The technical visit to Blagoevgrad reinforces Mediterranean cooperation to improve the prevention, mitigation and management of risks associated with heat waves

The European project team HEATSAFE – Holistic Environmental and Social Adaptation Framework for Extreme Heat has participated in a technical visit to Blagoevgrad, Bulgaria, within the framework of the work being carried out by this initiative to improve the adaptation of Mediterranean cities to the increasing frequency and intensity of extreme heat episodes.

During the visit, the project partners made progress in the exchange of knowledge and in defining common methodologies to strengthen the capacity of municipalities to cope with the impacts of climate change, with special attention to the protection of the most vulnerable population, adaptive urban planning and the local response to heat waves.

HEATSAFE, co-financed by the program Interreg Euro-MED, is coordinated by the Federation of Municipalities of the Region of Murcia and brings together entities from different countries in the Mediterranean area with the aim of designing transferable solutions, based on territorial cooperation, scientific evidence and local participation, such as Cartagena, Barcelona, ​​Arezzo, Agioi Anargyroi-Kamatero, Blagoevgrad and Durrës, with partners from Spain (FMRM and Eurovértice), Italy, Greece, Bulgaria and Albania.

The meeting in Bulgaria allowed for a deeper exploration of one of the project's central themes: the development of local action plans to address extreme heatThese tools have been adapted to the social, urban, and climatic characteristics of each territory. Furthermore, work has been done on tools to identify areas and groups most exposed to thermal risk, in order to facilitate decision-making by local authorities.

Among the project's most notable actions are the development of heat vulnerability maps, the implementation of demonstrative pilot projects, the creation of open tools for the assessment of thermal risk and the design of a long-term strategy that contributes to improving the climate resilience of Mediterranean cities.

The visit to Blagoevgrad also served to share experiences on urban adaptation solutions, such as the identification and improvement of climate shelters, the incorporation of rapid response measures to episodes of high temperatures and the promotion of awareness campaigns aimed at the public.

The HEATSAFE project stems from an increasingly evident reality: heat waves are one of the main climate risks for Mediterranean cities, particularly affecting the elderly, children, people with pre-existing conditions, and socially vulnerable groups. To address this challenge, the initiative proposes a comprehensive approach that combines planning, innovation, local governance, and community participation.

With this visit, the HEATSAFE consortium continues to advance in building a common model for adapting to extreme heat that can be replicated in other territories of the Mediterranean, contributing to safer, healthier and more resilient cities in the face of climate change.

About HEATSAFE

HEATSAFE is a European project co-financed by the Interreg Euro-MED program that aims to improve the prevention, mitigation, and management of risks arising from climate change and the increased frequency and intensity of heat waves in the Mediterranean. To this end, the project focuses on the co-design of local action plans, the implementation of pilot demonstration projects, and the development of open-source tools to assess heat vulnerability and inform public decision-making.

During the meeting, the main European projects in which the Federation participates were discussed, as well as new funding and collaboration opportunities. The FMRM, which represents the 45 municipalities of the Region of Murcia, plays a key role in representing local interests at the regional, national, and European levels.

The meeting involved the exchange of information on initiatives related to sustainable development, social cohesion, innovation in public administration and adaptation to climate change, areas in which the Federation maintains an active participation through various European programs.

Municipal priorities were also analyzed within the European context, highlighting the importance of strengthening local administrative capacity, promoting digitalization, and fostering inclusive policies that improve the quality of life for citizens.

This visit reinforces the FMRM's commitment to Europe and its role as a key interlocutor in conveying the needs of the municipalities of the Region of Murcia to European institutions, promoting strategic alliances and the exchange of knowledge.

A new day of work in La Milagrosa brings together social entities and technicians to identify the critical points of the municipality's climate vulnerability map.

Cartagena continues working on the implementation of the European project HEATSAFE (Holistic Environment and Social Adaptation Framework for Extreme Heat) led by the Federation of Municipalities of the Region of Murcia, and in the schedule for the execution of the different actions planned with a new technical and governance meeting held in the municipal offices of La Milagrosa.

This meeting, which positions Cartagena as one of the key urban laboratories of the program Interreg Euro-Med, has served to coordinate the strategic partners, the Federation of Municipalities of the Region of Murcia (FMRM) and the consultant Eurovertex, with municipal technicians and associations that work on the ground with the groups most exposed to high temperatures.

The event was attended by a wide range of representatives from third-sector organizations, educational institutions, and social organizations. The objective was to validate, on the ground, the vulnerability map of Cartagena, identifying the neighborhoods and areas where the development of climate shelters and shading measures is most urgently needed.

The Councillor for Social Policy, Cristina MoraShe emphasized the importance of this participatory phase: “HEATSAFE is not an office project; it is a living strategy that continues to move forward steadily. In this meeting, we worked side-by-side with those who best understand the realities of our neighborhoods to pinpoint precisely where we need to act. Because we are talking about something that goes beyond scientific data: we are talking about comprehensively addressing social and climate vulnerability, listening to the organizations that are there every day for our elderly, children, and the homeless, who suffer the most intensely from the effects of extreme heat.”

For his part, the president of the FMRM, Víctor Manuel López Abenza, said that this project is an important step forward in the commitment of the municipalities to find solutions to climate change, with citizens being the beneficiaries of the actions carried out through the Federation of Municipalities, and on this occasion, counting on the Cartagena City Council.

Actions and awareness-raising in Cartagena

During the session, upcoming awareness campaigns and interventions to be carried out in the municipality were outlined. Cartagena is preparing to implement rapid response protocols and transform urban spaces into "oases" to combat the urban heat island effect.

Among the most outstanding performances is the Installation of shade support structures (climate shelter) in Plaza Carmen CondeThis strategic intervention, whose execution is scheduled to be completed around 2027, is funded by the project HEATSAFE through Federation of Municipalities of the Region of Murcia in collaboration with City Hall of Cartagena.

“We continue to hold these meetings with European and local partners because climate resilience requires consistency. Cartagena is determined to be a prepared city, and these meetings are essential so that, when next summer arrives, we will have a more robust protection network and more efficient communication between all levels of government,” Mora added.

The HEATSAFE project will continue in the coming months with the validation of technological solutions and the creation of a network of seasonal climate shelters. With this new meeting, the City Council reaffirms its commitment to a city model that prioritizes public health and climate justice, actively collaborating with partners from Greece, Bulgaria, Italy and Albania.

The European Interreg Euro-Med HEATSAFE project now has its official video, an audiovisual piece that summarizes the main objectives, actions and expected impact of this initiative focused on improving the response to extreme heat events.

The launch of the video represents a further step in the project's communication strategy, bringing the challenges posed by rising temperatures and the need to strengthen institutional coordination to protect the most vulnerable groups closer to the public and the entities involved.

Through a dynamic and informative format, the video explains how HEATSAFE works to drive innovative solutions, strengthen local governance, and promote climate adaptation measures in the Mediterranean region. It also highlights the collaboration between public administrations, social organizations, and European partners.

With this new audiovisual tool, the project reinforces its commitment to awareness, transparency and the dissemination of good practices, expanding its reach and consolidating its position as a key initiative in climate resilience and public health.

The official video is now available on the project's communication channels and those of its partner organizations.

Heatsafe is the new project led by the FMRM, focused, like other European Union-funded programs in which it participates, on climate change adaptation. This time, it is a Euro-MED project, lasting 33 months, and with a partnership composed of nine partners from the Mediterranean region, including organizations from Barcelona, ​​Greece, Bulgaria, Albania, Italy, and Murcia, including the Federation of Municipalities of the Region of Murcia and Eurovértice.

The professionals from the various international institutions that make up this team met for the first time at the Federation of Municipalities to hold a coordination meeting and establish the standards and steps to be followed for the project.

The main objective of HEATSAFE is to improve the prevention, mitigation, and management of risks arising from climate change and the increasing frequency and intensity of extreme heat and heatwaves in the Mediterranean by jointly designing local action plans and implementing demonstrative pilot actions. These will lay the groundwork for the development of open-source tools for assessing heat vulnerability and a long-term strategy that will set the course for the entire MED area.

This project, in addition to developing an innovative methodology and including socioeconomic factors in heat vulnerability maps to ensure tailored solutions, prioritizing the most vulnerable groups, will develop pilot actions in different areas, with Cartagena being the city chosen for this action in the region.

Some of these actions will include the creation and reinforcement of climate shelters, as safe spaces during heat waves; the implementation of immediate response solutions aimed at mitigating the effects of high temperatures in critical situations, such as flexible and temporary shading systems, fountains, sprinkler mechanisms, solidarity networks to increase the frequency of monitoring vulnerable people, etc.; as well as the development of awareness and education campaigns aimed at raising public awareness of thermal risks and ways to protect themselves against them.

The project partners were able to experience firsthand the high temperatures in the Region of Murcia, specifically in the capital, as their stay coincided with the warmest June on record, reaching 39 degrees Celsius (XNUMX degrees Fahrenheit), according to meteorological sources.