The project HEATSAFE (Holistic EnvironmenTAl and Social Adaptation Framework for Extreme heat) directly tackles the need to adapt against climate change adverse effects in the whole Mediterranean area. The intensity of heatwaves is amplified in urban areas by factors such as the configuration of the city, the lack of vegetation or the materials of urbanized surfaces, so the strategy to mitigate their effects must be designed specifically for each territory.

Sociodemographic conditions must also be considered, as significant correlation between exposure to extreme heat and socioeconomic vulnerability has been shown, leading to nearly double the mortality risk in some deprived districts. This local complex planning cannot be addressed without a clear methodology. 

In this sense, HEATSAFE will address the most suitable ways to adapt these territories to these effects by developing key activities in Spain, Italy. Albania, Bulgaria and Greece, and with the aim of replicating project approach in the whole Mediterranean area. HEATSAFE will improve the prevention, mitigation and management of risks arising from increased frequency and intensity of extreme heat and heatwaves in the Mediterranean basin through the co-development of local action plans and the implementation of demonstrative pilot actions; complemented by a long-term strategy and open-source tools to establish heat vulnerability maps across the MED area.

The project will produce several outputs to achieve project objectives:

• Decision-making tool for policymakers to evaluate and prioritize heatwaves measures based on impact, feasibility, and cost-effectiveness.
• Governance structures for effective heatwaves management, including stakeholder mapping and engagement strategies, benefiting six Mediterranean regions.
• Local Action Plans in six pilot partners and five EU countries for heatwaves preparedness, response, communication, and recovery, aiding local authorities and communities.
• Testing activities in six Mediterranean areas will implement and evaluate solutions, resulting in a protocol for best practices to mitigate heatwaves which will benefit not only project partners, but the whole MED area through transferring and replication activities.
• Аn improved heatwaves planning and management strategy for the Mediterranean basin so the project approach can be adopted by other areas.

HEATSAFE will adopt a comprehensive, interdisciplinary approach that integrates urban planning, public health, social equity, and environmental sustainability to develop and test methodologies and solutions for preventing heatwave risks in the Mediterranean urban context. The methodology is built upon 4 main ideas:

• Develop a heat vulnerability map for each project area, incorporating both physical and socioeconomic indicators, to inform action planning.
• Create new multi-level governance structures to ensure community engagement and participatory decision-making for contextually appropriate solutions.
• Test interventions based on cutting-edge research and best practices, focusing on climate shelters, immediate response solutions, and awareness-raising measures.
• Collaborate with stakeholders to build capacity, foster innovation, and facilitate knowledge exchange.

The proposed methodology will be tested in various European municipalities to validate its effectiveness and suggest improvements transferable to other Mediterranean areas. Implementing pilot actions in different countries will be crucial for comparing results and understanding local circumstances, enabling the sharing of findings and methodologies to maximise impact. The project will pool resources, share expertise among various actors, and align policies. Collaboration will help regions address challenges more effectively, enabling project results to be upscaled across the entire Mediterranean basin.

HEATSAFE's innovation lies in its direct approach to the complex, interconnected challenges that climate change presents in the Mediterranean region, utilising a comprehensive and interdisciplinary strategy. By incorporating socioeconomic factors into heat vulnerability maps, it exceeds current practices to deliver tailored solutions that address heatwave impacts and prioritise the most at-risk groups. HEATSAFE emphasises community engagement and participatory decision-making, establishing new governance structures that integrate urban planning, public health, social equity, and environmental sustainability. Furthermore, HEATSAFE utilises cutting-edge research and best practices in its interventions while encouraging collaboration among diverse stakeholders to enhance capacity and facilitate knowledge exchange. This multi-faceted strategy not only effectively mitigates heatwave risks but also creates a replicable and scalable model for the entire Mediterranean region.

Partners: LP: Federation of Municipalities of the Region of Murcia, Spain  PP2: EuroVértice Consultants, Spain  PP3: Barcelona Metropolitan Area, Spain PP4: Municipality of Agii Anargiri – Kamatero, PP5: Association of South-Western Municipalities, PP6: Regional Council Durres, Albania PP7: Municipality of Arezzo,Italy PP8: National Kapodistrian University of Athens, Greece PP9:Euro-Mediterranean Center on Climate Change Foundation, Italy 

Associated partners to ASWM: 1) Municipality of Blagoevgrad 2) Regional Administration Blagoevgrad

Donor: Interreg Euro Mediterranean VI B 2021-2027

Programme priority: 2 - Greener MED

Specific objective: RSO2.4 - Promoting climate change adaptation and disaster risk prevention, resilience, taking into account eco-system based approaches

Budget: 2.413.791,40 EURO

Duration: 33 months (01-04-2025 - 23-12-2027)

Project website: https://heatsafe.interreg-euro-med.eu/ 

The Association of South-Western Municipalities (ASWM) took part in the inaugural partnership meeting of the project "Integrated Network for Disaster Management in the Danube Region" (InDiMaND), held in Budapest, Hungary. The project officially launched on April 1, 2025, and aims to strengthen coordination and cooperation among disaster response organizations across the Danube region.

Led by the Budapest Fire Protection Association, InDiMaND brings together 13 core partners, including ASWM, whose involvement is critical thanks to its established role among municipalities in South-Western Bulgaria and its strong partnerships with national and international institutions. ASWM’s extensive experience in environmental protection, disaster prevention and mitigation, volunteer training, and public awareness campaigns positions it as a key contributor to the initiative.

The project will produce two major strategic documents:

• A transnationally validated set of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to harmonize disaster response efforts across participating countries.
• An Action Plan for Youth Engagement, aimed at fostering sustainable volunteer participation, especially among young people.

These outputs will be further enhanced and tailored to national contexts with the support of 17 associated strategic partners, ensuring their alignment with local legislation and broad applicability across more than 10 countries in the region. This collaborative approach will help ensure the long-term effectiveness of the strategies and improve disaster resilience throughout the Danube basin.

In addition to strategic development, InDiMaND will carry out various transnational exercises, training sessions, and public information campaigns designed to promote disaster readiness and volunteerism. One of the training sessions will take place in Bulgaria’s Blagoevgrad region.

ASWM is the lead partner for Activity 1.5, which focuses on creating a comprehensive framework for the adoption of the SOPs by relevant stakeholders. This framework will be developed collaboratively, allowing project partners to adapt and expand it to fit their regional and organizational needs.

InDiMaND is funded by the INTERREG VI-B Danube Region Programme 2021–2027, under Priority 2: "A greener, low-carbon Danube Region", Specific Objective 2: "Promoting climate change adaptation, disaster risk prevention and resilience, taking into account ecosystem-based approaches." The project will run for a total of 36 months.

The project InDiMaND aims are to establish a transnational, integrated disaster management network that enhances regional coordination, improves interoperability, and fosters sustainable volunteer participation - particularly among youth - by promoting harmonized procedures, testing joint response models, and equipping both institutional actors and civil society with the capacity to effectively and collaboratively respond to emergencies, thereby creating a scalable and sustainable framework across the Danube Region.

Specific objectives and activities of the project InDiMaND:

• Specific Objective 1 – Collaborative development of disaster response models. The project begins with an in-depth study of existing good practices and stakeholder mapping (A.1.1), followed by the collaborative development of common disaster preparedness models through transnational workshops and scenario design (A.1.2). These models are then tested through pilot discussion-based exercises (DBX) in five countries (A.1.3), which inform the development and validation of common standard operating procedures (SOPs) (A.1.4). The final step includes an action plan to support the adoption of these SOPs by relevant disaster management authorities across the region (A.1.5).
• Specific Objective 2 – Raising public awareness, the project aims to engage civil society, especially volunteers and young people, broadly. It starts by engaging stakeholders and volunteers through surveys and national consultations in nine countries (A.2.1), laying the foundation for a youth-focused volunteer engagement strategy and a comprehensive handbook (A.2.2). These findings are then translated into action through a region-wide awareness-raising campaign combining digital content, print materials and outreach events tailored to the national context (A.2.3).
• Specific Objective 3 – Strengthening response capacity, the focus shifts to operational preparedness. The project starts by mapping existing national capacities and defining a common list of minimum response requirements (A.3.1). To address training needs, it ensures the development and adaptation of e-learning content, supported by an upgraded knowledge platform and alert application (A.3.2). This is followed by a comprehensive training programme including train-the-trainers, local exercises and small-scale field simulations (A.3.3), all designed to ensure that SOPs are effectively practiced. Finally, transnational co-creation discussions bring together stakeholders in high-level roundtables to shape shared visions for disaster management and policy recommendations (A.3.4).

InDiMaND project results: The InDiMaND project directly improves disaster preparedness and response capacity across the Danube Region. These results include the formal adoption of two jointly developed strategies: a transnationally validated set of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) that harmonise disaster response practices, and an Action Plan for Youth Engagement that supports sustainable volunteer participation. Thirty disaster management and humanitarian organisations will strengthen their institutional capacity through coordinated participation in transnational cooperation activities, including international roundtables, simulation exercises and targeted training. These activities ensure that actors across sectors are aligned, trained and equipped to implement the newly developed protocols in real-world scenarios. Furthermore, the project generates at least one solution, such as the Integrated Volunteer Recruitment and Training Model or the SOP Framework, that is adopted or built upon by organisations outside the project partnership, thus ensuring long-term scalability and a wider regional impact.

ASWM as a project InDiMaND partner: The ASWM will actively participate in the development and implementation of four pilot actions aimed at intervening in different types of disasters in different geographical settings; will contribute to the development of a common standard operating procedure for transnational disaster management in the programme area. In addition, the ASWM will contribute to the joint development of an action plan for the implementation of the SOP. The participation of the ASWM will ensure that the action plan reflects the collective contribution and expertise of all project partners, promoting cohesive and coordinated cross-border disaster management efforts.

As a lead partner at Activity 1.5, ASWM will lead the creation of a comprehensive framework outlining concrete steps and actions for the adoption of SOPs by stakeholders. This framework will be shared with all project partners, who will have the opportunity to supplement and adapt the information according to their needs. Subsequently, the partners will collect feedback, and the completed local plans will be analysed, specific measures and steps for implementation will be indicated. ASWM will then analyse and systematise the local plans, culminating in the development of a Danube Region-wide Action Plan aimed at facilitating the widespread adoption of Standard Operating Procedures to bolster support for disaster management organisations. Concurrently, project partners will identify disaster management entities, with ASWM consolidating the information into a comprehensive list for the target area.

Project partners: Lead partner – Budapest Firefighter Association (Budapesti Tűzoltó Szövetség – BTSZ); Hungarian Charity Service of the Order of Malta – PP2; National Association of Volunteers in the Republic of Bulgaria – PP3; Plovdiv University "Paisii Hilendarski" – PP4; Association of South-Western Municipalities – PP5; Multisalva Association – PP6; Civil Protection Administration of the Republic of Srpska – PP7; Public institution Firefighting Center for Education and Technological Development Split – PP8; Association “Samaritan Slovakia – “PP9; Faculty of Technical Sciences University of Novi Sad – PP10; Firefighting Association of Slovenia – PP11; Harghita County Volunteer Firefighters Association – PP12; Ministry of Interior, Montenegro, Department of Direction for Operational Affairs – PP13.

Donor: Interreg Danube Region Programme 2021-2027

Priority 2: A greener, low-carbon Danube Region

Specific objective: 2.2 – Enhancing Disaster Risk Management and Resilience 

Promoting climate change adaptation capacities in the Danube Region and disaster management on a transnational level about environmental risks, taking into account ecosystem-based approaches

Budget: 1 965 425,00 EUR

Project Duration: 01-04-2025 – 31-03-2028

Website: https://interreg-danube.eu/projects/indimand    

Project partner ENVICORP was the host of the meeting in Banska Bistrica

On 23^rd February 2017 at 10:30 in the conference hall at hotel Monte Cristo in Blagoevgrad, the Association of South-Western Municipalities will present the new cross border project “Think Composting – dedication to the organic full circle”.

The project is co-funded by EU through the INTERREG - IPA Cross-border Programme CCI 2014TC16I5CB006

The project partners of the project AgriGo4Cities have been on the Kick off meeting on 14^th and 15^th February. The host of the meeting was Municipality of Velenje, Slovenia. Welcome speech was by ZRC SAZU director Dr. Oto Luthar. Also the project manager Dr. Jani Kozina made a project presentation

The project team was part of a study visit to the urban gardens in Velenje and made evaluation and discussion after that.

A presentation of Interreg Danube Transnational Programme by Joint Secretariat Project Officer Mr. Johannes Gabriel was made and he answered to the question of the project team.

More about the project you can find on the project web page: http://www.interreg-danube.eu/approved-projects/agrigo4cities

In recent times, the main needs and challenges related to governance systems within the Danube region can be associated with decreasing public institutional capacities to incorporate participatory approach into decision-making processes. The absence of participatory mechanisms is contributing to reduced motivation of people to engage in governance and administration because they feel relegated from political, social and economic agendas and not competent enough to act as an equivalent counterpart and a considerable driver of “change”. The gap between citizens and public authorities at all levels is therefore increasing and leading to intensified mistrust and lack of public participation, especially among the most disadvantaged communities at risk of exclusion, such as the poor, unemployed, homeless, Roma communities, elderly, women and youth. The growing social and economic inequalities are reflected in reduced quality of urban life. To overcome these challenges the AgriGo4Cities project wants to employ Participatory Urban and Peri-urban agriculture (UPA) as a powerful and emerging method to improve public institutional capacities in order to tackle socioeconomic exclusion of vulnerable/marginalized groups and to stimulate sustainable urban development in the Danube region. To this end the projects aims to develop innovative methodology of participatory planning and integrate it into decision-making processes. The methodology will improve capacities of public administrators to involve relevant stakeholders and civil society into governance and public participation. Intensified cooperation will boost mutual trust and stimulate strengthened socioeconomic inclusion of vulnerable/marginalized groups. The reduction of social and economic inequalities will lead to more sustainable development of disadvantaged neighborhoods. By applying a transnational multi-level approach the AgriGo4Cities project ambition is to become a flagship of well governed Danube region.

Donor: Interreg Danube Transnational Programme; Call 1, Priority: Well-governed Danube region

Specific objective: Improve institutional capacities to tackle major societal challenges

Project value: 1474190,2 EUR

Period: 01.2017 – 06.2019

http://www.interreg-danube.eu/approved-projects/agrigo4cities