The Community of Practice (CoP) in Tirol, Austria, brings together leading regional institutions, experts, and stakeholders to co-create sustainable solutions to strengthen its health sector’s climate resilience. With a focus on public health, emergency preparedness, and infrastructure, the CoP fosters innovation, data-driven decision-making, and robust adaptation strategies tailored to the Alpine region.
Co-Creating Climate Resilience Solutions
The Tirol CoP is actively engaged in collaborative activities that combine technical expertise with local knowledge. Ongoing efforts include:
Vectrack: Advancing Vector Control through Expert Insight
Specialists in mosquito surveillance from the Agency for Health and Food Safety GmbH (AGES) are sharing insights from previous monitoring activities. They, along with the City of Innsbruck and the Institute of Virology Innsbruck, are leveraging their expertise to advance innovative climate-adaptive vector control strategies such as VECTRACK, thereby strengthening public health responses to the increasin g risk of vector-borne diseases in alpine regions due to rising temperatures.
MenKorn Call: Enhancing Regional Workforce Resilience
Stakeholders from the University Clinic Innsbruck are developing future scenarios to support workforce planning in emergency situations. Through contributions from the Management Board, security technicians, IT professionals, and medical personnel, the CoP is evaluating and improving personnel management tools to enhance regional readiness for climate-related disruptions.
Trainings on Climate Change & Health: Building Capacity Through Practice
In partnership with the Region of Tyrol, UMIT University, the City of Innsbruck, local healthcare institutions, and two universities, the CoP is carrying out interviews, surveys, and co-creation workshops to evaluate the training needs of Tyrolean healthcare professionals on the impacts of climate change on health. The aim is to strengthen the capacity of healthcare staff and emergency responders in the face of both long-term as well as acute climate-related events including extreme weather events.
Nature-Based and Hybrid Sensitivity Simulations: Improving Thermal Comfort in Buildings
Collaborating with TIKLI’s department of construction as well as the technical service center, the CoP is collecting critical data on building conditions and thermal comfort regulations. These simulations are essential for revealing how nature-based solutions impact indoor climate, especially in a world that is becoming increasingly hotter.
Cross-Cutting Actions and Strategic Integration
Beyond specific projects, the Tirol CoP plays a pivotal role in:
- Identifying regional climate threats and vulnerabilities to tailor adaptation strategies.
- Promoting cross-sectoral collaboration to embed climate resilience into regional policy frameworks.
- Facilitating knowledge exchange among experts, public institutions, and decision-makers.
Key Stakeholders and Institutional Partners
The CoP benefits from strong regional and national partnerships, ensuring broad engagement and expertise:
- Land Tirol – Leading the initiative with governance and policy guidance.
- Tirol Kliniken – Contributing healthcare infrastructure and operational resilience.
- UMIT Tirol – Offering health sciences research and educational input.
- GÖG (The Austrian National Public Health Institute) – Responsible for researching public healthcare and serving as the national competence center for health promotion.
External Partners Supporting Broader Collaboration
The CoP’s reach is amplified through connections with national and European programs:
- Mount Resilience (EU Project) – Supporting climate adaptation in mountainous regions through tailored measures for municipalities, tourism and property developers
- University of Innsbruck – Providing scientific research and technical consultation.
- KLAR! (Climate Change Adaptation Model Regions for Austria) – Facilitating regional adaptation strategies through national funding.
- City of Innsbruck – Integrating climate adaptation into urban planning and awareness-raising initiatives.
- Energy Agency Tirol – Sharing expertise on sustainable energy solutions for climate resilience.
- Standortagentur Tirol – Bridging science, business, and innovation to drive sustainable growth in Tirol
- AlpS Consulting – Advising on climate adaptation and risk management strategies.
Building a Resilient Future in Tirol
Through its integrative and forward-thinking approach, the Community of Practice in Tirol is positioning the region to meet the evolving challenges of climate change. By leveraging expertise across health, infrastructure, energy, and policy, the CoP fosters a culture of resilience that prioritizes sustainability, preparedness, and collaborative innovation.
