Climate Ireland Adaptation Network (CIAN) Quarterly Update

27th January, 2026

We are delighted to share the  quarterly Climate Ireland Adaptation Network (CIAN) news update with a roundup of recent national and international adaptation-related items which may be of interest to you.

National & regional:

• Adaptation programme: Green Arts Initiative Ireland are delivering a Community Climate Adaptation Programme for communities in North, East and West Kerry. The programme focuses on climate adaptation and resilience, nature-based solutions, capacity development underpinned by community development principles and values, community needs planning, and facilitation skills.
• Forum: Shared Ground: Transboundary Climate Adaptation Forum on 4^th February 2026 – Peace Campus, Monaghan. A full-day interactive session will exploring shared climate risks, identify key stakeholders, and begin shaping a Transboundary Climate Adaptation Community of Practice for Ireland and Northern Ireland. The workshop is the first in a series focused on strengthening transboundary collaboration for climate adaptation across Ireland and Northern Ireland. The series is facilitated by TalX2 (Place-Based Climate Action Partnerships) which is an EPA funded project between MaREI/University College Cork (UCC) and Northern Ireland Environment Link (NIEL).
• Gathering: The 4^th Annual Sand Dune Gathering is on Friday 6^th March 2026 in Portstewart and Saturday 28^th March 2026 in Maharees to bring together people interested in the future of Ireland’s beaches and dunes.
• Conference: Teagasc national conference in Portlaoise on the 26^th and 27^th of May: Agriculture and Land-use in Ireland – Pathways to a Sustainable Future.

European:

• Disaster resilience: From space to civil protection – SUNSHINE is an EU-funded project supporting disaster resilience by bridging the gap between the technological potential of space-based data and services and real-world and operational use.
• White paper: Adaptation AGORA’s Policy White Paper provides a roadmap to upscaling citizen engagement for climate resilience by consolidating insights and actionable recommendations drawn from the project’s extensive work.  Using learnings gathered from Adaptation AGORA’s four diverse European pilot regions (in Germany, Sweden, Spain, and Italy), it highlights how multidisciplinary, integrated approaches, co-designed with local communities, have successfully addressed pressing climate challenges.
• Report: As climate change becomes a major driver of migration, EU-funded researchers in the HABITABLE project are listening to affected communities to help support fairer policies for those most at risk.
• Opinion: Regions and cities stress that the cost of inaction will be exponentially higher than the upfront investment required for adaptation, and that mitigation and adaptation measures generate direct health benefits. The opinion was adopted unanimously at the European Committee of the Regions plenary session on 11^th December.
• Opportunities: The European Commission recently adopted the main Horizon Europe Work Programme for 2026–2027, setting out the upcoming funding opportunities available under the programme. With a total budget of €14 billion, the work programme will dedicate at least 35% of its funding to climate goals.

International:

• UN statement: Remarks delivered by UN Climate Change Executive Secretary Simon Stiell on the launch of the National Adaptation Plans Progress Report in October 2025
• Indicators: In the framework of the Global Goal of Climate Adaptation, Parties agreed on a set of indicators to guide and enable investments and programmes on adaptation. They also called for tripling by 2035 finance for adaptation in the context of the climate finance commitments, also known as the New Collective Quantified Goal, of 2024’s COP29.
• Action plan: The Belém Health Action Plan, endorsed by more than 30 countries and 50 organizations, elevated health as a frontline climate priority. Backed by USD 300 million from the Climate and Health Funders Coalition, it will strengthen climate-resilient health systems, hospitals, surveillance, and disease prevention, especially in the Global South.

Research & education:

• Highlights: Climate Research in Ireland 2024 highlights from the National Environmental Coordination Group to highlight climate and climate-related funding by the members for the previous year.
• Research: Operationalising Resilience in Climate Action (ORICA) – Ireland faces growing climate risks, demanding a coordinated and resilient adaptation strategy. The EPA-funded ORICA project led by ICARUS in Maynooth University examined how resilience is defined and implemented across Irish climate policy.
• Research: The Irish Hydrometric Reference Network Version 2.0 – hydrometric reference networks are crucial for tracking climate variability, hydrological modelling and extreme events. This EPA-funded research, led by a team in Maynooth University, enhanced the Irish Hydrometric Reference Network (IHRN) to better detect climate-driven changes in river flows across Ireland.
• Research: Examining the Concept and Use of Just Resilience in Ireland and Internationally, NESC Research Series Report Number: 33 – following on from the development of just transition in climate mitigation policy and practice, increasing focus is being placed on just resilience. This research paper was undertaken for NESC to explore how the concept of just resilience is conceptualised and used internationally and in Ireland, with the aim of identifying reflections for enhancing its future use in policy and practice in Ireland.
• Research: Identifying Integrated Responses to Climate Adaptation, Climate Mitigation, Biodiversity and Water Quality, NESC Research Series Report Number: 34 – the importance of overcoming silos in policy making is recognised as important for realising the benefits and minimising trade-offs across policy objectives. This research paper was undertaken for NESC to explore the potential of more integrated approaches to addressing climate mitigation, climate adaptation, biodiversity, and water quality, with the aim of identifying reflections on policy enablers to enhance coherence in policy and practice in Ireland.

If you are interested, you can join the CIAN Newsletter by emailing [email protected].