Climate Adaptation Planning for Resilient and Sustainable Cities: Perspectives from the City of Rotterdam (Netherlands) and the City of Antwerp (Belgium)

By Prof A van der Berg

This blog post is an adaptation of an article available at https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/european-journal-of-risk-regulation/article/climate-adaptation-planning-for-resilient-and-sustainable-cities-perspectives-from-the-city-of-rotterdam-netherlands-and-the-city-of-antwerp-belgium/E697D3660B0344EC60E5716667631F4E

Climate adaptation planning for resilient and sustainable cities is a complex yet vital endeavor, particularly exemplified by the experiences of Rotterdam in the Netherlands and Antwerp in Belgium. Both cities face similar challenges, including vulnerability to flooding and heat stress. Rotterdam, known for its pioneering efforts in climate change resilience, has developed comprehensive strategies such as the Climate Adaptation Strategy (CAS) and the Omgevingsvisie to become climate-proof by 2025. These plans integrate climate impacts into various sectors like land-use zoning and building codes, emphasizing nature-based solutions and green infrastructure to mitigate risks.

Antwerp, Belgium's third-largest city and home to a major seaport, is also confronting climate-related risks like fluvial flooding and extreme temperatures. Its Strategic Spatial Structure Plan (s-RSA) promotes sustainable development and addresses climate challenges through measures like high-density, low-carbon development and nature-based solutions. However, challenges persist in aligning adaptation goals and timelines between different planning instruments, highlighting the need for cohesion and coordination across city departments and functions.

One significant challenge lies in evaluating the synergies, co-benefits, and trade-offs of adaptation measures, essential for long-term sustainability and resilience. Both Rotterdam and Antwerp lack explicit integration of climate adaptation into spatial development visions, indicating a potential gap between climate adaptation plans and urban planning instruments. While Rotterdam is pioneering various climate adaptation tools like the Climate Atlas and Climate Adaptation Barometer, Antwerp is developing its Climate Governance Model to enhance cohesion and implementation of climate policies.

To address these challenges, there's a call for supportive measures from the European Commission to enhance local climate adaptation planning. Capacity-building initiatives, including training for city authorities in translating climate data into policy-relevant indicators and identifying synergies and trade-offs, are crucial. The Commission could also provide funding and training for cities to appoint lead departments or units tasked with monitoring progress and ensuring effective policy integration and implementation.

In conclusion, the experiences of Rotterdam and Antwerp underscore the importance of proactive climate adaptation planning for cities facing diverse climate risks. By addressing challenges such as alignment of goals, evaluation of adaptation measures, and integration with urban planning, cities can enhance their resilience and sustainability in the face of climate change.

About the author

Prof Angela van der Berg is an Associate Professor in the Private Law Department at UWC. She is also the Chair of the Global Environmental Law center (GELC) which is housed at the Faculty of Law.