On the development of urban adaptation strategies using ecosystem-based approaches to adaptation

Selected aspects of currently running project UrbanAdapt are described. The project deals with the adaptation of cities on changing climatic conditions. The main project objective is to start the process of preparation of cities adaptation strategies, developing adaptation scenarios and testing the effects and benefits of particular measures. Previously developed models of adaptation impacts are used with available real data and according to several prepared scenarios to provide necessary decision making tools. The final policies have to take into account climatic conditions, available means, and devices to propose necessary amendments and solutions. Project team involves groups from different fields that cover various aspects of adaptation measures including economic analyses, policy making processes, education and dissemination to the public. The presented paper deals with the part of activities which are focused on modelling of adaptation measures and climatic impacts for the city of Prague. These activities include assessment of energy balance of city, in terms of interactions of solar radiation, atmosphere and urban environment. Urban environment includes not only buildings, street surfaces and vegetation, but also the processes having impact on energy balance such as the traffic, air conditioning and industry that produce anthropogenic heat which can play a role for example in summer heat waves. The ultimate goal is to assess the impact of different adaptation measures on citizens who live in environmental conditions of growing effect of urban heat island. Thus the connection between objective meteorological variables and subjective biological indices has to be investigated. The concept of Physiological Equivalent Temperature (PET) is adopted. In comparison to single values of air temperature, air humidity, global horizontal irradiance, wind speed, and other meteorological indexes, concept of PET has added value in determining the value of important biometeorological index in.