Adaptation to climate change in Environmental Protection Programmes of small and medium-sized cities in Poland

The article presents the results of the analysis of the declarations of the authorities of small and medium-sized cities in Poland regarding the need to implement adaptation measures to the effects of climate change, and an assessment of the adequacy of the planned activities in this area. As part of the study, Environmental Protection Programmes in 80 cities with a population of up to 100,000 inhabitants were analysed. In the beginning, the most important challenges that the effects of climate change pose for cities are discussed. Then the results of the research are described and discussed. The paper ends with a short summary. The obtained results are not unambiguous. On the one hand, it has been shown that the issues of environmental protection and adaptation to climate change are not among the most important priorities of the authorities of small and medium-sized cities, and the way of presenting the issue of adaptation in the analysed documents, concerning the threats caused by the effects of climate change, is not sufficient and adequate to the level of danger. On the other hand, the results show that the importance of this problem has been increasing in recent years and that the authorities of small and medium-sized towns more and more often declare the need and readiness to support adaptation measures.