Green Deal

LIFE AdaptCalaMillor: Building Climate Resilience in Cala Millor

Palma de Mallorca, Autonomous Community of Balearic Islands, Hispaania

Sellel lehel

  • Nature-based solutions and green infrastructure (e.g. tree-planting, nature regeneration and greening of urban areas.)
  • Adaptation to climate change

The LIFE AdaptCalaMillor project advances solutions for adapting urban beaches to climate change, integrating science, governance, and community action to build a resilient future.

The LIFE AdaptCalaMillor project is a governance initiative aimed at promoting climate change adaptation in the beach system and urban area of Cala Millor Bay. Its primary objective is to enhance the long-term resilience of infrastructure, ecosystem services, and socio-economic activities against climate change impacts.

Running from 2023 to 2027, this ambitious project will focus on science-based methodologies, participatory approaches, and innovative governance models to:

  • Improve understanding of physical processes affecting urban beaches,
  • Anticipate morphological changes under global climate change scenarios.

Cala Millor Bay will serve as a pilot case for other Mediterranean tourist destinations, advancing solutions for urban beach adaptation—from scientific risk assessment to the implementation of tangible, transformative actions with real societal and developmental impact.


Climate change is reshaping coastal dynamics, altering wave patterns and accelerating sea-level rise (SLR). These shifts may push wave-breaking zones closer to shore, disrupting the submerged beach’s dynamic equilibrium and, in turn, urban morphology and coastal economies.

Beaches—already highly vulnerable to mean sea-level rise (MSLR) and erosion—face heightened risks in urbanised areas, where limited space for adaptation and intensive development further reduce resilience. The Mediterranean, with its above-average coastal population growth, is particularly exposed.

 

In regions like the Balearic Islands, where tourism-driven urbanisation dominates, climate impacts threaten not only ecosystems but also economic stability. Recent studies warn of significant losses in recreational value, directly affecting the region’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).Given the complexity of coastal management—involving multiple stakeholders—an integrated, sustainable approach is essential. Urgent action is needed to deploy transformative, consensus-based adaptations that safeguard both the environment and coastal economies.

 

Between 2018 and 2021, the Coastal Observation and Prediction System of the Balearic Islands (SOCIB), the Mediterranean Institute for Advanced Studies (CSIC-IMEDEA), and the University of the Balearic Islands (UIB) collaborated on the "Coasts by Change" project. This study assessed SLR impacts and risks, revealing that:

  • Permanent flooding could affect 833 hectares by 2050 (rising to 3,465 hectares by 2100),
  • Temporary flooding may impact 204 hectares by 2050 (increasing to 427 hectares by 2100),
  • 464 sandy beaches in the Balearics could lose dry beach area and recreational services.

 

In parallel (2019–2021), IHCantabria (University of Cantabria), SOCIB, and MedCities developed a Strategic Plan for Coastal Protection in the Balearic Islands, identifying:

  • Key governance needs,
  • Critical scientific studies (e.g., sediment availability, hazard mapping),
  • Essential actions, including systematic coastal monitoring and public participation campaigns.

The strategy underscores the need for short-, medium-, and long-term research to ensure the feasibility of nature-based adaptation solutions.

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