The International Centre for Numerical Methods in Engineering (CIMNE) has presented a pioneering Climate Vulnerability Map for Barcelona, marking a significant advancement in urban climate resilience strategies. The tool, developed as part of the "Climate Ready Barcelona" project, was unveiled on Friday, March 14, at CIMNE's headquarters in Barcelona

The map integrates open data, artificial intelligence, and simulation models to assess the impact of heat waves at the building level across Barcelona. This novel tool evaluates all 61,670 residential buildings in the city, utilizing a hybrid approach that combines AI with real-world data.

Dr. Jordi Cipriano, Director of CIMNE's Building Energy and Environment Innovation Unit (BEE Group), presented the initial results, highlighting the map's potential to transform urban climate adaptation strategies. "This map provides a detailed diagnosis of climate-vulnerable zones and adverse heat effects, serving as a crucial tool for Barcelona's municipal administration," Dr. Cipriano explained.

At the core of the project is the BIGG ontology, an open-source repository developed by CIMNE's BEE Group. This ontology standardizes and organizes Barcelona's data, enabling coherent measurement and analysis of energy consumption, cadastral data, and green zones.

The project brought together a multidisciplinary team, including Ecoserveis coordinating project execution, ABD leading co-creation processes, and Bitgenoma providing technical development expertise. The collaboration with Barcelona City Council ensured the creation of services useful for both citizens and city managers.

Aniol Esquerra, project coordinator with Ecoserveis, emphasized the map's practical applications: "It will be used as evidence to identify areas and groups most vulnerable to heat waves, guiding the allocation of resources such as climate shelters, water fountains, or green zones", he said.

While focused on Barcelona, the methodology developed is designed to be scalable and replicable in other urban contexts. This approach aligns with broader efforts to enhance urban resilience to climate change through data-driven strategic decision-making, one of CIMNE’s research priorities.

The Climate Ready project will continue through the new European CLIMRES project, which aims to further develop strategies for mitigating heat waves in urban populations and buildings, with completion expected in May 2027.