Key challenges “Adaptation to Climate Change and Citizen Science opportunities“
In order to establish a comprehensive understanding of the current state of research on climate change and public participation, a literature review was conducted using EU publications and academic databases such as Google Scholar. Relevant publications were identified through targeted keyword searches including ‘climate change’, ‘global warming’, ‘climate policy’, ‘climate adaptation’, ´citizen science´, ´public participation´ and ´EU Mission´ etc. Additionally, ChatGPT (chat.openai.com ) was used as a supplementary resource to assist in exploring research themes and clarifying complex concepts during the review process.
The next section outlines key challenges specific to the EU Mission “Adaptation to Climate Change” and explores how citizen science initiatives could help address or overcome them.
Given the EU’s geographic and socio-economic diversity, climate change will affect different regions in unique ways. Therefore, adaptation strategies need to be tailored to regional and local needs, whilst ensuring they are effective and equitable across regions. (European Commission, 2021). Due to these pronounced regional differences, a one-size-fits-all approach is not an adequate response to the growing threat that climate hazards pose (EEA, 2020).
Opportunity for citizen science
Citizen science is instrumental in co-developing adaptation strategies tailored to local environmental conditions and community-specific needs. Climate change impacts are often most acutely felt at the community level (Granderson, 2014), necessitating ongoing, localized adaptation efforts within these communities (Duerden, 2004; Moser and Pike, 2015). The EU Mission on Adaptation to Climate Change explicitly underscores the importance of enhancing regional and community-level resilience through inclusive, participatory approaches.
Actively involving affected communities through citizen science initiatives is an effective tool for adapting to and mitigating the impacts of climate change – empowering citizens to become active decision-makers and co-creators of solutions (Hügel and Davies, 2020). Such bottom-up approaches leverage local knowledge of vulnerabilities and personal experiences, enriching adaptation strategies with granular insights into specific vulnerabilities and community dynamics (Cruz et al. 2025).
Initiatives like the EU-funded CLIMAS project exemplify this paradigm by co-designing climate adaptation tools in close collaboration with stakeholders, thereby ensuring that local values and knowledge systems are integral to the development of effective, inclusive strategies.
Financial support for climate adaptation is available through a wide range of EU funds (e.g. Horizon Europe) and is integrated into all major EU spending programmes. However, given the escalating scope and complexity of climate-related challenges, there is a continuous need to increase investments into climate adaptation. Concerns have been raised regarding the adequacy of existing EU funding mechanisms for meeting the rising financial demand associated with comprehensive climate adaptation (European Court of Auditors, 2020).
Furthermore, ensuring that resources are efficiently distributed and effectively used at the local and regional level remains a challenge within the EU adaptation framework.
Opportunity for citizen science
Through collecting, processing, and analyzing data — activities traditionally reserved for professional scientists — citizen science initiatives can enhance the efficiency of data collection (Christine and Thinyane, 2021), providing a cost-effective way of gathering information, which is particularly valuable for organizations operating with limited budgets.
Additionally, many citizen science initiatives do not depend on expensive monitoring technologies, but instead utilize a variety of affordable, user-friendly tools, which, even if they have individual limitations, can collectively contribute to a more robust and reliable monitoring or forecasting system (Perez et al, 2023).
The use of low-cost monitoring equipment in citizen science projects can be particularly valuable in lower-income regions, where such tools complement national regulatory monitoring systems and contribute to the data needs of global frameworks, such as the UN Sustainable Development Goals (Guardian, 2025).
The advent of digital technologies, notably smartphone applications, has further accelerated the expansion of citizen science. These technologies make participation more accessible and efficient, enabling broader public engagement and facilitating cost-effective, large-scale data collection endeavours (Paul et al. 2018).
Levels of exposure to climate hazards in the EU vary greatly across regions, economic and social conditions. (EEA, 2024). Climate change disproportionately affects vulnerable population groups, such as the elderly, women, persons with disabilities, and marginalized communities. Regions characterized by lower socio-economic status, such as certain areas in Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, Italy, and Spain, are particularly impacted by high temperatures and long-term unemployment (EEA, 2018). In addition, countries with a high number of extreme heat days are often also characterised by populations with a higher proportion of elderly people – such as is the case in Greece, Italy, Portugal and specific regions of Spain (EEA, 2018). Intensified urbanisation exacerbates these challenges; approximately 46% of hospitals and 43% of schools in European cities are located in zones at least 2°C warmer than the regional average due to the urban heat island effect (EEA, 2022).
Socioeconomic inequalities and an ageing population increase disparities in vulnerability and exposure to climate risks. Vulnerable groups often face systemic barriers to accessing adaptation measures, such as affordable cooling systems, flood-proofing and equitable access to green spaces, due to financial constraints and spatial inequities. Effective adaptation strategies must address these disparities, providing tailored solutions that support vulnerable populations. Adaptation must be inclusive and equitable to avoid exacerbating social inequalities (IPCC, 2022).
Opportunity for citizen science
Citizen science enables research to be more responsive to societal needs, values, and expectations, addressing existing inequalities and vulnerabilities. Actively involving diverse communities in the research process ensures that scientific endeavors remain inclusive, culturally relevant, and capable of producing context-specific, socially robust solutions. This participatory approach can empower communities to contribute to and benefit from research outcomes.
Involving citizen scientists in the problem identification phase significantly enhances the contextual relevance and legitimacy of generated knowledge, ensuring it aligns with community needs and local priorities. This form of engagement not only empowers communities but also supports the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by reinforcing the nexus between science and environmental governance, and inclusive participation in science and technology.
Improving public engagement and participation of citizens in climate research can increase awareness and motivate citizens to actively get involved and shape environmental policies. In turn, a more active participation of citizens in policy development can ensure that these are more closely aligned with the needs of the society in question and address environmental issue that impact communities directly, such as data collected through air quality monitoring projects (e.g. Compair and OpenSense) influencing urban pollution policies.
Sectors such as agriculture, fisheries, and tourism, are particularly susceptible to climate induced disruptions, given their direct dependence on environmental conditions and ecosystem services (Cinner et al, 2022; Hall et al, 2015). At the same time, the transition of these sectors towards more resilient and sustainable models may entail significant structural adjustments, including potential job losses. The EU is thus confronted with the dual challenge of ensuring workforce reskilling in vulnerable sectors and implementing comprehensive economic diversification strategies to foster the creation of green, sustainable employment opportunities. The EU has recognized this challenge at the policy level through initiatives such as the European Green Deal and the Just Transition Mechanism, both of which aim to ensure a socially equitable shift towards a low-carbon economy (European Commission, 2020b and 2022b).
Opportunity for citizen science
Citizen science can meaningfully contribute to facilitating just economic transitions and mitigating job losses associated with climate change by fostering community engagement, enhancing skill development, and supporting pathways towards the creation of green jobs. By active participation in environmental monitoring and data collection, citizen science initiatives not only raise public awareness but also equip individuals with practical competencies in data science, environmental assessment, and sustainability practices. Such empowerment enhances individual employability, particularly within emerging green sectors, and fosters a culture of environmental stewardship and innovation at the community level.
Furthermore, citizen science can also actively influence the local economy, through providing up-to-date environmental monitoring data. An example of this is the delisting of a marine fish species from the U.S endangered species act (ESA), through a combination of local ecological knowledge and expert volunteer contribution (Andrews et al. 2019).
The multi-tiered governance structure within the EU, encompassing supranational, national, regional, and local authorities, often complicates the coherent coordination and implementation of climate adaptation measures. (Russel et al. 2020). While effective collaboration between EU institutions, national governments, regional bodies, and local communities is crucial for successful adaptation, it remains difficult to operationalize due to divergent priorities, administrative fragmentation, and varying institutional capacities. Initiatives such as the Urban Agenda for the EU and the EU Covenant of Mayors are initiatives that seek to enhance vertical and horizontal coordination by fostering multi-level governance structures and promoting collaborative climate action.
Opportunity for citizen science
Through a “bottom up” approach, citizen science can, to some extent, bypass the bureaucracy and logistical barriers inherent in intergovernmental and interregional coordination processes. In addition, through involving local stakeholders in participatory processes such as data collection and analysis, citizen science can enhance the legitimacy and perceived relevance of scientific findings, thereby increasing the willingness of policymakers to take responsive action (Haklay, 2013). This was exemplified in the UK, where, through support from the NGO Earthwatch Europe, citizens collected data on water quality, which played a vital role in shaping environmental policies by providing policymakers with transparent, community-sourced information. After the data exposed pollution issues, government agencies were prompted to investigate and subsequently incorporate the citizen-derived data into official monitoring systems (Hadj-Hammou et al, 2017). Such grassroots scientific efforts demonstrate how community-driven data collection can lead to broader policy changes beyond the local context.
This interaction between citizens and policy makers can lead to the creation of positive feedback loops, enhancing transparency, accountability, and mutual legitimacy between authorities and communities (Skarlatidou et al. 2024). Such collaborative approaches enhance procedural transparency and demonstrate a tangible commitment to inclusive governance, thereby increasing public confidence in institutional actions (UNEP, 2024).
When institutions actively support CS projects, they signal a willingness to incorporate citizen input into decision-making processes, thereby strengthening the relationship between the public and governing bodies. This support not only legitimizes citizen contributions but also fosters a sense of shared responsibility and transparency in addressing environmental challenges. (Skarlatidou, 2024).
A critical need persists for a more granular and sector-specific understanding of the multifaceted impacts of climate change on domains such as agriculture, public health, and labour markets. Overcoming knowledge gaps and improving data interoperability and sharing among stakeholders are essential prerequisites for developing robust, evidence-based adaptation strategies. The lack of comprehensive, high-resolution data and effective systems for sharing information can impede timely and efficient action (EEA, 2020).
Opportunity for citizen science
Citizen science can play a key role in addressing data deficiencies by involving non-professionals in the systematic collection and analysis of environmental data, enhancing both the volume and heterogeneity of datasets. The participatory approach enables citizens to engage in tasks and processes traditionally limited to professional scientists, thereby improving the spatial and temporal resolution of data while improving overall collection efficiency (Christine and Thinyane, 2021).
Citizen scientists can expand data collection networks through increased geographical coverage, especially in remote or underrepresented regions, where traditional monitoring infrastructure is sparse or absent (Hecker et al., 2018). The ability to contribute data in real-time (using, e.g., apps) can play a key role in improving the responsiveness of climate monitoring systems by minimizing temporal delays and enabling more timely intervention during climate-related events.
Beyond local contributions, citizen science can support large-scale data generation, enhancing the robustness of climate models (through increasing the variety of data sources used) and predictions (Cohn, 2008). Long-term monitoring projects, including iNaturalist (species distribution) and The GLOBE Program (environmental change), exemplify how sustained citizen involvement can contribute to comprehensive, longitudinal climate data repositories (Hu et al. 2025).
Although citizen-generated data may not always match professional quality, many projects do not necessarily require high precision, but can instead use a multitude of affordable, simple tools with lower reliability, which in sum can create a more effective overall monitoring system (Perez et al., 2023). Citizen science data can be utilised to meet local needs, like early flood warnings for example, where it can be merged with traditional data to improve forecasting (Alemu et al. 2023).
Effective climate adaptation requires long-term planning, but political cycles, budget constraints, and the urgency of the issue often push for immediate actions. Balancing long-term adaptation goals with the need for immediate responses to current climate challenges is a significant challenge. The EU’s adaptation strategy aims to integrate long-term planning with short-term actions, but achieving this balance is an ongoing difficulty (European Commission, 2021).
Opportunity for citizen science
Due to the “bottoms up” nature of citizen science, it is less constrained by external timelines and can provide versatile and flexible solutions – e.g., long-term monitoring and observation vs immediate action. This flexibility makes citizen science an attractive tool for policy makers, strengthening both aspects of the EU´s adaptation strategy: long-term planning and short term actions.
Furthermore, citizen science can have long term effects through positively influencing public attitudes and behavior toward climate change adaptation by raising awareness of environmental issues. For example, monitoring programs help participants understand complex connections, like the ecosystem services provided by forests (Van Risjoort and Jinfeng, 2005). A very successful European example of this are the Plastic Pirates, which has engaged youth across the continent in tracking plastic waste and has influenced waste management policies (Nelms et al. 2022).
Thus, citizen science can enhance the EU´s adaptation strategy by increasing awareness and understanding of long-term adaptation to climate change.
Partners
The ScienceUs team is formed by universities from the CIVIS Alliance and the Museum für Naturkunde that brings its expertise and networks generated thanks to its leading role in EU-citizen science and its successor, European Citizen Science.
ScienceUs is led by the Universidad Autonoma De Madrid (Spain). Together with other 6 universities from the CIVIS, (Aix Marseille Université(France), Ethniko Kai Kapodistriako Panepistimio Athinon (Greece), Universitatea Din Bucuresti (Romania), Universite Libre De Bruxelles (Belgium), Universita Degli Studi Di Roma La Sapienza (Italy), and Eberhard Karls Universitaet Tuebingen (Germany)) and the Museum Für Naturkunde (Germany) have joined to work together on the ScienceUs project, offering diverse experiences and know-how, and representing a broad, balanced, and targeted geographical area.
