newsletter of see forum on cca
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second issue of the project newsletterTRANSCRIPT
Newsletter – Issue no2 January 2012
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In this issue:
UNFCCC in Durban
Regional Advocacy Training
Climate Vulnerability Assessments
EU Acquis Trainings
NewsletterDear reader,
In the second edition of our newsletter we have the
pleasure to inform you about latest developments in
the project SEE Forum on Climate Change Adaptation,
such as the regional advocacy training. We are further
happy to share with you the impressions of Ms Jelena
Dubak, Secretary General of Montenegro Red Cross,
who participated in the UN Climate Change Conference
in Durban and contributed to a global visibility of the
SEE Forum on Climate Change Adaptation. As usual, we
also present some regional news and event
announcements and hope you enjoy reading our
newsletter. For more detailed information on our
project, please visit www.seeclimateforum.org!
Secretary General of Montenegro Red
Cross participating in the UN Climate
Change Conference The UN Climate Change Conference in Durban took
place towards the end of 2011 with the main purpose to
advance the implementation of the UN Framework
Convention on Climate Change and the Kyoto Protocol,
which expires in 2012.
By agreeing on a roadmap for drawing up a legal
framework for climate action by all countries by 2015,
the conference met a key condition for entering into a
second commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol.
However, the failure to reach a binding agreement to
further reduce greenhouse gas emissions represents our
“collective failure” and puts the world’s most vulnerable
people at even greater risk, stated Mr Bekele Geleta,
Secretary-General of the International Federation of
Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. In line with this,
the WWF summarizes that through this rather weak
agreement major decisions on the content of the Kyoto
Protocol were only postponed and made an unclear
commitment to a global agreement from 2020.
Ms Jelena Dubak, Secretary
General of the Montenegro Red
Cross participated in the Durban
Conference as part of the
International Federation of Red
Cross and Red Crescent Societies
(IFRC) delegation and was ready to
share her impressions upon return
to Podgorica.
Ms Dubak, could you tell us more about the purpose of
the IFRC`s participation in the UN Climate Change
Conference in Durban?
First of all, it is important to note that the IFRC has an
observer role in the negotiations without any rights of
decision-making. So the main idea was to take active
participation in the conference, in particular in the
relevant side-events, in order to present the position of
Red Cross/Red Crescent (RC) National Societies related
to climate change. In this context we tried to strengthen
the dialogue between RC/RC National Societies, but with
high-level governmental representatives.
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This was very useful in view of improving visibility of our
work and highlighting the importance of climate change
adaptation, so to say the necessity of taking appropriate
and timely action to prevent or minimize adverse effects
climate change has.
What are lessons learned for your organization, also
with regard to the SEE Forum on Climate Change
Adaptation?
Regarding the project “SEE Forum on Climate Change
Adaptation” we luckily had the chance to get acquainted
with stakeholders implementing similar activities, who
shared with us their valuable experience in establishing
networks and working in fora. Further we could
distribute our project folders among relevant
stakeholders from the European Union and call
attention to what is going on in the SEE region. Apart
from that, I had the chance to talk to governmental
representatives from neighbouring countries, who
pointed towards the increasing role Red Cross Societies
have in the development of national climate change
strategies, which, besides strengthened regional
cooperation, can be seen as a positive outcome of the
project already.
Finally, how you do you personally rate the outcomes
of the conference?
Well, I have to admit that at the beginning the overall
atmosphere was quite pessimistic, as participants did
not expect concrete results to be taken. Finally the
opposite came true, discussions were prolonged and
some kind of roadmap was agreed on. In my opinion this
was highly important in order to keep this atmosphere
of looking ahead and continuing with negotiations, in
particular for those countries which are already severely
exposed to climate change and where adverse effects
are already happening and affecting the most
vulnerable.
Thank you for the interview!
For further reports, comments and analysis on the
climate change negotiations check out the websites of
the UNFCCC, the European Commission, Red Cross/Red
Crescent Climate Centre and the WWF!
Regional Advocacy Strategies Training In the framework of the project a regional training on
advocacy strategies was organized in Belgrade on 3 and
4 November 2011. The training was attended by
network coordinators and communication experts from
Croatia, Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia and the
sessions were prepared and conducted by Mr Markus
Stock of the Institute for Economic Promotion of the
Austrian Federal Economic Chamber.
Advocacy Strategies Training in Belgrade
Participants had the opportunity to learn more about
what key elements of effective lobbying and advocacy
are and how interests are represented in different
political systems, for example in Austria or in the EU.
Institutions and legislative processes in the EU were
presented and in this context participants discussed the
importance of and how to deal with media. Finally,
participants defined country specific interests and
prepared a lobbying strategy accordingly.
REGIONAL PROJECT
EVENT REVIEWS
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Climate Vulnerability Assessments Climate vulnerability assessments are cross-sectoral
documents that are currently being prepared in the four
project partner countries: Croatia, Macedonia,
Montenegro and Serbia. They will cover the areas
defined as priorities for the respective countries and will
identify vulnerable communities and groups through
different regions, define adaptive measures in order to
decrease the exposure of these communities and
groups to negative impacts of climate change. These
documents will identify recommendations for the
decision-makers on what steps to take in order to
improve adaptive capacities and minimize the impact of
climate change. The assessments will serve as a base of
action for the networks to raise awareness of the
general public and governmental officials on climate
change, fostering the adoption of the highest standards
in this relevant field.
The experts in charge of preparing the assessments met
in Belgrade in December 2011 to consult on the crucial
issues, such as a joint glossary of terms or the structure
of the report. Following this, a regional partner meeting,
aimed at discussing the current drafts of the climate
vulnerability assessments will take place in Zagreb, mid
February 2012. This meeting is also scheduled in
preparation for the formation of the SEE Forum in May
2012.
EU Acquis Trainings Within the framework of the SEE Forum on Climate
Change Adaptation, national trainings on the EU Acquis
Communautaire were held in Croatia, Macedonia,
Montenegro and Serbia in late 2011. These trainings
were facilitated by Mr Klaus Radunsky from the Austrian
Federal Environment Agency. Besides project team and
network members, representatives of EU delegations
and national ministries took active participation.
Participants were informed about the legal framework
of climate change in the EU, best practices, and the
comparative analysis of National Communications on
Climate Change to the UNFCCC and EU corresponding
documents. On top of the presentation of the current
European documents, such as the Green and White
paper for climate change, Mr Radunsky shared positive
experiences and the present situation regarding climate
change scenarios and adaptation efforts in Austria.
Participants from Croatia, Macedonia, Montenegro and
Serbia analysed the present situation in their countries
regarding vulnerability and impact assessments and
proposed future work in these fields.
EU Acquis Training in Montenegro
In the framework of these national EU Acquis Trainings,
special sessions on EU funding were held back to back,
with the main purpose to provide a theoretical overview
of relevant EU institutions and governing bodies, as well
as EU funding instruments.
Macedonian network “Climate Reaction” is
marking the international mountain day On 11 December 2011 the Mountain Sport Federation
invited the Macedonian Red Cross to take part in the
marking of the International Mountain Day together
with other members of the Macedonian Climate
Reaction Network formed in the framework of the EU
project SEE Forum on Climate Change Adaptation.
CSO NETWORKS IN SEE
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The Macedonian Red Cross together with the Mountain
Rescue Team of City Red Cross Skopje had the
opportunity to promote the network among 500
hundred visitors and environment supporters in one of
the most popular outdoor destinations in Skopje called
Matka. During the promotion, t-shirts and educational
leaflets were distributed and discussions on
environmental issues took place.
“Climate Reaction” marking Mountain Day
The role of civil society networks in the EU
accession process
A two-day conference on CSO networks in Western
Balkan countries and Turkey was organized from 13 to
14 December 2011 in Sarajevo with the main purpose to
enhance their structured participation in the EU
accession process and their involvement in the
implementation of the Regional Cooperation Council
strategy. The conference brought together
representatives of regional civil society networks from
the Western Balkans, Turkey and EU, as well as officials
from governmental institutions responsible for
cooperation with the civil society sector.
Representatives from EU’s Directorate General for
Enlargement also participated in the event.
The gathering provided an opportunity to discuss the
new Report on regional CSO Networks in the IPA region
(Western Balkans and Turkey), giving an overview on
existing networks and their cooperation methods and
also showing the added value of regional networks in
building sustainable CSOs in the region. Moreover,
participants of the meeting were informed about the
IPA programming for the upcoming months and in this
context the development of regional networking was
highlighted. For further information, please visit the
TACSO website.
Prepare to Respond – Building
Humanitarian Capacity In 2012 Austrian
Red Cross and
RedR UK are
offering a unique
training
programme to
support aid
workers and
humanitarian organisations to develop their skills to
respond to disasters around the world. Courses will be
held in new EU member states, Croatia and Austria,
covering a range of humanitarian areas including
general humanitarian skills and water, sanitation and
hygiene. The trainings will cater for all knowledge levels,
appropriate for individuals beginning a career within the
sector, as well as for experienced relief workers looking
to develop specialist skills. Diverse agendas and
methodologies, skilled facilitators and international
participants will provide the ideal training environment.
All training resources, accommodation and meals are
covered. This has been made possible through the
support of the EC Humanitarian Aid Office (ECHO). For
further information, visit the Austrian Red Cross!
NEWS
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SEE Exhibition and Congress on Energy
Efficiency and Renewable Energy 28 – 30 March 2012; Sofia, Bulgaria
The 8th annual congress of professionals involved in
energy efficiency and renewable energy will take place
in March 2012 in Bulgaria. The goal of the congress is to
foster the exchange of know-how and stimulate the
investments in South East European green energy
sector. Apart from sessions on technology, best
practices, finance, business strategies and policy, the
event will also feature exhibitions on energy efficiency,
renewable energy, waste management, recycling and
environment. The congress will be attended by
specialists and experts, governmental and local policy
makers, investors, representatives of financial
institutions and media. Read more on the official
website.
International Scientific Conference on
Water, Climate and Environment 28 May – 2 June 2012; Ohrid, Macedonia
The 5th International Scientific Conference BALWOIS
2012 will be held with the purpose of providing a forum
for the exchange of information on the relationship
between climate change and human activities with a
specific focus on water related issues. Presentations of
scientific papers on development activities and research
are aimed at creating a platform for dealing with
challenges such as water scarcity, floods, droughts,
environmental degradation and regional risks. The
conference will be attended by scientists, engineers,
managers, legislators, NGO representatives and policy
makers involved in water, climate and environmental
matters. Read more or apply here.
Ice Cube in Belgrade National Geographic Serbia with partners launched an
interesting action in order to raise awareness about
global warming. A large ice cube, weighing more than 3
tones, was placed at a public square in Belgrade,
followed by a competition for proposals how long it
would take for the ice to melt. In temperatures varying
from 0 to 23°C with changing weather conditions, the
melting period lasted for two days, 19 hours, 48
minutes and 13 seconds. During that time various
workshops related to ecology, global warming and CO2
emissions were attended by primary school children.
The organizers hope that this initiative got the attention
of the general public and that people will take more
care of the planet in the future.
Migration and Global Environmental
Change Foresight Report The Migration and Global Environmental Change
Foresight Report is a study on the effect of flooding,
drought and rising sea levels on human migration
patterns over the next 50 years. It encourages
governments and aid agencies to help the poor move
away from vulnerable areas susceptible to flooding and
droughts, adding that a timely action would also
diminish the risk of conflicts and loss of lives. The report
was partly commissioned to examine assumptions that
the environmental degradation would create climate
refugees. Potential solutions offered by the report are in
managed migration and better planning of cities,
especially in the area of water management. Read more
here.
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Updated TACSO Regional Needs
Assessment Report and Individual Country
Reports The regional TACSO office has published an updated regional needs assessment report and individual country reports in November 2011. This is an update of two previous reports published in 2009 and it represents a synthesis of the eight individual country needs assessment reports. The report is aimed at providing a basis for creating TACSO’s support to both civil society and governmental authorities in the countries of Western Balkans and Turkey so as to enable them to better attend to and improve a number of institutional, policy and regional issues for a sustainable and effective development of civil society. Moreover, the report offers a comprehensive look into the strengths and weaknesses and most laudable achievements so far. Finally, recommendations for further improvements of the civil society environment capacities are suggested in the conclusions of the report. Read the individual country reports or the regional report on the TACSO website.
IPA Cross-Border Programme
Macedonia - Albania The European Commission has opened a call for
proposals for the Cross-border Programme between
Macedonia and Albania in order to tackle the socio-
economic situation of the border region, to set out a
common strategy for remedying problems identified
and to formulate joint priorities and measures for
development. The global objective of the programme is
to promote sustainable development in the cross-
border area. More specifically, it aims at establishing
joint actions and strategies to protect and valorise the
natural resources of the region and at developing long
term partnerships and networks across different
sectors, such as CSOs, professional organizations and
decentralized institutions. More on the grant can be
found on the Europe Aid website.
IPA Cross-Border Programme
Croatia - Montenegro The Cross-Border Programme Croatia–Montenegro is aimed at creating favourable environmental and socio-economic conditions by improving the cooperation in jointly selected sectors and good neighbourly relations in the eligible programme area. Specific objectives of the current call are (1) to establish cooperation between institutions in charge of environment protection, as well as natural and cultural heritage protection, (2) to create recognizable tourist products and re-establish social connections in cross-border area and (3) to increase and enhance cooperation between institutions, citizens and civic organizations in the areas such as tourism, education and culture, in order to boost community development and improve neighbourhood relations. The call is open until 3 March 2012 and further documents available on the Europe Aid website.
Civil Society Facility Partnership
Programmes In January 2012 the European Commission launched an
IPA multi-beneficiary call for proposals on Civil Society
Facility Partnership Programmes for CSOs supporting
regional thematic networks. The programme purpose is
to achieve a more dynamic civil society actively
participating in public debate on democracy, human
rights, social inclusion and the rule of law with capacity
to influence policy and decision making processes. The
call aims to achieve this by establishing partnerships
with regional networks of CSOs to pursue shared
objectives regarding good governance and the
fulfilment of the political criteria for EU accession. The
deadline for submission of full proposals is 13 April 2012
and further information is available on the Europe Aid
website.
FUNDING POSSIBILITIES
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PUBLICATIONS
Managing the Risks of Extreme Events and
Disasters to Advance Climate Change
Adaptation The Special Report for Managing Risks of Extreme
Events and Disasters to Advance Climate Change
Adaptation (SREX) is a comprehensive assessment of the
role of climate change in altering characteristics of
extreme events and was approved by the
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) in
November 2011. It integrates expertise in climate
science, disaster risk management and adaptation to
inform discussions on how to reduce and manage the
risks of extreme events and disasters in a changing
climate. A summary of this report, specially designed for
policy makers is available on the IPCC website.
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The next issue is coming up in March 2012!