Common Ground
Cross-Border Collaboration for Climate Resilience: A Tri-National Approach
Floods in 2021 showed how climate risks transcend national boundaries. In response, the tri-border region of Germany, Belgium, and the Netherlands developed a joint climate and health strategy—shaped by citizen input and cross-border collaboration.
Crises often reveal the true extent of regional interdependence—especially in areas where national borders converge. The tri-border region encompassing Germany, Belgium, and the Netherlands has experienced this firsthand. In the summer of 2021, severe flooding along the River Meuse affected homes, public spaces, and infrastructure across all three countries within the Euregio Meuse-Rhine.
Recognizing the need for a coordinated response to future climate-related challenges, regional stakeholders jointly developed a strategy addressing climate and public health. Crucially, this process was shaped in close collaboration with local residents—the very people who navigate daily life in the region. But where do citizens themselves see the most pressing needs?
Ideas and concepts were developed and discussed during the stakeholder workshop in Eupen.
Citizen Engagement Across Borders
Identifying these priorities proved to be a complex undertaking. Reaching diverse population groups was not straightforward. In many cases, residents only become aware of cross-border coordination gaps when a crisis occurs. Encouraging proactive engagement in times of relative calm requires significant effort and trust-building.
Moreover, this form of citizen participation—spanning multiple countries and systems—was unfamiliar territory for all involved. Nevertheless, the region embraced the challenge and explored a variety of approaches to connect with its communities. Structured online surveys invited residents to share their views on key issues. In-person events facilitated direct dialogue, while regional Citizen Summits provided a dedicated platform for ideas and proposals to be heard and developed.
- The region’s size—home to around 4 million people—posed a major challenge for cross-border citizen participation. The smaller and more defined the border area, the more effective the engagement.
- In larger regions, digital tools should be used to complement on-site participation efforts.
What matters in an emergency
To ensure inclusive participation, the region prioritized multilingual communication from the outset. All materials and events were translated into the relevant languages, turning linguistic diversity from a potential barrier into a valuable asset for cross-border dialogue.
This inclusive approach quickly brought citizens’ concrete needs into focus. From expanding green spaces and increasing access to public drinking water stations, to harmonizing early warning systems for floods, heatwaves, and storms—residents called for stronger coordination and preparedness across borders.
The insights gathered through these initiatives are now being systematically analyzed. Looking ahead, the region aims to establish long-term structures for citizen engagement, ensuring that cross-border participation becomes a consistent and integral part of regional governance.