As part of the Climate Diplomacy Week, the EU Info Centre hosted a workshop titled Adaptation to climate change in priority sectors organised by the Ministry of Environmental Protection with support from EU’s IPA project Climate change strategy and action plan.

Climate action is global. The European Union is very serious about and highly dedicated to this area and is channelling a considerable amount of funding towards climate change action. In 2013, the EU put in place a Climate change adaptation strategy that has so far been adopted by 25 Member States which have their own strategies in place, said Antoine Avignon from the EU Delegation to Serbia in his opening remarks.

Climate change adaptation action should be implemented at the local, national and global level, he said.

Avignon said that climate change adaptation measures make up another important segment of climate action, pointing to yet another EU instrument – the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate & Energy – participated in by 100 EU cities.

The representative of the Standing Conference of Towns and Municipalities (SCTM) Ljubinka Kaludjerovic said that the SCTM compiled a manual for drafting of local-level climate change adaptation plans. She added that the Municipality of Becej had been chosen as the pilot municipality. The manual will draw on Becej’s experience, she said, and will be completed once the pilot project is concluded.

The workshop brought together representatives of a wide range of sectors and organisations – from ministries to faculties and NGOs. Matej Gasperič presented activities carried out within the project Climate change strategy and action plan, whereas the audience was brought closer to climate change situation in Serbia by a professor of the Faculty of Physics in Belgrade, Vladimir Djurdjevic. Several university professors also joined in and showcased possibilities for climate change adaptation in agriculture, hydrology and water resources, and forestry.

A press release from the event is available here