Carpathian–Sudeten Transboundary Climate Assessment

Project title:

Acronym:

CaSuT

Project number:

C3_P1012_3

Name of the program:

Copernicus Climate Change Service National Collaboration Programme (C3S NCP)

Project focus:

Climate change

Brief project description:

Carpathian–Sudeten Transboundary Climate Assessment (CaSuT) is an international project aimed at strengthening the resilience of the mountainous regions of the Carpathians and the Sudetes to the impacts of climate change. The project brings together expert institutions from Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovakia, which will jointly develop a harmonised approach to assessing climate change and its impacts across the transboundary region.
Climate change does not recognise national borders. Extreme precipitation, heatwaves, drought, changes in snow cover and other manifestations of a changing climate affect entire mountain regions regardless of administrative boundaries. Effective adaptation therefore requires shared data, joint analyses and coordinated decision-making.
The CaSuT project uses data from the Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S), complemented by national meteorological observations and advanced climate modelling methods. The project will produce harmonised, high-resolution climate data for the Carpathian and Sudeten regions, enabling a more detailed assessment of ongoing climate change as well as expected future developments.
Particular attention will be paid to areas that are especially sensitive to climate change, including mountain ecosystems, biodiversity, tourism and technical infrastructure. The project will also develop practical tools to help public authorities, expert organisations and other users better plan adaptation measures and reduce climate-related risks.
The project is implemented under the Copernicus Climate Change Service National Collaboration Programme (C3S NCP) and represents an example of effective cross-border cooperation in addressing shared climate challenges in Central Europe.

Project objectives:

The main objective of the CaSuT project is to establish a reliable common information base for assessing climate change in the mountainous regions of the Carpathians and the Sudetes and to support decision-making based on high-quality scientific data.
The project focuses in particular on:

developing a common set of high-resolution historical data and future climate projections for the Sudeten–Carpathian cross-border region based on C3S data;
developing a downscaling methodology to correct and refine C3S data for the Sudeten–Carpathian cross-border mountain region;
assessing the quality of C3S data in the cross-border mountain region using national meteorological observations and satellite observations;
analysing long-term climate trends and extremes based on C3S data;
mapping needs and risks related to the tourism sector in the Sudeten–Carpathian region in the context of climate change;
mapping needs and risks related to biodiversity and nature restoration in the Sudeten–Carpathian mountain region in the context of climate change;
mapping needs and risks related to infrastructure safety in the Sudeten–Carpathian region in the context of climate change;
supporting the use of Copernicus climate services in the development of adaptation strategies and the planning of adaptation measures at both national and regional levels;
strengthening cooperation between expert institutions, public authorities and other stakeholders across the cross-border region.

Expected benefits:

The CaSuT project will provide new knowledge and practical tools that will contribute to better preparedness for the impacts of climate change.
The main project outputs will include validated data on historical climate development, high-resolution climate scenarios of future changes, analyses of climate extremes, climate risk maps, and a set of indicators that can be used to assess the vulnerability of individual areas and sectors.
The project results will support the development of national and regional adaptation strategies, spatial planning, nature conservation, risk management, tourism development, as well as infrastructure planning and management. Public institutions, local authorities, protected area managers, expert organisations and research institutions will gain access to high-quality and harmonised climate information that can be used to support decision-making.

Another important benefit of the project will be the strengthening of cross-border cooperation between the partner countries. Joint methodologies, harmonised data and the exchange of expertise will contribute to better coordination of adaptation measures in regions facing the same climate challenges.
The project will also promote the wider use of Copernicus services in practice and demonstrate how European climate data can be effectively combined with national observations and user needs. The result will be a stronger knowledge base for decision-making, contributing to the development of more climate-resilient mountain regions.

Funding:

The project is funded by the European Union through the Copernicus Earth Observation Programme and its C3S Climate Change Monitoring Service, which is implemented by the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF).

Project budget:

799 500 EUR

Budget for SHMI:

200 000 EUR

Project partners:

Lead partner, Poland:
Institute of Environmental Protection – National Research Institute (IEP-NRI)
Partners:
Poland: Institute of Meteorology and Water Management – National Research Institute (IMWM-NRI)
Czech Republic: Czech Hydrometeorological Institute (CHMI)
Slovakia: Slovak hydrometeorological Institute (SHMI)

Web page:

Project duration:

05/2026 – 04/2028 (24 months)

Contact:

Mgr. Jaroslava Slavková, PhD.
Slovak Hydrometeorological Institute
Jeséniova 2305/17
831 01 Bratislava
Tel: 02/594 15 462
jaroslava.slavkova@shmu.sk