Integrating Citizen Perspectives into Climate Risk Management and Adaptation Strategies

Climate crisis is well evidenced with important consequences at the local scale. Often, climate risk assessment and adaptation measures at the national or regional level do not account for local climate impacts and cross-sectoral challenges. This paper presents the findings of a year-long study involving the local community of the Municipality of Sitia in Crete (Greece) in climate change risk assessment and adaptation policymaking. Three coherent workshops produced a citizen-based risk assessment and revealed stakeholders’ perceptions about existing policies from the Regional Climate Change Adaptation Plan of Crete (RCCAPC), addressing climate change impacts on vulnerable economic sectors (agriculture, water, biodiversity, tourism), their effectiveness or lack thereof. It also looks at their ability to suggest solutions regarding the effects of climate change. The study emphasizes how climate hazards affect Sitia’s social elements and, in order to find any differences, reported perceptions were compared with the RCCAPC. By doing so, the research breaks new ground in the participatory formulation of environmental policies that are well-informed, place-based, and climate-sensitive, reflecting a dynamic synthesis of public engagement, scientific research, and practical policy implementation.