Our story

Rural communities in the Mediterranean region are increasingly experiencing the adverse effects of climate change, such as heat waves, heavy rains, flooding, and coastal erosion. These extreme climatic events are becoming more frequent and intense, exacerbating existing vulnerabilities in these communities. Additionally, decades of urban development have led to urban sprawl, soil sealing, and the inadaptation of building stock, further amplifying climate change’s negative impacts. However, climate change cannot be avoided; therefore, communities need to adapt. They need to develop “real-life,” bottom-up climate adaptation strategies where ownership of results and failures belongs to the communities, not just decision-makers.
Local public authorities often lack the necessary planning and financing mechanisms to implement robust climate adaptation measures. This gap in capacity is a significant barrier to achieving sustainable and resilient communities. The Green B-LEAF project aims to bridge this gap by developing and implementing a Green Participatory Budgeting (PB) methodology and Green Budget Tagging (GBT) toolkit. These tools will provide a structured framework for data-driven planning and budgeting decisions, enabling local authorities to allocate resources more effectively towards climate resilience initiatives.

The Green B-LEAF project addresses several critical and interconnected challenges that rural communities in the Mediterranean region face due to climate change and urban development. These challenges include the limited capacities of local public authorities in climate adaptation planning, the need for a holistic and transdisciplinary approach to managing green living areas, and the insufficient engagement of citizens in climate adaptation efforts.