About UNDERPIN

Is Europe's Climate Adaptation Really Working?

UNDERPIN will design, co-develop, and validate an outcome-oriented monitoring framework that addresses critical gaps in climate adaptation monitoring while fostering a coordinated approach to resilience-building in Europe.

UNDERPIN, officially named “oUtcome iNDicators to mEasuRe Progress on climate resilience”, is a project under the EU Mission on Adaptation to Climate Change, which focuses on how to better measure the effectiveness of adaptation solutions. It also supports the EU Adaptation Strategy objectives for Europe, the fastest warming continent, to become climate resilient by 2050.

A lack of standardised indicators exists to capture the effectiveness of adaptation efforts. Existing frameworks often focus on processes but fail to assess long-term resilience outcomes. UNDERPIN aims to bridge this gap by developing indicators that evaluate both short-term results and long-term impacts, helping stakeholders assess how well adaptation actions reduce vulnerabilities and enhance resilience.

The three-year project will engage four pilot regions to co-create and refine the framework, ensuring practical relevance and adaptability. A dashboard with AI and machine learning tools will provide real-time analysis at the EU and regional level, helping decision-makers track progress, identify gaps, and make data-driven decisions. By aligning with EU and global reporting standards, such as the EU Adaptation Strategy and the UNFCCC, UNDERPIN will harmonise climate adaptation monitoring across governance levels, fostering a coordinated approach to resilience-building in Europe.

Project Activities

Outcome indicator framework

 a fit-for-purpose MEL approach to track real change in resilience, aligned with EU and global adaptation reporting frameworks  

User-friendly AI-enabled dashboard

with visual and analytical tools for real-time analysis, employing machine learning to support data-driven decisions at local, regional, and national levels

Novel data sources

based on Earth observation, AI, and different forms of climate, environmental, socioeconomic, and citizen science data to inform the outcome indicators

Regional co-creation and validation

testing the framework and dashboard stakeholders in four pilot regions to later be replicated in additional EU Member States

Citizen science & justice lens

to be explored to ensure the framework reflects the needs and experiences of citizens including vulnerable communities across Europe

Timeline

Y1

Co - design

MEL Framework & Data Sources 

Outcome indicator framerwork, data & dashboard

Y2

Test

Validation in 4 use case regions

Testing framework tools,& knowledge exchange

Y3

Disseminate

Training and spreading in additional regions

National workshops for local and regional authorities