemming from excessive rainfall, flooding, and water saturation.

The strategic goals of the Bialystok Climate Change Adaptation Plan are:

Establishing a Decision Support System
Setting up a Climate Change Adaptation Education Center
Enhancing the capacity of municipal services
Preparing for thermal hazards
Preparing for precipitation-related and flooding/underwater hazards
Integrating climate considerations into spatial planning
The plan proposes several types of actions to combat climate change effectively:

Organizational Changes: Revise local ordinances, particularly in city planning, to better manage climate risks, reorganize public spaces, enhance emergency protocols, and improve municipal services and early warning systems.

Information and Education Initiatives: Launch campaigns to raise public awareness about climate change and promote best practices for adaptation to protect the community.

Technical Measures: Invest in new infrastructure or upgrade existing facilities to shield the city from the adverse effects of climate change.
 

https://www.bialystok.pl/pl/wiadomosci/aktualnosci/plan-adaptacji-do-zmian-klimatu-1.html
https://www.bialystok.pl/resource/file/download-file/id.34506
https://www.bialystokonline.pl/bialystok-ma-juz-plan-na-zmiany-klimatu,artykul,114345,1,1.html
https://44mpa.pl/
 

Direct SGDs: 

• SGD13 Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts

Indirect SDGs:

• SGD 11. Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable.

Justification:
The activity meets Target 13.1 Strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards and natural disasters in all countries.
Indicator 13.1.3 Proportion of local governments that adopt and implement local disaster risk reduction strategies in line with national disaster risk reduction strategies

1. What is the objective of developing climate change adaptation plans by local governments?
2. What are the potential risks and inconveniences of climate change for cities?
3. What actions can individuals take to help mitigate climate change? 

Piotr Znaniecki
Fundacja SocLab