URBAN RESEARCH AT BC3: HOW CLIMATE CHANGE SCIENCE CAN SUPPORT URBAN POLICY MAKING

The document outlines various BC3 research initiatives aimed at improving urban resilience and sustainability. Key examples include flood-risk modeling in Bilbao and Zurich, heat-health warning system evaluations in Madrid, and the socio-economic analysis of energy efficiency plans. It emphasizes the necessity of science-policy collaboration to create cost-efficient, data-driven urban interventions.

• Urban areas are significant contributors to global warming, accounting for 71-76% of global CO2e emissions, while 90% of major cities face risks from coastal or inland flooding.
• In Bilbao's Zorrotzaurre district, stochastic modeling indicates that opening the Deusto channel is a 'no-regret' adaptation measure to mitigate current and future flood risks.
• An analysis of Bilbao's Sustainable Energy Action Plan (SEAP) found that while the overall plan produced €1.27 in outcome for every euro invested, focusing only on additional measures reduced the output increase to €0.26 per euro.
• Research in Madrid suggests that heat health watch warning systems (HHWWS) require periodic threshold temperature evaluations to remain effective and avoid unnecessary implementation costs as the climate changes.
• A study on coastal flooding in Plentzia, Basque Country, indicates that under the most pessimistic sea-level rise scenario, some areas could be affected by 2030, with damage costs potentially increasing 15-fold between 2030 and 2100.
• Spatial assessment of flood risk in Zaragoza revealed that infrastructural prevention measures can inadvertently transfer risks to downstream floodplains.
• Green spaces provide multi-sectoral co-benefits including localized cooling, flood risk reduction, improved air and water quality, and reduced non-communicable diseases (NCDs).
• In India, 'smart city' development plans are found to have lower social costs for water, transport, and energy provision compared to business-as-usual urbanization, though they may face challenges regarding direct economic costs and affordability.

APA

Olazabal, M., de Murieta, E. S., Foudi, S., Chiabai, A., Galarraga, I., Balbi, S., Vogel, L., Román, M. V., & Markandya, A. (2016). URBAN RESEARCH AT BC3: HOW CLIMATE CHANGE SCIENCE CAN SUPPORT URBAN POLICY MAKING. Basque Centre for Climate Change. https://www.bc3research.org/h6T8Uy8Nm4gFs0O/201608051207042130790105.pdf

Chicago

Olazabal, Marta, Elisa Sainz de Murieta, Sébastien Foudi, Aline Chiabai, Ibon Galarraga, Stefano Balbi, Leif Vogel, Maria Victoria Román, and Anil Markandya. URBAN RESEARCH AT BC3: HOW CLIMATE CHANGE SCIENCE CAN SUPPORT URBAN POLICY MAKING. Basque Centre for Climate Change, 2016. https://www.bc3research.org/h6T8Uy8Nm4gFs0O/201608051207042130790105.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Olazabal |first1=Marta |last2=de Murieta |first2=Elisa Sainz |last3=Foudi |first3=Sébastien |last4=Chiabai |first4=Aline |last5=Galarraga |first5=Ibon |last6=Balbi |first6=Stefano |last7=Vogel |first7=Leif |last8=Román |first8=Maria Victoria |last9=Markandya |first9=Anil |title=URBAN RESEARCH AT BC3: HOW CLIMATE CHANGE SCIENCE CAN SUPPORT URBAN POLICY MAKING |publisher=Basque Centre for Climate Change |date=2016 |url=https://www.bc3research.org/h6T8Uy8Nm4gFs0O/201608051207042130790105.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{olazabal2016urban, author = {Olazabal, Marta and de Murieta, Elisa Sainz and Foudi, Sébastien and Chiabai, Aline and Galarraga, Ibon and Balbi, Stefano and Vogel, Leif and Román, Maria Victoria and Markandya, Anil}, title = {{URBAN RESEARCH AT BC3: HOW CLIMATE CHANGE SCIENCE CAN SUPPORT URBAN POLICY MAKING}}, institution = {Basque Centre for Climate Change}, year = {2016}, url = {https://www.bc3research.org/h6T8Uy8Nm4gFs0O/201608051207042130790105.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }