The heterogeneous nature of the Mediterranean environment, combined
with a wide diversity of socio-economic and cultural identities, make this region
particularly amenable to integrated research on climate change impacts, vulnerabilities,
and adaptive response. Eleven case-study locations have been strategically
selected to represent three generic Mediterranean environments (urban, rural and
coastal). While each case study location comprises a unique and complex set of
climate-related issues, the range and scope of the case studies allows identification of common lessons and messages for the wider Mediterranean region. The aim is to
perform an integrated assessment of climate impacts, vulnerability and adaptation
at a regional to local scale. A risk-based ‘bottom up’ approach (based on regional
stakeholder dialogue) is combined with a ‘top down’ case-study indicator assessment
focused on a common conceptual and methodological framework.
