With the support of the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions program, the postdoctoral project MAKARIOS (2026/28) will study the social capacities for adaptation to climate change in Macaronesia, generating qualitative knowledge and socioeconomic indicators that complement current vulnerability assessments in the islands. Researcher Carla Gomes, recently joined at the ULL, will be responsible for this project, which has the following professors as host faculty: Abel López Díez, at the University of La Laguna and Helena Calado, at the University of the Azores.
MAKARIOS addresses two key gaps in climate change adaptation research in Europe: the lack of attention given to subnational island jurisdictions, despite their vulnerability, and the underrepresentation of the social sciences, particularly in local-level research. The study integrates human capacity and climate change adaptation approaches into an innovative analytical framework on adaptive capacity.
Using case studies from the mountain islands of Tenerife and Pico (Azores), the project explores the evolution of adaptation culture at the local level, aiming to contribute to the development of equitable resilience policies in the outermost regions of the European Union. Interviews with key stakeholders and focus groups will examine governance dynamics, particularly the tension between planned adaptation and autonomous strategies based on local knowledge.
According to Abel López, “to make progress in adapting to climate change in the islands, we need to understand both the threats and the social conditions that allow the population to cope with them.” The expert adds that local knowledge, citizen participation, and the capacity of institutions to coordinate are fundamental to this process. “MAKARIOS will allow us to delve deeper into these dimensions and provide tools for designing policies tailored to the reality of each territory, with special attention to individuals and groups with fewer resources to adapt.”.
The Marie Skłodowska-Curie postdoctoral contract is funded by the European Union's Horizon Europe research and innovation program. Carla Gomes holds a PhD in International Development from the University of East Anglia (UK) and a PhD in Sociology of the Environment and Territory from the University of Lisbon, under a joint supervision agreement, within the framework of the Doctoral Program in Climate Change and Sustainable Development Policies.
She also holds a master's degree in Environmental Management and Policies from the University of Aveiro (Portugal) and a bachelor's degree in Social Communication.
He has promoted participatory processes in climate change adaptation projects at the local and regional level in Portugal, in collaboration with the University of Lisbon, including the Algarve Intermunicipal Climate Change Adaptation Plan, the Loulé Municipal Adaptation Strategy Monitoring Local Council and the CHANGE project - Climate, Coastal and Social Changes.
More recently, Carla Gomes led the 'Society, Governance and Policy in B-WaterSmart' work package (Horizon 2020), funded by the European Commission. This research and innovation action contributed to promoting a circular water economy in six European countries between 2020 and 2024. The initiative brought together 35 partners, including companies, local authorities, universities, and non-governmental organizations, to implement smart water management in six cities and regions across Europe: Lisbon, Alicante, Venice, Flanders (Belgium), East Frisia (Germany), and Bodø (Norway).
In addition, Gomes has research experience in international contexts such as Cape Verde, Mozambique and Brazil, where he created and taught a new postgraduate course on environmental justice and climate adaptation, with funding from the Brazilian government agency CAPES.
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