The Mainstreaming of NBS in the SECAP of San Donà di Piave: The LIFE Master Adapt Methodology

Abstract

Climate change is a global phenomenon that poses local risks to sectors across society and the economy. All these growing risks have led the Municipality of San Donà di Piave—located within the Metropolitan City of Venice (CMVe)—to strengthen, over the years, its commitment to the adaptation to climate change in its plans and policies. Nature-based solutions can offer a perfect example of sustainable solutions to cope with climate change mitigation and adaptation challenges. In this context, thanks to the support of the LIFE Master Adapt project, San Donà di Piave, applying its methodologies and creating new territorial information, was able to insert, within its Action Plan for Sustainable Energy and Climate (SECAP), important and structural Nature-Based Solutions (NBSs) for the entire municipal area. This experience demonstrates how this process of mainstreaming adaptation actions and NBSs is possible at all levels of government of the territory. It also highlights the virtuosity of replicability in other contexts of the CMVe and the transition from theoretical concepts to concrete actions (NBSs) for adaptation into existing plans. This process happened with a climate-proof modification of the existing planning attitude, whether mandatory or voluntary.

Inter-Municipal Methodology for Climate Transition Strategies: The First Case in Italy

“…These initiatives, as well as Local Government Plans, wide-area plans, and National and Regional Strategies for Adaptation to Climate Change, include the LIFE MASTER ADAPT project [20], the Seveso River Contract [23], and the Charter for action by the municipalities of the Seveso river basin toward local adaptation to CC [24]. This vision can permeate all the actions of the adhering municipalities, initiating the mainstreaming [13] of planning and design processes toward a climate-proof and resilient territory [10] in the medium-long term. Otherwise, the vision must also be shared and co-participated by citizens, the third sector, and companies, in the awareness that everyone can contribute to the commitment that the territory has undertaken [25].…”

“…This process aiming to build climate-neutral and resilient cities [7] must involve a comprehensive commitment in every aspect of spatial management and dynamics [8] and can only be achieved through a coordinated and integrated engagement [9]. Despite many current efforts, administrations, especially medium and small ones, often struggle to define integrated solution approaches and to build climate change adaptation pathways on their own [10].…”

Reinterpreting Spatial Planning Cultures to Define Local Adaptation Cultures: A Methodology from the Central Veneto Region Case

“…In the context of climate change, the concept of mainstreaming refers to "the inclusion of the climate aspect in development programs, policies, or management strategies, already established or under implementation" [30,31], as well as the development of specific adaptation and mitigation initiatives activated separately. Adaptation and mitigation mainstreaming, therefore, plays a key role in supporting Land Governance processes by supporting the urgent need to integrate this issue into the dynamics of land development and governance in the Central Veneto region as well.…”

The INTERREG Italy-Croatia Joint_SECAP Project: A Collaborative Approach for Adaptation Planning

“…An analysis of the Croatian cases shows that coordination of the plan drafting process is entrusted to regional agencies or international centres for sustainable energy or authorities that have also played a key role in raising awareness and strengthening the awareness of administrators and technicians on climate and energy issues. Processes tied to energy efficiency and the impacts of climate change are complex issues for municipalities that need planning based on collaboration and coordination between political and technical will, a multidisciplinary approach, and a systemic vision structured on interdisciplinary dialogue and cooperation between different sectors and offices [22,28,29]. As requested by the CoM, the partners have created a working group in which political figures and technicians are jointly involved in the Joint_SECAP project.…”

“…Another aspect that emerges from various studies in the scientific framework and in comparing different climate planning experiences is the strong interrelation between collab-orative governance and stakeholder involvement in terms of both institutional consultation and consultation/co-decision of mitigation and adaptation interventions [21,22].…”