Testing the Prospective Rapid Impact Assessment Approach for Stakeholders Engagement in Municipality Action Planning: The Case of Tauragė

Municipalities face increasing vulnerability to climate-related risks, giving rise to a set of different challenges and problems, ultimately threatening long-term sustainability. Addressing these challenges requires proactive adaptation measures, innovative solutions, and stakeholder engagement to enhance climate resilience at the municipal level. This study adapts the Prospective Rapid Impact Assessment (PRIA) approach for planning critical climate change actions, promoting environmental, social, and economic sustainability. Using a case study in Tauragė, Lithuania, the study explores the PRIA method’s application in municipal planning. Various stakeholders and experts participated in testing the method, emphasising the need for inclusive governance in sustainable urban development. The research identifies key climate challenges and corresponding adaptation actions across three tiers: individual (person), household, and municipal levels, underscoring a multi-scale approach to sustainability. A five-point Likert scale was used to evaluate challenges, with the five most significant ones highlighted for each tier. A comprehensive list of sustainability-driven climate actions was compiled, and experts prioritised the most impactful and feasible strategies. These recommendations were presented to Tauragė’s decision-makers to inform the development or revision of the municipal Action Plan, ensuring that climate resilience, resource efficiency, and social equity are embedded in local policies. Furthermore, the study demonstrates the effectiveness of the PRIA method and the practical utility of the InTo tool in assessing climate actions and identifying priority sustainability measures. By integrating sustainability considerations into municipal strategic planning, the findings underscore the necessity of proactive, forward-thinking approaches to safeguard communities and ecosystems against climate change. The study results confirm that the PRIA method can be successfully utilised as a robust framework for regional and municipal climate change action planning. It facilitates the identification of key issues, the prioritisation of actions, stakeholder engagement, and the integration of interdependencies within the climate change action planning process. This approach ensures that actions are well-founded, specifically tailored to the needs of various community levels, and account for the interdependencies among different climate change mitigation and adaptation options.