The CLIMABLUE project aims to analyze how the naturalization of urban blue spaces could strengthen Barcelona's climate resilience. The initiative is led by Professor Daniel von Schiller, from the FORESTREAM Research Group at the Faculty of Biology and a member of the Water Research Institute (IdRA) at the University of Barcelona. It will receive funding from the Barcelona City Council and the La Caixa Foundation. CLIMABLUE is one of 13 projects funded - selected from 77 proposals - in the 2025 grants call to promote emerging research in the city.
CLIMABLUE will study microclimatic regulation, the social perception of thermal comfort and biodiversity, resource flows between aquatic and terrestrial systems, and citizen well-being associated with naturalized spaces, while also identifying potential health risks from pathogens. With an interdisciplinary approach, it will generate innovative scientific knowledge for improved sustainable urban planning. The project will also promote outreach activities to raise public awareness, fostering a more informed, resilient urban culture committed to sustainability and public health. The project also involves collaboration with the University of Granada, the Barcelona Public Health Agency (ASPB), and the Biogipuzkoa Health Research Institute (IIS Biogipuzkoa).
In the same grants call, the HEAT-BCN project was also selected, involving Professor Alba Roselló from the Department of Public Health, Mental Health, and Maternal and Child Health at the UB's Faculty of Nursing. Led by the Vall d'Hebron Research Institute (VHIR) and also involving the Pere Virgili Health Park, this project aims to study the vulnerability of older adults to heatwaves. It will apply a mixed and participatory methodology to analyze experiences, behaviours, and needs, with the goal of improving local policies designed to protect the elderly from climate change.
The awards ceremony took place yesterday, Monday, 26 January, in the Saló de les Cròniques at Barcelona City Council. It was presided over by the fourth deputy mayor and head of the Science and Innovation Department, Jordi Valls, and attended by Àngel Font, deputy director-general of Research and Grants at the La Caixa Foundation.
This is the fifth edition of this biennial grants call. Born from the collaboration between the City Council and the Foundation, it aims to promote research projects in areas such as community health, city digitalization, the climate emergency, and sustainability, to address Barcelona's urban challenges. It also seeks to foster collaboration between research centers, third-sector organizations, and the city's economic and social fabric. Furthermore, the call is part of the 2024-2027 Strategic Plan for Science and Innovation, designed to strengthen research in the city and support scientific careers in Barcelona and its metropolitan area, which is already a leader in scientific output at the national and European levels.
