FAIR2Adapt: Fair, accessible, interoperable, and reusable (FAIR) data for climate change adaptation

Though many platforms and tools provide information on climate change adaptation, they lack the standardized data and interoperability that can effectively integrate such information. This leads to “knowledge silos” and to  inefficiencies that make it difficult to find information needed to tailor strategies for specific contexts and needs.

The FAIR2Adapt project aims to address these issues by creating a collaborative framework that promotes the integration and sharing of needed data. It seeks to bridge gaps between scientific knowledge, practical application, and resource sharing to support better climate resilience strategies. The project will seek to advance efforts that can enhance cross-sectoral knowledge coordination and improve data accessibility for diverse stakeholders. To that end, the project seeks to bring in a wide variety of needed information, not only climate-specific data, but also relevant socioeconomic and environmental information, such as insurance data and infrastructure assessments, which are essential for developing comprehensive strategies

The project will be underpinned by case studies that are linked to the wider EU Mission on Adaptation to Climate Change. These case studies are intended to help the project demonstrate how to implement equitable, effective, and data-driven climate adaptation strategies at national, regional, and local levels.

The project intends to build on the European Open Science Cloud (EOSC), described as an “effort to provide European researchers, innovators, companies and citizens with a federated and open multi-disciplinary environment where they can publish, find and reuse data, tools and services for research, innovation and educational purposes”. As such, the FAIR2adapt project will seek to help enhance machine-assisted discovery, selection, access, and use of relevant climate adaptation data, knowledge, and services. By facilitating efficient knowledge sharing and reuse, FAIR2Adapt seeks to empower European regional and local authorities to build resilience to the impacts of climate change.

The three key objectives are:

1. To enhance data accessibility — To improve the availability and discoverability of diverse data related to climate adaptation, including climate, socioeconomic, and environmental information.
2. To promote data interoperability — To develop standardized methods and tools to ensure seamless data sharing and integration across various platforms and sectors, supporting the objectives of the EU Mission on Adaptation to Climate Change.
3. To implement FAIR digital objects (FDOs) — To facilitate the exchange and reuse of data through FDOs, enabling stakeholders to access high-quality, machine-actionable information that contributes to effective climate adaptation strategies. Unfamiliar with FDOs? See the box below for an explanation of this concept, which is receiving growing attention as part of an effort to manage, connect and leverage enormous amounts of data.