A new peer-reviewed scientific article developed within the Horizon Europe project VALORADA has just been published in Frontiers in Climate. The paper examines how local value systems and place-based characteristics influence the way climate risks are defined, represented and prioritised in both urban and rural contexts across Europe.
Drawing on ten participatory Climate Impact Chain (CIC) assessments co-developed with local stakeholders in European demonstration regions, the study covers four major hazard domains: urban warming, heatwaves, droughts and extreme precipitation. It demonstrates that climate risks are not assessed solely on the basis of biophysical exposure or economic damage, but are deeply shaped by locally salient values, including health and wellbeing, environmental sustainability, economic security, social cooperation, safety, identity and institutional trust.
The article further highlights how tensions between competing values, such as environmental protection versus economic development, or water conservation versus sanitation needs, can influence both risk perception and adaptation decision-making. These value-based tensions are shown to be particularly critical in contexts where resources are constrained or where long-term sustainability objectives intersect with short-term economic pressures.
Methodologically, the research is grounded in a co-creation and participatory action research approach, involving municipal authorities, technical services, elected representatives, civil society, academia and the private sector. This process ensured that scientific knowledge was combined with local experience, governance practices and territorial specificities, strengthening both the legitimacy and the operational relevance of the resulting risk assessments.
The authors argue that integrating values and place-based characteristics into climate risk assessments is essential for designing adaptation strategies that are socially meaningful, politically legitimate and practically effective. More broadly, the article contributes to ongoing European discussions on how climate risk governance can better reflect local priorities and societal dynamics.
The publication directly supports the objectives of the VALORADA project, which aims to strengthen local climate adaptation planning through improved data governance, validated methodologies and actionable climate intelligence for public authorities.
Many thanks to all the authors and organisations involved: Cristóbal Reveco, Joerg Cortekar, Joerg Cortekar, Chiara Trozzo, Martin Vokral, Lola Kotova, Eeva Kuntsi-Reunanen, Giulia Galluccio, Natalia Korhonen, Hereon GERICS, CMCC, Asitis and FMI
Read the full open-access article here.
