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Clim4Cast

Project overview

Central European Alliance for Increasing Climate Change Resilience to Combined Consequences of Drought, Heatwave, and Fire Weather through Regionally-Tuned Forecasting

Climate change increases the risk of severe weather events in central Europe. Increasing resilience to droughts, heatwaves and fires is urgent but tools that monitor and predict these phenomena are widely missing. The Clim4Cast project establishes a new weather forecast tool, which will be integrated into existing national monitoring platforms of seven countries. Concrete action plans to set up regional response mechanisms are also developed.

1,91m €

Project Budget

80%

of the Budget is funded by ERDF

Layer 1

7

Countries

7

Regions

8

Partners

3

Pilots

Duration

Start date

End date

Project progress

100%

About the project

The Central European region faces an increase in the frequency, duration, and severity of drought, heatwaves, and fire weather (DHF) due to ongoing climate change. While legal frameworks and attention have been directed toward water scarcity and drought, the insufficient consideration of heatwaves and fire weather in legislation poses a challenge, impeding efforts to increase resilience. Recognizing the direct threats posed by DHF events to human well-being and the environment, Clim4Cast has addressed the existing gap by introducing operational tools for monitoring, prediction, and raising awareness. Clim4Cast project partners collaboratively developed and established a multi-temporal DHF forecast accessible at https://clim4cast.eu/ . Beyond forecasting, the project has assessed the impact of climate change on DHF event occurrences. The project's outcomes have contributed to a comprehensive strategy aimed at increasing climate change awareness, particularly for underreported extreme events. What sets Clim4Cast apart is the collaborative utilization of partner knowledge in extreme weather events, diverse communication strategies, and established networks of stakeholders. The project's uniqueness lies in the development and implementation of multi-temporal forecasting, a crucial aspect currently missing in existing tools. The output of Clim4Cast now serves as an early warning system, empowering diverse stakeholders and facilitating integration into national legislative frameworks.

Project partnership

Project partners

Česko (CZ)

Lead partner

Global Change Research Institute, CAS

Domain of Climate Analysis and Modelling
Address
Bělidla 986/4a
60300 Brno
Country
Czechia (CZ)
Web
https://www.czechglobe.cz

Project partner

Department of Geography, Faculty of Science
Address
Kotlarska 267/2
61137 Brno
Country
Czechia (CZ)
Web
https://www.muni.cz/en
Total partner budget
202,754 €
Department of Geodesy and Geoinformation
Address
Wiedner Hauptstrasse 8-10
1040 Vienna
Country
Austria (AT)
Web
www.tuwien.at
Total partner budget
294,379 €
Department of Bioeconomy and Systems Analysis
Address
Czartoryskich 8
24-100 Puławy
Country
Poland (PL)
Web
www.iung.pl
Total partner budget
169,550 €
Research Platform "Data Analysis & Simulation"
Address
Eberswalder Str. 84
15374 Muencheberg
Country
Germany (DE)
Web
https://www.zalf.de/en/Pages/ZALF.aspx
Total partner budget
251,103 €
Meteorology and hydrology office
Address
Vojkova cesta 1b
1000 Ljubljana
Country
Slovenia (SI)
Web
https://www.arso.gov.si
Total partner budget
198,699 €
Meteorological Research and Development Division
Address
Ravnice 48
10000 Zagreb
Country
Croatia (HR)
Web
www.meteo.hr
Total partner budget
153,179 €
Division Meteorological Service/Dpt. of Climatological Service
Address
Jeséniova 17
83315 Bratislava
Country
Slovakia (SK)
Web
www.shmu.sk
Total partner budget
271,280 €

Roadmap

1

Challenge

The primary challenge that has been addressed by our project lies in the diversity of microclimate conditions within Central Europe. This diversity introduces complexities in handling different input data sources and understanding the multifaceted nature of drought, heatwaves, and fire events.

2

Approach

The project's approach encompassed three key work packages. WP1 focused on enhancing the region's resilience to DHF and their compound impacts. Complementing this, WP2 involved collaborative efforts in developing and implementing a forecasting tool tailored for DHF. Simultaneously, WP3 focused on jointly formulating a response strategy using an early warning system.

3

Solution

The proposed solution made use of collaborative efforts to develop a comprehensive forecasting model for DHF in Central Europe. By pooling expertise and resources, the project created a robust tool that integrates insights from diverse climatic conditions, fostering resilience across the region.

News

Events

Pilot actions

Outputs

" Drought in the nesting grounds "

A transnational strategy on improved climate change awareness in the area of DHF events and their compound effects for the Clim4Cast region

The Clim4Cast project developed a transnational strategy for raising awareness about compound drought, heatwave, and wildfire (DHF) events in Central Europe. A key part of this work was the creation of a unique database documenting DHF events and their impacts between 2000 and 2023 across the partner countries. The database helps illustrate how climate extremes affect society, agriculture, forests, water resources, and other sectors, making climate change impacts more understandable for stakeholders and the public. It also provides an important scientific basis for evaluating how climate change influences the occurrence and severity of compound climate events across Central Europe. To improve understanding of DHF impacts, the project developed a new severity index allowing comparison of events across countries and sectors. Additional activities focused on climate change attribution analyses and stakeholder surveys exploring public perception and communication of climate risks. Together, these outputs support more effective climate communication, awareness raising, and preparedness strategies tailored to different regional contexts across Central Europe.
Type of output: Strategies and action plans

Solution for integrated multi-temporal forecasting of drought in Central European countries

The Clim4Cast project has developed a solution for integrated multi-temporal forecasting of drought in Central European countries, leveraging partners' expertise in drought monitoring. This solution enhances existing national platforms by providing regionally-specific, multi-temporal forecasts, helping to improve preparedness and response to drought events across the region.
Type of output: Solutions

Solution for integrated multi-temporal forecasting of heat wave in Central European countries

The heatwave forecasting system integrates numerical weather prediction with real-time data to provide accurate heatwave predictions. It features a digital toolbox with open-source data and models, enabling spatially explicit forecasts that are accessible to all participating countries. By incorporating these forecasts with national weather monitoring platforms, the system facilitates timely early warnings and enhances regional cooperation and preparedness.
Type of output: Solutions

Solution for integrated multi-temporal forecasting of wildfire in Central European countries

The proposed solution focuses on a collaborative effort to develop an integrated forecasting model for fire weather in Central Europe. By leveraging multidisciplinary expertise and resources, the project creates a comprehensive tool tailored to the diverse climatic conditions of the region. The cooperative approach addresses the complex, interconnected nature of fire events, enhancing resilience and preparedness across Central European countries.
Type of output: Solutions

Cross-border collaboration on development and implementation of regional multi-temporal monitoring and forecasting mapping tool for drought, heatwaves, and wildfire into established national platforms

The Clim4Cast project established a cross-border operational framework for monitoring and forecasting droughts, heatwaves, and wildfire risk across Central Europe. Project partners jointly harmonized methodologies and developed an operational system for the daily calculation, sharing, and visualization of DHF forecasting products. The final regional platform, available at https://clim4cast.eu, provides real-time visualization of climate extremes with a strong focus on cross-border regions and harmonized interpretation of risks. The platform integrates monitoring and forecasting products, interactive mapping tools, multilingual content, and regularly updated information on major DHF events across partner countries. All project partners contributed to testing, validation, national customization, and translation of the platform outputs. Pilot activities confirmed the operational applicability of the forecasting products under different climatic and institutional conditions. The project significantly strengthened cross-border cooperation, data sharing, and operational collaboration among meteorological institutes, research organisations, and stakeholders, creating a long-term basis for regional climate resilience and coordinated response to compound climate extremes.
Type of output: Solutions

Communication and engagement national action plans on proactive DHF response

The Clim4Cast project developed National Action Plans focused on improving preparedness and proactive responses to droughts, heatwaves, and wildfires (DHF) across Central Europe. The action plans were created through close cooperation with national stakeholders, including public authorities, operational institutions, sectoral agencies, and experts from different fields. National consultations organized in all partner countries helped identify country-specific vulnerabilities, implementation barriers, and priority measures reflecting different legal, institutional, and environmental conditions. Based on this feedback, each partner country prepared a tailored National DHF Action Plan adapted to its own needs and operational context. The final Action Plans include recommendations for improving climate resilience, risk prevention, communication, and preparedness related to compound climate extremes. Together, they provide a practical framework supporting long-term adaptation efforts, stronger cross-border cooperation, and more coordinated responses to climate-related risks across Central Europe. As part of the Clim4Cast activities, a scheme for proactive responses to droughts, heatwaves, and wildfires (DHF) has been developed and is now available as project deliverable D.3.2.1. This deliverable presents a conceptual framework for proactive actions in response to DHF events, based on early warnings. It also proposes an institutional setup to address all stages of DHF response. The scheme will serve as a foundational resource for discussions during national stakeholder consultations to be organized in each participating country.
Type of output: Strategies and action plans

Project documents

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Clim4Cast

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Project Contacts

Project Manager

Lenka Bartošová
Phone: +420603160073

Finance Manager

Kristina Travnickova
Phone: +420730164642

Communication Manager

Claas Nendel
Phone: +49 (0)33432 82-355