Description
The project is needed, because Estonia does not currently have a national climate change adaptation strategy (NAS). The objective of the project is to draft Estonian National Climate Change Adapation Strategy (NAS) and Action Plan. The goal of the strategy is that in future climate change should be considered and integrated into planning and development in the most appropriate way. Sector-specific analysis would develop adaptation measures, presented in priority order as well as with estimations of indicative cost of proposed adaptation measures, enabling local, regional and national authorities to take appropriate actions in good time. Direct beneficiary is Ministry of the Environment and indirectly all people living in Estonia. Norwegian Directorate for Civil Protection (DSB) is reviewing project documents (projections on climate change scenarios and the content and requirements of procurement documents) and supporting with risk and vulnerability assessment methodology. Successful knowledge and experiences transfer from Norway to Estonia in the field of climate change.
Summary of project results
In Estonia, actions taken so far have mainly been about climate change mitigation (the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions) and emergency response but there is yet no separate strategy of adaptation to the impacts of climate change strategy. At the same time, some adaptation measures are reflected in the sectoral strategies, policy papers and laws. In order to ensure that all sectors and all levels of administration would introduce effective adaptation measures in due time, a more strategic and nationally coordinated approach to a national strategy of adaptation to the impacts of climate change in the form of an action plan is needed, which would aggregate all the related issues and priorities. A draft of the Estonian National Climate Change Adaptation Strategy and Action Plan was laid down in the framework of European Economic Area Financial Mechanism 2009-2014 program’s “Integrated Marine and Inland Water Management” project “Elaboration of Estonia’s Draft National Climate Change Adapation Strategy and Action Plan”, on the basis of which the Ministry of the Environment will make a proposal to the Government of the Republic for the adoption of the Estonian Climate Change Adaptation Strategy. Achieved results: 1. Available information has been analyzed and further activities have been planned. 2. Past climate change trends have been described and future scenarios have been selected. 3. The sectoral evaluation of climate change impacts, the development of sectoral measures of adaptation to climate change, the assessment and prioritization of their indicative cost have been done. 4. Environmental impacts have been strategically assessed. 5. Estonia’s Draft National Climate Change Adapation Strategy and Action Plan have been elaborated. 6. The public has been informed through the information portal and outreach events
Summary of bilateral results
The Norwegian Directorate for Civil Protection (DSB) executes similar tasks as the Estonian Rescue Department, but it is also the main supervisor on the issue of climate change adaptation, as appointed by the Government of the Kingdom of Norway. The Estonian Environmental Research Center has through the partnership gained a lot of valuable knowledge of the process of drafting such an all-embracing strategy, including impact identification and evaluation, risk assessment, resilience, raising awareness, cost-benefit analysis, measure prioritisation. The Norwegian Directorate for Civil Protection is expected to be continually involved in implementation of the climate change adaptation measures that have been put forward in the Draft National Adaptation Plan as the Estonian Environmental Research Center considers DSB as a valuable source of forefront information in the field of climate change adaptation. Partnership with the Norwegian Directorate for Civil Protection has brought together the parties of the Ministry of the Environment of Estonia and the Ministry of Climate and Environment of Norway, the central decision makers of the countries in the field of climate change adaptation. As the DSB, with it’s leading role in the adaptation to climate change, is under the administration of the Ministry of Justice of Norway, the need for horizontal co-operation between ministries has become apparent in Estonia. DSB, through public dissemination seminars during the project, has established Norway as a considerable partner and guide in the continuous process of climate change adaptation.