Alba Iulia on its path to climate resilience

Across Europe, cities are increasingly confronted with climate-related risks that place growing pressure on infrastructure, public services, ecosystems and residents’ quality of life. Alba Iulia is no exception. Climate risk assessments have highlighted potential vulnerabilities linked to heatwaves amplified by the urban heat island effect, prolonged droughts, strong wind gusts and flooding caused by intense rainfall. While the city has progressively strengthened the integration of climate considerations into its local policies, most notably through the development of a climate adaptation and mitigation plan, translating strategic priorities into concrete, finance-ready adaptation investments remain a key challenge.

Supporting implementation through local facilitation

To help bridge this gap, Alba Iulia engaged in the CLIMATEFIT LIFE EU project, with Alba Local Energy Agency (ALEA) supporting the process as a facilitator and technical partner. The focus was on strengthening local capacities to better understand climate adaptation needs, explore financing options, and prepare investment-oriented outputs. ALEA coordinated the process at local level, ensuring continuity between existing climate strategies and the next steps towards implementation.

A central element of this work was the establishment of a Local Resilience Taskforce (LRT), bringing together representatives from municipal departments, local stakeholders, and experts. ALEA supported the organisation and functioning of the taskforce, facilitating more than 20 meetings and experience exchange activities to date. The LRT provided a collaborative space to jointly assess climate risks, discuss adaptation needs and identify potential investment pathways.

Engaging financial actors in the process

Financial actors were involved early in the process to strengthen the investment perspective of local adaptation planning. Three financial investment entities participated in dedicated exchanges with local stakeholders, while four additional actors contributed insights into the Romanian financing landscape for climate adaptation. These discussions helped clarify financing conditions and highlighted the importance of aligning local priorities with investor expectations.

This engagement informed the development of an investment strategy and a corresponding investment plan for climate adaptation, elaborated through a co-creation process within the Local Resilience Taskforce following the CLIMATEFIT methodology. The documents prioritise key sectors such as municipal infrastructure, buildings, transport and agriculture, while focusing on vulnerable areas and social groups. Together, they provide a structured framework to strengthen Alba Iulia’s capacity to prepare and attract financing for adaptation projects.

From strategy to pilot investment

Building on the investment plan, and with technical support from ALEA, the city identified and prioritised a pilot investment concept based on the “Sponge City” approach. This concept promotes nature-based and hybrid solutions to better absorb, store, and manage rainwater through green spaces, permeable surfaces, and multifunctional urban areas. Beyond reducing flood risks and mitigating heat, the approach contributes to improved public spaces and enhanced urban liveability.

Alba Iulia’s experience demonstrates how structured collaboration, local facilitation, and early engagement with financial actors can help cities move from climate strategies to concrete adaptation investments, strengthening resilience at local level.

This best practice is extracted from our publication ‘Sustainable Regions in Action‘. Discover more best practices here!