New EU Report on Research & Innovation Gaps for Climate Adaptation

A new Research & Innovation (R&I) Gaps Report has been published under the EU Mission Implementation Platform for Adaptation to Climate Change (MIP4Adapt), bringing together contributions from projects across the EU Mission on Adaptation. ISMED-CLIM contributed to this collective effort, supporting the identification of key challenges and priority areas that require further research, innovation, and coordinated action.

Supporting Climate Adaptation Across Europe

The report builds on discussions and exchanges within the Mission Community of Practice between 2023 and 2025. It reflects practical experience from EU-funded projects, regional and local authorities, researchers, and practitioners working directly on climate adaptation.

Rather than focusing only on high-level policy direction, the report identifies concrete gaps that affect how adaptation is planned, financed, implemented, and monitored across Europe. These gaps help clarify where additional effort, coordination, and investment are needed to strengthen adaptation capacity at different governance levels.

Key Areas Identified in the Report

The report highlights several priority domains that require further attention:

  • Stakeholder engagement and governance – Strengthening coordination between institutions, improving participatory approaches, and ensuring that vulnerable groups are meaningfully involved in adaptation planning.

  • Monitoring, evaluation, and indicators – Developing consistent and practical frameworks to assess adaptation progress and measure long-term effectiveness.

  • Finance and investment – Addressing barriers to funding access, improving financial instruments, and supporting sustainable investment strategies for adaptation measures.

  • Data, tools, and platforms – Enhancing accessibility, interoperability, and usability of climate data, digital platforms, and decision-support tools.

  • Nature-Based Solutions and transformational adaptation – Advancing solutions that integrate ecosystem-based approaches while enabling systemic, long-term transformation rather than short-term fixes.

These areas reflect challenges that many Mediterranean and European regions are currently facing as climate impacts intensify.

The Role of ISMED-CLIM

ISMED-CLIM contributed insights from its work on climate-related health risks in the Mediterranean region. The project’s focus on environmental exposures, vulnerable populations, and evidence-based decision support aligns closely with the broader objectives of the EU Mission on Adaptation.

Through its research activities, ISMED-CLIM supports improved understanding of how climate stressors such as extreme heat and desert dust events affect health outcomes. These insights are relevant to adaptation planning, especially when developing policies that protect public health and strengthen local resilience.

By participating in the Mission Community of Practice, ISMED-CLIM contributes to knowledge exchange between projects and helps ensure that adaptation strategies are grounded in evidence and real-world implementation experience.

A Collective Effort Across EU Projects

The report was enriched by contributions from multiple EU Mission projects, including CARDIMED, GREENGAGE, Climate Impetus, ISMED-CLIM, REST-COAST, DRYAD, SMARTER, PRO-CLIMATE, MAGICA and JPI Climate, among others. This collaborative approach strengthens the report’s relevance and ensures that recommendations reflect diverse regional contexts and thematic areas.

Moving Forward

As climate impacts continue to affect European regions in different ways, identifying research and innovation gaps is an important step toward more effective adaptation. The report provides a structured overview of current needs and offers practical recommendations to guide future research agendas, funding priorities, and policy development.

ISMED-CLIM remains committed to contributing evidence and regional experience to support informed, inclusive, and science-based climate adaptation across the Mediterranean and beyond.

🔗 Read and download the full report here: https://www.cardimed-project.eu/downloads/research-innovation-gaps-for-climate-adaptation/