Description
The project activities draws attention to climate problems and at the same time points out the solutions by showing practical methods to integrate adaptation efforts in the spatial planning. The project aims to increase the knowledge and understanding on the exposure of impacts of climate change at local levels, to develop a model for local climate adaptation experts’ network which can support the work of the municipalities and local authorities how to include climate aspects in future development plans and spatial planning. The project provides capacity building activities for local authorities, local decision makers and local stakeholders about climate adaptation, involving local authorities and sub-regional stakeholders in 3 and a half regions of Hungary (Western-Transdanubian Region, Northern-Hungary Region, Southern- Great Plain and the western part of the Central- Hungary Region). Special focus is given to rural areas with disadvantaged socio- economic situation, municipalities, enterprises, and NGOs of the agricultural areas. Vestlandsforsking Western Norway Research Institute (WNRI) will transfer knowledge and experiences on adaptation issues, participate in meeting and online discussions. The project team elaborates methodology based on available international and national literature and best practice examples, develops capacity building tools as training materials and communication strategy aiming at raising climate awareness at local level. The project provides a complex training program on climate adaptation including information on the financial, legal and policy instruments, too and conduct trainings. The developed training manual will serve as an extensive guidance material on how to develop local spatial planning strategies by integrating climate adaptation aspects. The trainings will promote the establishment of a national climate experts’ network providing support for improving adaptive capacity and enhancing climate resilience at local levels.
Summary of project results
In Hungary the local-level awareness of climate change is at a very basic and general level, and awareness of potential impacts of climate change and vulnerability of different systems and sectors is even weaker. Ways of adapting to climate change are not well known, and there are even fewer ideas of how to cope with this: in most cases, ideas that do exist are not transferred into practice. Local strategies and measures integrated into local development and building plans that provide a road map on how a community should adapt to the diverse effects of climate change, are exceedingly rare. There is urgent need for capacity building and information sharing among local authorities, and awareness raising for the general public. The project overall goal was to develop an organizational and operational model in which the network of experts trained through the project can continuously support the activities of local governments and their micro-regional associations in their long term problem of adapting to the changing climate. aims to overcome these basic needs by distributing needed information in a widely accessible manner and by providing capacity building at local level to produce climate strategies and build up awareness of local impacts. Main activities are the developments of a roadmap for capacity building activities, comprehensive training material and toolkit, guidance materials for the same purpose, capacity building activities and training covering at least 140 local authorities and sub-regional stakeholders, and a website developed for stakeholders involved in adaptation activities. All the deliverables indicators contracted have been achieved within the deadline. The most important project outputs are listed below: • Roadmap/guideline for capacity building activites; • Training background materials; • Training materials developed with 24 presentations; • 160 training days organized; • 348 Persons participated in the training (received certificate); • Number of local population reached: 2,490,000 capita • Expert support/Coaching for developing local adaptation strategies: 1 guideline, 5 pilot strategies; • One communication campaign plan developed and 14 campaigns implemented; • 169 media appearance; • 9 events organized • The project promoter had a donor project partner and was active in bilateral activities; • Project website developed:
http://klimatudatos.hu/?lang=en_us
Summary of bilateral results
The Norwegian donor project partner Vestlandsforsking research institute (Western Norway Research Institute, WNRI) provided significant technical assistance at the beginning of the project through presenting the Norwegian circumstances and good examples. In autumn 2015 the donor project partner hosted a group of 10 Hungarian partners in Norway, allowing them to gain knowledge, experience and acquaintances, in particular in customizing the professional training materials, presenting practical examples in the training, selecting, implementing and financing the sample projects (5 local strategy development). The visit to Norway also provided an opportunity to provide further solutions to identify further assignments for the network of experts and possible solutions on how to embed the network into the government structure. The experts visit provided to be very useful thanks to the donor project partner. Vestlandsforsking participated in the closing event of the project through delivering an online presentation