More information
Description
Currently, the whole world, including Slovakia, has to withstand many global threats with a local impact. The biggest, most complicated and most urgent of them, which we have to face now, and we will face even more in the future, is climate change. The wrongdoing in this area, which we see especially in Slovakia, directly endangers the health of the population, their quality of life, including the quality of the natural environment, economic interests and leads to a deterioration of the social situation.
The long-term goal of the Karpathian Development Institute (KDI) is to monitor, influence and shape national, regional and local climate policies in the Slovak Republic and emphasize the most vulnerable groups who are the lead victims of climate change as well as those who pay the highest price for combating climate change. The KDI aims to significantly increase the voice of civil society in the fight against the climate crisis. The project aims to strengthen the KDI as a Slovak specialized non-governmental professional centre for climate change. At the same time, the intention of the project is for the KDI to be able to network other third sector organizations, to create a common position on the topic and to be able to play a fundamental role in the process of finding correct solutions as equal partners of public administration at all levels. The organization will also work on its effective communication of information on this topic to target groups; maintain dialogue, provide expert advice in the fight against climate ignorance.
The role of the partner, the Norwegian Institute for Urban and Regional Research – Oslo Metropolitan University, is researching the functioning of think-tank climate organizations in Norway, cooperating in the preparation and organization of the study trip of KDI experts to Norway, etc.
Summary of project results
The issue of adaptation to the impacts of climate change is still in its infancy in Slovakia, and therefore a more detailed view of the impact of these impacts on individual population groups and their ability to react to them is absent.
The project implementers conducted research on the topic of socially just adaptation, based on available literature and studies, then organized a focus group to verify and supplement the knowledge gained. Based on the collected information, they prepared a questionnaire for a short survey on the challenges and needs of civil society organizations working with the most vulnerable groups in terms of the impacts of climate change. The project implementers processed the results of the survey, sent them to the participating organizations and published them on the website www.kri.sk.
Another activity of the project was the organization of a professional workshop on the topic of communicating the climate crisis to the public. Part of the project was a study trip to Norway in order to exchange knowledge with a Norwegian partner.
The project implementers gained a picture of the current situation in the field of socially just adaptation in Slovakia from the perspective of NGOs, what problems and challenges they face and also to what extent they and their clients perceive the impact of climate change on their work/life situation. The target group (organizations) received additional information on the issue, which increased their awareness in this area.
The intention of the project (and the project implementers) was also to network other NGOs, so that they could create a common position on the given topic and be equal partners of public administration at all levels in the process of finding correct solutions. It is also important that municipalities and organizations are able to effectively communicate and convey information on this topic to target groups, which was also contributed to by the professional workshop within the project. The topic of response to climate change has the maximum possible priority (financial resources) until the next period, which means from the point of view of sustainability that it will be possible and necessary to follow up on the activities and events that arose within the framework of this project even after the end of the project.
Summary of bilateral results
The partner was involved in the creation and content of the campaigns through an online coordination meeting and the development of a study on a socially just response to climate change from the Norwegian environment, as well as a presentation on the topic of communicating the climate crisis to the public at the final workshop. In addition, the partner also ensured the exchange of knowledge and experience in related areas of professional practice during the study trip of KRI employees to Norway. The study of the partner for the campaign showed diametrically different challenges and obstacles to a socially just response to climate change compared to Slovakia (emphasis on the area of mitigation, smaller social inequalities in society), therefore in the end the information provided was not included in the content of the campaigns themselves (also due to the narrowing of the focus adaptation research), however, they represent valuable knowledge for us. The contribution of the partner at the final workshop focused on the example of the issue of the continuation of oil and natural gas extraction in the territory of Norway and approached the contradictory attitude of the public, as well as experiences and findings regarding different ways and tools of communication with the public in this matter. The cooperation brought primarily the exchange of knowledge and experience, building the capacity of KRI employees, but also representatives of civil society organizations who participated in the workshop. The partner expressed satisfaction with the cooperation on the project and is open to other joint projects.