On July 3, the PCP WISE team landed in Bratislava for a full-day site visit and workshop focused on understanding the city’s climate data landscape, end-user challenges, and the policy environment shaping water and risk management.

Sensemaking: What’s There, What’s Missing?

Participants from ministries, research institutes, universities, and crisis services were divided into small groups to discuss what climate-related data they currently have access to—and where the gaps and problems lie.

Some key findings:

  • What works: Metadata, land, soil and temperature data, with efforts like the PDAPI portal on the horizon.

  • What doesn’t: Limited public access, reduced monitoring due to budget cuts, fragmented datasets across ministries, and minimal high-res soil moisture maps.

  • User insight: Fire services rely on phone calls for crisis alerts, while soil and flood data are often inaccessible or not FAIR-compliant.

User Story Validation: Needs vs. Narratives

The team worked with PCP WISE User Story Lines, validating whether current stories reflect real end-user needs. Participants provided direct edits and feedback—insights that are now being processed for inclusion in PCP WISE tender documents.

Prototyping: Designing What’s Needed

Through pen-and-paper prototyping, users translated their top needs into visual mock-ups. They highlighted the need for tools that work offline, on mobile devices, and help integrate disparate datasets in real-time—especially in crisis or field settings.

Mapping the Digital Landscape

An interactive session using Wooclap gathered inputs on each stakeholder’s level of digital maturity. While some organisations have started digital integration, many still rely on manual workflows, calls, or paper-based processes. PCP WISE could play a role in connecting systems and standardising formats.

Policy Alignment: Gaps Between Plans and Practice

Groups examined local and national policy frameworks like the Slovak Climate Risk Assessment, Bratislava’s SECAP, and district-level crisis mandates. A recurring theme: too many strategies, not enough coordination. Stakeholders stressed the need for clearer implementation procedures, data ownership clarity, and improved cross-sector communication.

🔄 Across all sessions, one message stood out: Bratislava’s stakeholders are willing and engaged, but more coordination, accessibility, and clarity are needed—especially for local actors trying to respond to climate risks in real time.

🙏 A big thank you to the Ministry of Interior of the Slovak Republic, and to all the organisers and participants who made this site visit a success. Your input is shaping the upcoming PCP WISE Call for Tenders, and more widely, the next generation of climate services in Europe.