The Be Ready project proposes strategic solutions to the problem of urban heat islands in cities in the Danube region.
At the conference in Chisinau, it was emphasized that through Be Ready, cities have created conditions for an open exchange of views between city governments, experts and policymakers, not only to jointly respond to the challenge of global warming, but also to agree on the most effective forms of future cooperation.
The conference participants agreed that Be Ready is not just about technical solutions, but rather about people’s needs and their connections. The conference discussed ways in which cities identify heat islands, how they measure their impact on the lives of residents, and how they translate the data collected into decisions and practical solutions, with an emphasis on those that can have significant effects through relatively small investments.
The host representative, Deputy Mayor of Chisinau Ilie Čeban, pointed out at the conference that the fact that we “learned to work together” during the project is one of the most valuable achievements of the Be Ready project, since in this way we strengthen the readiness of cities for future forms of cooperation within the European Union. No matter how different the cities of the Danube region are in terms of their degree of exposure to the heat island phenomenon, they are all moving towards the same goal, with cooperation remaining the most important mechanism for turning ideas into concrete activities. In this context, the representatives of the Capital City said at the conference that thanks to the project, Podgorica has become not only more operationally ready for the challenges of climate change, but has also built up the confidence to implement innovative solutions.
The Be Ready project is funded by the Danube Region Cooperation Programme (Danube Interreg) and is implemented in partnership with a total of 19 cities, scientific research institutions and development agencies. As part of the Be Ready project, Podgorica has developed an action plan to mitigate the consequences of the heat island phenomenon and implemented a demonstration solution using the green roof concept at a public bus station.
