LandWandel – Innovative Climate Parameters for Adaptation Measures in Rural Areas

The aim of this transdisciplinary project is an integrative consideration of interests in the adaptation of rural areas to climate change. Together with selected partners from research and practice, innovative climate parameters are to be defined and transferred to the "AnLand" catalog.

Rural areas are of considerable importance for the economy and the entire population. They account for 93% of the area of the European Union. Although only 20% of the population live in rural areas, they generate 45% of gross value added. 53% of jobs are located in rural areas (http://www.laendlicher-raum.eu/). Many munici-palities, especially in rural areas, are severely affected by the consequences of climate change. In order to do justice to the importance of rural areas, it is imperative to strategically promote climate change adaptation in these areas. To alleviate adverse climate change effects on the one hand and to benefit from advantageous climate developments on the other hand, climate adaptation measures aim to make rural areas more resilient, more climate-friendly and ultimately more economically and demographically attractive.

The project LandWandel combines the regional experience of Stadtwerke Freudenstadt with the expertise of two institutes at the KIT in the areas of regional climate change and its economic effects. Furthermore, the city of Freudenstadt and the VKU Baden-Württemberg (association of municipal companies) play an active advisory role as associated partners. In essence, the project LandWandel will result in quantitative climate indicators that take into account both the experience in the region and are based on high-resolution climate information. The IIP will primarily derive suitable climate adaptation measures based on the climate indicators and analyze the efficiency and effectiveness of those measures. The socio- and techno-economic evaluations carried out in the project are to be fed back into the region to support decision-making on the municipal level.