UNDERPIN is a project funded by HORIZON Europe Research and Innovation actions in support of the implementation of the Adaptation to Climate Change Mission (HORIZON-MISS-2022-CLIMA-01). UNDERPIN addresses critical gaps in monitoring, evaluation and learning (MEL) for climate adaptation across Europe. UNDERPIN is going to review existing climate adaptation and disaster risk reduction (DRR) indicators and integrate novel data sources, including Earth observation and citizen science. As well as, involving stakeholders in three pilot regions to cocreate and refine the framework, ensuring practical relevance and adaptability. A user-friendly dashboard with AI and machine learning tools will provide real-time analysis at the EU and regional level, helping decision-makers track progress, identify gaps, and make data-driven decisions. A citizen science and just climate resilience lens is used throughout the different activities of UNDERPIN. By aligning with EU and global reporting standards, such as the EU Adaptation Strategy and the UNFCCC, UNDERPIN is going to harmonize climate adaptation monitoring across governance levels, fostering a coordinated approach to resilience-building in Europe.
48 months da 01/09/2025 a 31/08/2028
General aims
The main objective of UNDERPIN project is to develop, test and validate an innovative, comprehensive, scalable and impact-oriented framework, along with a set of operationalised processes and outcome indicators, for monitoring, evaluating and learning (MEL) from European climate adaptation efforts (and with a particular focus on outcomes). This integrated framework will enable climate resilience assessment at local, regional and national levels, using consistent methods that combine economic, social, environmental, and governance dimensions, including earth observation and citizen science.
UNDERPIN specific objectives are the following:
- To develop a comprehensive outcome indicator framework that is complementary and compatible with existing indicators and frameworks;
- To identify and integrate reliable, relevant and appropriate quantitative and qualitative data and methods to feed the indicator framework and harmonise it;
- To develop (analytical) tools, visualisations and a modular modifiable dashboard, assisted with an enhanced user-friendly capabilities (AI-assisted features);
- To test and validate the framework at the pan-European level, and data collection and testing in real-world use cases, covering different challenges, geographies and governance levels;
- To develop a tailored training package, validate the package and make it widely available across end-users (in particular, for the regions and cities in the EU Mission on Adaptation to Climate Change).
CMCC role:
CMCC is the Leader of Task 1.3 Iterative updating of frameworks and guidance protocols within the WP1- Framework and indicators for measuring adaptation outcomes across scales (local, regional and national), critical risks (e.g. those in EUCRA) and sectors (e.g. Key Community Systems), tailored to measuring levels of climate resilience. This task will include iterative updating of the framework, indicators and guidance protocols based on real-life experiences from use cases in WP4 and developments in WP2 and WP3. Task 1.3 will result in a report on the interactive updating of the framework and guidance protocols (M1.3), as well as the final framework, associated outcome indicators, and guidance protocols (D1.2).
In the framework of the UNDERPIN project, CMCC is one of the contributors of tasks within WP1,2,3,4,5 and 6.
Activities
UNDERPIN is structured in 6 WPs:
1. Framework and indicators for measuring adaptation outcomes across scales
2. Operational framework and data sources to measure progress on climate resilience
3. Dashboard, Analytical and Visualisation Tools
4. Pan-EU validation and regional use cases
5. Training & CDE
6. Project Management
Expected results
UNDERPIN expected results (ER) are the following:
- UNDERPIN MEL Framework: a validated and tested Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) Framework by 2027;
- Adaptation Indicator Set: a feasible set of indicators available by 2026, contributing to tracking climate resilience;
- Knowledge Products: policy briefs, guidelines and capacity building tools;
- Dashboard & Visualization Tools: Climate adaptation dashboard with real-time historical data;
- Dissemination outputs: communication and engagement materials, multimedia, infographics.
Coordinating organization:
Établissement D’enseignement Supérieur Consulaire Hautes Etudes Commerciales De Paris (HEC Paris), France
Partners
Fondazione Centro Euro-Mediterraneo sui Cambiamenti Climatici (CMCC), Italy
Fundacion Tecnalia Research & Innovation (TECNALIA), Spain
Internationales Institut Fuer Angewandte Systemanalyse (IIASA), Austria
Stichting Climate-Kic International Foundation (CKIC), Netherlands
Iclei European Secretariat Gmbh (ICLEI Europe), Germany
Adelphi Research Gemeinnützige Gmbh (adelphi), Germany
Fresh-Thoughts Consulting Gmbh (FT), Austria
Stichting International Institute for Environment and Development Europe (IIED Europe), Netherlands