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Description
The project will contribute to the implementation of the Lithuanian National strategy for climate change management, in particular the necessity to reduce regions and municipalities vulnerability to climate change.
The aim of the project is to increase the capacity and skills of Lithuanian municipalities to develop and implement climate change adaptation plans.
The project includes:
- Analysis of different climate change scenarios, effects, vulnerability and risk assessments;
- Assessment of the most vulnerable sectors and social groups for all municipalities of Lithuania;
- Development of a climate change adaptation plan and update of the emergency situation management plan through a pilot project in one municipality considered highly vulnerable to climate change;
- Development of municipal climate change adaptation plans and recommendations for updating the municipal emergency management plans;
Training workshops for all Lithuanian municipalities to prepare adaptation plans in their municipalities;
- Study visits to Norway for staff of Lithuanian environmental and municipal authorities.
Project benefit
The expected outcome of the project will be improved capacity of local authorities in development of plans for climate change adaptation. Specifically, the project will improve the information available and required for planners to perform the necessary analyses.
Target groups of the project: Employees of Association of Local Authorities in Lithuania, society.
The project is implemented jointly with the partners - Association of Local Authorities in Lithuania and Norwegian Association of Local and Regional Authorities (KS).
Through cooperation with the KS and municipalities, experiences and practices will be shared on how climate change issues are being handled on the regional and local levels in both Lithuania and Norway.
Summary of project results
The project contributed to the implementation of the Lithuanian National Strategy for Climate Change Management, particularly addressing the necessity to reduce regional and municipal vulnerability to climate change.
The aim of the project was to increase the capacity and skills of Lithuanian municipalities in developing and implementing climate change adaptation plans. Specifically, the project improved the information available and required for planners to perform the necessary analyses. Through cooperation with the Norwegian Association of Local and Regional Authorities, municipalities shared experiences and practices on how climate change issues were handled at the regional and local levels in both Lithuania and Norway.
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The project contributed to the implementation of Lithuania’s National Strategy for Climate Change Management, focusing on reducing the vulnerability of regions and municipalities to climate change.
Its main goal was to strengthen the ability of Lithuanian municipalities to develop and implement climate change adaptation plans. The project improved access to essential information for planners, enabling them to conduct better analyses.
Through collaboration with the Norwegian Association of Local and Regional Authorities, municipalities exchanged experiences and best practices on addressing climate change at the regional and local levels in both Lithuania and Norway.
- The analysis of Lithuanian different climate change scenarios, effects, vulnerability and risk assessments up to 2100 was implemented.
- The assessment of the most vulnerable sectors and social groups for all municipalities of Lithuania was implemented.
- The development of a climate change adaptation plan and update of the emergency situation management plan through a pilot project in Klaipėda City Municipality was implemented.
- 7 municipal climate change adaptation plans prepared (Panevėžys City Municipality, Tauragė District Municipality, Ukmergė District Municipality, Utena District Municipality, Vilnius City Municipality, Birštonas Municipality, Varėnos District Municipality).
- Recommendations for updating the emergency management plans of 7 municipalities were made (Panevėžys City Municipality, Tauragė District Municipality, Ukmergė District Municipality, Utena District Municipality, Vilnius City Municipality, Birštonas Municipality, Varėnos District Municipality).
- Training workshop for representatives of Lithuanian municipalities how to prepare climate change adaptation plans was organized (90 participants).
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Project Activities:
- Conducted an analysis of climate change scenarios, impacts, vulnerabilities and risks in Lithuania up to 2100.
- Assessed the most vulnerable sectors and social groups across all Lithuanian municipalities.
- Developed a climate change adaptation plan and updated the emergency management plan through a pilot project in Klaipėda City Municipality.
- Prepared climate change adaptation plans for seven municipalities: Panevėžys City, Tauragė District, Ukmergė District, Utena District, Vilnius City, Birštonas and Varėna District.
- Provided recommendations for updating emergency management plans in the same seven municipalities.
- Organised a training workshop for 90 municipal representatives on preparing climate change adaptation plans.
During the project, Lithuanian municipalities became actively involved in climate change adaptation for the first time. Although guidelines for developing of municipal climate adaptation plans were introduced in 2015, no municipality took action at that time. This project has provided the necessary push to start real work in this critical area. The project has also fostered new connections, both between municipalities and with key stakeholders such as the Association of Local Authorities in Lithuania. This collaboration has facilitated knowledge sharing, enabling local authorities to learn from each other and implement best practices.
A key benefit of the project has been to increase knowledge and skills in climate adaptation. Through trainings and study visit to Norway, local government staff have significantly improved their understanding of climate adaptation strategies. Previously, there were significant knowledge gaps in this area, but the project has provided a strong foundation to develop expertise. While there is still much work to be done, progress has been made, and municipalities now have more skills to address climate adaptation more effectively. The lessons learned and partnerships established during the project will serve as a basis for future climate adaptation initiatives in Lithuania.
Finally, the project has successfully developed the first eight municipal climate adaptation plans, establishing a standardised approach to adaptation planning. While there is still considerable work to be done to extend these efforts to other municipalities, these initial plans serve as a benchmark, encouraging other local governments to follow suit. Many communities have already expressed interest in developing similar plans, inspired by the structured methodology and valuable lessons learned from the project. Overall, this initiative has been a crucial step forward in strengthening Lithuania''s capacity to implement data-driven, strategic climate adaptation measures. In addition, the results of this project have contributed significantly to the development of the National Climate Change Adaptation Plan. While the plan itself was not part of the project, the findings and results of the project provided valuable support in shaping its content and direction.
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During the project, Lithuanian municipalities actively started working on climate change adaptation for the first time. Although guidelines for creating municipal climate adaptation plans were introduced in 2015, no municipality had taken action until this project. This project provided the necessary push to begin real work in this important area. It also helped build new connections between municipalities and key stakeholders, such as the Association of Local Authorities in Lithuania. This collaboration allowed local governments to share knowledge, learn from each other and adopt best practices.
A major benefit of the project was the increased knowledge and skills in climate adaptation. Through training sessions and a study visit to Norway, local government staff gained a much better understanding of climate adaptation strategies. Previously, there were significant knowledge gaps, but the project laid a strong foundation for developing expertise. While there is still much work to do, municipalities are now better equipped to handle climate adaptation challenges. The lessons learned and partnerships formed during the project will be valuable for future climate adaptation efforts in Lithuania.
The project also successfully developed the first eight municipal climate adaptation plans, setting a standard for adaptation planning. Although there is still work to do to create plans for other municipalities, these initial plans serve as a model and inspire other local governments to follow the same approach. Many communities have already shown interest in developing similar plans, motivated by the structured methodology and the lessons learned from this project. Overall, this initiative has been an important step forward in strengthening Lithuania’s ability to carry out climate adaptation measures based on data and strategy. Additionally, the results of this project have significantly contributed to the development of the National Climate Change Adaptation Plan. While the plan itself was not part of the project, the findings and outcomes of this project helped shape its content and direction.
Summary of bilateral results
With the Norwegian Association of Local and Regional Authorities (KS) the jointly implemented project activities included organizing an experience-sharing seminar in Norway, as well as remotely sharing best practices during the final project event held in Lithuania. KS coordinated the program for the visit to Norway, organizing a meeting with representatives from the Norwegian Directorate for Civil Protection, as well as from the municipalities of Tønsberg and Drammen. Lithuanian municipal representatives familiarized themselves with Norway''s methods and solutions for designing public spaces in a way that prevents flooding on streets during high-water events, while Norwegian representatives were also presented with examples of solutions already being implemented. In the future, cooperation with Norway can continue through the implementation of specific projects or sharing knowledge and best practices.//////////////////////////////////Together with the Norwegian Association of Local and Regional Authorities (KS), the project included activities such as organising an experience-sharing seminar in Norway and remotely sharing best practices during the final project event in Lithuania. KS coordinated the program for the visit to Norway, which included meetings with representatives from the Norwegian Directorate for Civil Protection and the municipalities of Tønsberg and Drammen. During this visit, Lithuanian municipal representatives learned about Norway’s methods for designing public spaces to prevent street flooding during high-water events. In return, Norwegian representatives were shown examples of solutions already being implemented in Lithuania. Moving forward, cooperation with Norway may continue through future projects or by sharing knowledge and best practices.