As heat, drought and extreme rainfall put growing pressure on Europe’s cities, the city of Guimaraes is using digital tools and scientific data to decide where climate action is needed most, and to measure what works. The Portuguese city, European Green Capital 2026, has placed nature-based solutions at the heart of its climate strategy. But Guimaraes is going further than expanding parks, green corridors and retention basins. It is using satellite imagery, geospatial analysis and machine learning to understand where these solutions are working, where climate risks are highest and where future investment should be focused. “Climate adaptation begins with understanding our territory,” says Alberto Martins, Councillor for Environment and Sustainability, Guimaraes City Council. “Digital tools and climate data allow us to understand how climate risks evolve across the territory, identify emerging vulnerabilities and make evidence-based decisions.” The aim is simple: to turn climate data into better local decisions. A study led by Paloma Toscan, with researchers from the University of Minho, including Eduardo Pereira, a member of the Scientific Committee of Guimaraes European Green Capital 2026 and the Landscape Laboratory, used Guimaraes as a case study to demonstrate a methodology for measuring and quantifying the impact of nature-based solutions on urban heat and land cover. The work shows how cities can use existing data and open-source tools to support climate resilience, guide planning and make the benefits of green infrastructure more visible. For Guimaraes , data is not an end in itself, it is a tool to improve people's quality of life. “For Guimaraes , data is not an end in itself, it is a tool to improve people’s quality of life,” explains Cllr Martins. A science-based approach to climate adaptation Guimaraes has spent the past decade embedding climate mitigation and adaptation into local policy. Its Sustainable Energy and