Vulnerability assessment of the Carpathian region

Official title: Carpathian integrated assessment of vulnerability to climate change and ecosystem-based adaptation measures (CARPIVIA)

A framework to assess the vulnerability of water resources, ecosystems (focused on  grasslands, wetlands and forests)  and ecosystem based production systems (focused on tourism, forestry and agriculture) was provided. Design of ecosystem based adaptation measures, particularly adaptive water management, including cost-benefit analyses was part of the outcomes.

Results of the project were disseminated by a dedicated website which was developed in cooperation with key regional stakeholders, and through presentations at workshops and conferences in the region.

The main objectives of the CARPIVIA project were:

• To gather, in a structured way, information on vulnerability to climate change impacts in the Carpathian Basin, and on that basis identify and assess potential adaptation measures, with a particular focus on ecosystem based approaches. The level of analysis will be based on the availability of data and information from external project;
• To identify knowledge gaps to be filled in by additional field research or case studies. The latter was executed by a parallel separate framework contract for in-depth assessments of vulnerability of environmental resources and ecosystem-based adaptation measures;
• To contribute to on-going national or regional adaptation strategies or related policy processes, and to the EU Knowledge Base on Climate Vulnerability and Adaptation (among others via the Adaptation Clearinghouse of the EU).

Advice on adaptation to climate change in the Carpathian region

An important element of the project has been to support the Carpathian Convention in addressing the challenges posed by climate change. The Third Meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP3) to the Carpathian Convention (Bratislava, Slovenia, 2011) approved the Terms of Reference for the Working Group on Adaptation to Climate Change. This Working Group aims to support the Parties to the Carpathian Convention by providing advice on adaptation to climate change in the Carpathian region. The working group will debate the available information on vulnerability to climate change impacts in the Carpathian Region, and provide guidance and recommendations for the development of policy proposals in line with the objectives of the Carpathian Convention and the European Commission’s White Paper on Adapting to Climate Change.

The role of CDI in this project has been to act as coordinator between the project partners in the CARPIVIA project on the one side and the project partners in the CARPATHCC Project that was running parallel to the CARPIVIA project and that provided input to the CARPIVIA project. Further CDI helped to shape and elaborate the Strategic Agenda on Climate Change  for the Carpathian Convention. And last but not least CDI provided support to the elaboration of a communication strategy and the organisation of stakeholder meetings held in the frame of the CARPATHCC Project.

The CARPIVIA project was funded by the European Commission under the preparatory action ‘Climate of the Carpathian Basin’ approved by the European Parliament.