"More and more people are willing to make small changes to slow down climate change"
23/06/2025
On Onda Vasca, Mari Luz Gómez Fernández, coordinator of KLIMA Azoka, explains how this climate change travelling fair brings climate action closer to the public in a fun, direct and participatory way.
Iñigo Urrutikoetxea Alvarez, Ihobe's climate action technician, also explained some of the initiatives backed by Ihobe, such as the compilation of success stories in the implementation of Nature-Based Solutions or the associated interactive viewer.
KLIMA Azoka, the climate change travelling fair backed by Ihobe and the Basque Energy Agency (EVE) within the framework of the LIFE IP Urban Klima 2050 project, continues its tour of the Basque Country bringing the challenges of climate change closer to citizens and the need to take action on a day-to-day basis This was explained by Mari Luz Gómez Fernández, coordinator of the initiative, in an interview on Onda Vasca to mark the Bioterra fair.
"We started with this initiative in 2023 within Urban Klima 2050 to bring climate change closer to citizens and make us aware that we are part of the solution", said Gómez. In its first editions, the fair was linked to Asteklima, the Basque Climate and Energy Week, but "last year, it became KLIMA Azoka because we wanted continuity over time".
The fair, aimed mainly at families, but open to people of all ages, is made up of several themed tents focusing on the key areas of climate change: energy and housing, mobility, leisure and consumption, urban adaptation and soil protection. Through analogue games, interactive activities and a "passport" for reflection, the objective is clear: to engage citizens through direct experience.
"We wanted to move away from the digital and commit to traditional games - snakes and ladders, fishing, balls - so that people can experience, touch, reflect and commit to small gestures that can have a major impact," explained the coordinator. "We want to be where the citizens are and approach them with a playful format that invites them to take action, without losing any steam".
The proposal has been very well received. "In one week we have exceeded 2,000 visits, last year more than 6,000 people took part in Ficoba and this year we have already been to Ibilaldi and the Basque public school festival with a very high rating," she added. After participating in the fair, the participants are asked whether what they have experienced can be used to change habits, and the answer, according to Gómez, is very positive.
"More and more people are willing to make small changes to slow down climate change," she concluded. Klima Azoka continued its itinerary at Araba Euskaraz, reinforcing its commitment to reach every corner of the Basque Country.
Citizen action and solutions on an urban scale: a comprehensive strategy
The citizen awareness-raising work carried out by Klima Azoka is complemented by more technical interventions backed by Urban Klima 2050 and the Basque Government through Ihobe to adapt Basque municipalities to the new climate scenario. This was also explained on Onda Vasca by Iñigo Urrutikoetxea Alvarez, Ihobe's Climate Action technician.
"At Ihobe, we are committed to Nature-Based Solutions, and we have recently published a compilation of 20 success stories in the Basque Country that demonstrate how this type of intervention improves the quality of life of citizens," he said. The document includes projects in large cities, such as Vitoria-Gasteiz, Donostia and Bilbao, but also in small municipalities, where action has been taken in green areas, riverbanks, squares or peri-urban land to reduce the effects of heat, better manage heavy rainfall and recover spaces for people.
The examples mentioned include the renaturalisation of cliffs in Bermeo, one of the pilot actions promoted by the Urban Klima 2050 project, which has enabled an area of high environmental value to be recovered. "These actions not only contribute to climate change adaptation, but also create healthier, more accessible and resilient environments," he said.
In addition to the compilation of success stories, an interactive viewer has been set up, which is currently made up of 31 interventions and is open to future contributions: "We want to encourage technical staff, municipal officials and citizens to imagine their municipalities as more naturalised and prepared for climate challenges".
According to Urrutikoetxea, "climate change is already visible in the Basque Country, with more frequent heat waves, intense rainfall and a rise in sea level that is affecting coastal municipalities in particular". For this reason, he insisted that the citizens "have a key role to play in conveying the need to continue promoting this type of transformative projects to their political leaders".
ENTREVISTA A MARI LUZ GÓMEZ FERNÁNDEZ · Coordinator of KLIMA Azoka.
ENTREVISTA A IÑIGO URRUTIKOETXEA ALVAREZ · Ihobe's climate action tecnitian
