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Description
The specific objective of the project is to increase the capacity of municipalities Dimitrovgrad, Zlatograd and Lyubimets to reduce GHG emissions and adapt to the changing climate. It will be achieved through the implementation of eight activities, whose specific objectives will cumulatively lead to achieving the project objective. The result of their implementation consists in an increased capacity of the three municipalities: a. to evaluate adopted planning documents and effectiveness of implemented measures aimed at mitigation and adaptation to climate change, b. to plan future actions, taking into account: the need for synergy of climate issues in all general and sectoral municipal policies; the latest policies and legislation at national and European level; good practices from Norway and other countries; c. put into practice concrete measures that lead to climate change mitigation; d. increase the capacity of local communities and work in partnership with them forward transition to carbon-neutral and climate-resilient municipalities. The following activities will be performed: - Project management - Establishment of local public councils on climate - Capacity building through training - Study and dissemination of good practices of a donor country for climate change mitigation and adaptation - Analytical review of current situation - Development of municipal Sustainable Energy, Climate and Adaptation Plans - Implement climate change mitigation measures - Development of Public Awareness Plans for climate change mitigation and adaptation All seven technical activities include measures for climate change mitigation, and six of the seven technical activities (except activity seven) include measures for adaptation to climate change. The project will be implemented on the territory of the three municipalities and will have a total duration of twenty months.
Summary of project results
The main challenge that the project aimed to address was to improve the status of the environment and to reduce the effect of climate change in municipalities Dimitrovgrad, Lyubimets and Zlatograd. The specific objective is to increase the capacity of municipalities of Dimitrovgrad, Lyubimets and Zlatograd to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to the changing climate. The overall objective will be achieved directly through implementation of small investment projects in each municipality, demonstrating good practices in the field ofclimate change mitigation, directly contributing to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. In addition, the project aimed to develop the project to be achieved through the implementation of the other project activities. Improved knowledge and skills of municipal officials and increased awareness of local communities in the field of climate will contribute to achieving both project objectives, as they are a key prerequisite for preparation and implementation of future mitigation and adaptation measures at local level.
There are develop and implement climate change mitigation measures in the three municipalities. In municipality Dimitrovgrad, the demonstration project includes replacement of the conventional lighting in city park “N. Y. Vaptsarov” in the town of Dimitrovgrad with new solar equipment, the installation of which will reduce the consumption of electricity. 4 electric bicycles are purchased for the needs of the control activity of the municipal inspectors. In municipality Zlatograd, 360 composters are purchased and distributed to households in settlements in the municipality. Equipment for heating water using RES is installed in 5 kindergartens and 1 nursery school. In municipality Lyubimets, equipment is purchased and installed in 2 kindergartens for water heating through RES. The equipment includes boilers with 2 coils (pellets during the heating season and solar panels during the summer), solar panels and other items. Also, 4 electric bicycles are purchased for the needs of the control activity of the municipal inspectors.
During the preparation of the project proposal, the partners identified the stakeholders and outlined the forms of their participation and contribution to the project implementation. At local level: non-governmental organizations and local action groups working in areas directly or indirectly related to climate change; local companies (mainly small and medium enterprises) and their associations, operating mainly in the sectors of agriculture, forestry, tourism, construction, social services, and in Dimitrovgrad and the chemical industry; the population in the three municipalities. The population is interested in the project, as project results will contribute to improving the status of the environment and responding to the adverse effects of climate change in the three municipalities.
At the regional level, stakeholders were: regional governors of Haskovo and Smolyan, insofar as municipal policies and strategic documents are integrated into documents and measures at the regional level; regional associations of municipalities (RAM Maritsa and Association of Rhodopi Municipalities) that would serve as "mediators" for multiplication of project results in other municipalities members.
As a result of the implementation of the activity was achieved: introduced innovative practice in the three municipalities of an institutionalized form of dialogue between the municipalities and the local communities on local climate change mitigation and adaptation policies and measures; improved knowledge and expertise of local stakeholders on climate issues; improved capacity of municipal officials to involve and work in cooperation with local community for transition to climate neutral and resilient municipalities.Developed 4 training courses in the field of climate,trained 30 municipal employees and 30 municipal councilors and representatives of local stakeholders. The end result of the implementation of the activity is acquired knowledge of municipal officials and stakeholders about working and effective measures in the field of climate change in the Donor state and approaches for their implementation.
Summary of bilateral results
*Bilateral results summaryThe project partner experts from the donor country Norway – IOWA AS have solid experience in the field of projects and climate policies, including in the preparation and implementation of projects in Central and Eastern Europe. The experts from IOWA AS actively participated in the discussion of the project idea, in the agreements on the functions and responsibilities of the project participants and gave useful guidelines in terms of the contribution it provided for the implementation of the project. Good practices appropriate to the local conditions are included in the training materials within the project and in the development of the measures in the Sustainable Energy, Climate and Adaptation Plan and the Public Awareness Plan for each municipality. Practices on mobilizing funding in municipalities, innovative technological solutions for small municipal infrastructure projects, mechanisms and incentives for creating a critical mass of residents in municipalities that reduce the carbon footprint in everyday life, joint initiatives between local authorities and local companies and others are examined and selected.