Nature-Based Solutions for Climate Change Adaptation in Scholar and Social Buildings: Concepts and Pilot Solutions for Portugal and Spain

Abstract

Climate change has been recognized as one of the most serious environmental, social, and economic challenges facing the world today. Contextually, the Intermunicipal Plan for Climate Change Adaptation in Alentejo Central (PIAAC-AC) has already identified the tendencies and future scenarios of climate change in Alentejo Central until the end of the twenty-first century, namely the increase in the number of days with very high temperatures, the number of tropical nights and heat waves, and the general decrease in annual rainfall. In this scenario, the concerns with school communities and users of social services increase. The project “LIFE-myBUILDINGisGREEN”—“application of nature-based solutions for local adaptation of educational and social buildings to Climate Change,” developed in partnership with CIMAC (Portugal), CARTIF Technology Center (Spain), Diputación de Badajoz and CSIC—Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas (Real Jardin Botanico— Spain—Project Leader), and the Porto City Council (Portugal), focuses on the construction sector, in particular on education and social services buildings in cities in Europe. It aims to implement the prototypes (building adaptation) of nature-based solutions (NBS) on walls, roofs, playgrounds, and exterior surfaces on three pilot buildings. The overall objective is to contribute to improve resilience in these buildings using autochthone vegetation.