Today, 19 February 2026, in Hall 5 of the Municipality of Blagoevgrad, the Association of South-Western Municipalities (ASWM) held the second working meeting with local stakeholders within the HEATSAFE project.

During the event, representatives of municipal, regional, and national institutions, academia, non-governmental organisations, and civil protection services actively participated, presenting expert opinions and proposals for effective actions during extreme heat events.

A heat island map of the urbanised territory of the Municipality of Blagoevgrad was presented. Stakeholders were introduced to the analysis methodology and the potential applications of the obtained data. The expert team also presented the concept for establishing a network of climate shelters within the municipality. Potential locations, selection criteria, and integration opportunities were discussed.

The second working meeting of local stakeholders marked a significant step towards developing sustainable mechanisms to address the impacts of extreme heat in urban environments. The analyses presented and the discussions among experts will aid in better planning and will establish the groundwork for an Extreme Heat Action Plan.

A series of thematic working meetings will follow, during which specific measures, procedures, and coordination mechanisms will be further defined. The active collaboration between local stakeholders, ASWM, and its associated project partners ensures that the adaptation process will continue with clearly defined stages and consistent activities leading to sustainable and practical solutions.

The working meeting is part of the activities of the project Holistic Environmental and Social Adaptation Framework for Extreme heat (HEATSAFE), implemented with the financial support of the INTERREG VI-B Euro-Mediterranean Basin (EURO MED) Programme 2021–2027.