Adapting to Climate Change in Eastern Europe and Central Asia presents an overview of what adaptation to climate change might mean for the countries of the region of Eastern Europe and Central Asia (ECA). The next decade offers a window of opportunity for ECA countries to make their development more resilient to climate change.
In general, the Europe and Central Asia Region (ECA) is predicted to become wetter and warmer as a result of climate change, with more frequent weather extremes (drought, floods, heatwaves, and winter squalls). While in general precipitation in the region is low, around 40 percent is converted to runoff - higher than in any other region. Changes in runoff patterns are likely to be significant across much of the region, with increases in much of the Russian Federation and decreases in most other sub-regions. Overall the outlook for the region is one of increasing uncertainty and extremes in weather events with northern areas becoming wetter and warmer and southern areas drier. This paper is written from the perspective of the utility manager or municipal and government planner. It examines the increasing risk and uncertainty facing utilities in the ECA region and explores some of the potential responses and resources available. It is based on a short literature review which draws on three broad bodies of literature: the first deals with climate change and adaptation in general and provides useful information about likely impacts in the ECA region and generalized policy responses; the second deals with adaptation in water utilities. This literature tends to have little explicit analysis pertaining to the ECA region; and the third examines the performance and operating options of utilities in the ECA region but which tends to have little explicit analysis on the impacts of climate change.
Agriculture is one of the most climate-sensitive of all economic sectors. In many countries, such as the four examined in Looking Beyond the Horizon, the risks of climate change are an immediate and fundamental problem because the majority of the rural population depends either directly or indirectly on agriculture for its livelihood. The risks of climate change to agriculture cannot be eff ectively dealt with--and the opportunities cannot be eff ectively exploited--without a clear plan for aligning agricultural policies with climate change, developing the capabilities of key agricultural institutions, and investing in infrastructure, support services, and on-farm improvements. Developing such a plan ideally involves a combination of high-quality quantitative analysis; consultation with key stakeholders, particularly farmers and local agricultural experts; and investments in both human and physical capital. The diverse experiences of Albania, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Moldova, and Uzbekistan, highlighted in this book, show that it is possible to develop a plan to meet these objectives--one that is comprehensive and empirically driven as well as consultative and quick to develop. The approach of this volume is predicated on strong country ownership and participation, and is defi ned by its emphasis on "win-win" or "no regrets" solutions to the multiple challenges posed by climate change for the farmers of Eastern Europe and Central Asia. The solutions are measures that increase resilience to future climate change, boost current productivity despite the greater climate variability already occurring, and limit greenhouse gas emissions--also known as "climate-smart agriculture." Looking Beyond the Horizon draws on the experiences of applying this approach to these four nations in Eastern Europe and Central Asia with the goal of helping each country mainstream climate change adaptation into its agricultural policies, programs, and investments. The book also highlights the projected impacts of climate change on agriculture in these countries through forecast variations in temperature and rainfall patterns, which are crucial to farming, and off ers a map for navigating the risks and realizing the opportunities. Finally, a detailed e xplanation of the approach, as well as lessons learned from its implementation, is provided for those who would like to implement similar programs in other countries of Europe, Central Asia, or anywhere else in the world.
The climate is changing; and the Europe and Central Asia (ECA) region is vulnerable to the consequences. Many of the region's countries are facing warmer temperatures, a changing hydrology and more extremes, droughts, floods, heat waves, windstorms, and forest fires. Already the frequency and cost of natural disasters have risen dramatically in the region. And the concentration of greenhouse gases already in the atmosphere guarantees that similar or greater changes are yet to come, even if the world completely stopped emitting carbon dioxide. Now, and at least for the near future, ECA vulnerability is being driven more by its existing sensitivity than by the severity of the climate impacts. In fact, ECA already suffers from a serious adaptation deficit even to its current climate. This derives from a combination of socioeconomic factors and the Soviet legacy of environmental mismanagement. This report presents an overview of what adaptation to climate change might mean for ECA. It starts with a discussion of emerging best practice adaptation planning around the world and a review of the latest climate projections. The report then discusses possible actions to improve resilience organized around impacts on natural resources (water, biodiversity, and the coastal environment), health, the 'unbuilt' environment (agriculture and forestry), and the built environment (infrastructure and housing). The last chapter concludes with a discussion of two areas in great need of strengthening given the changing climate: disaster preparedness and hydrometeorological services.
This Climate Finance toolkit was prepared by the Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, jointly with the United Nations Environment Programme Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia, as part of the efforts both organizations systematically conduct to support countries to access scaled-up sources of climate finance. This document aims at compiling relevant and up to date information on different sources of climate finance, through which countries in Europe and Central Asia could identify opportunities to finance their objectives and goals defined in the Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) submitted to the United Nations Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). In this sense, it includes information on the overarching architecture for climate financing at global level and the key conceptual framework related to climate finance and provides detailed briefs for the most relevant sources of finance with operations in this region.
Climate change is among humanity’s greatest challenges, and the Middle East and Central Asia region is on the frontlines of its human, economic, and physical ramifications. Much of the region is located in already difficult climate zones, where global warming exacerbates desertification, water stress, and rising sea levels. This trend entails fundamental economic disruptions, endangers food security, and undermines public health, with ripple effects on poverty and inequality, displacement, and conflict. Considering the risks posed by climate change, the central message of this departmental paper is that adapting to climate change by boosting resilience to climate stresses and disasters is a critical priority for the region’s economies.
To ensure the viability and competitiveness of agriculture and forestry and sustain rural livelihoods, it is critical to take stock of the impacts of climate change on rural sectors in Europe and Central Asia (ECA) countries and implement appropriate adaptive measures. The interactions between the weather-sensitive agriculture and forestry sectors, climate change, and the natural resource base are highly complex and deserve special attention. Globally, the increased frequency of heat stress, droughts and flooding events caused by climate change threaten to reduce crop yields and livestock productivity in many areas, while increased risks of fires and pest outbreaks will have negative consequences for forests. In this paper, the authors examine the exposure, sensitivity, and adaptive capacity of ECA agriculture to climate change, and provide recommendations for addressing the challenges of climate through adaptation. We have made use of the best available climate change projections to categorize countries in the region by likely agricultural sector impacts. We have also attempted to synthesize information from the literature on climate change adaptation in agriculture in order to identify the most relevant points for ECA countries, including options for technical, institutional and policy measures. Based on this initial assessment, there are plans to support World Bank clients in carrying out assessments and developing strategies at the country level in the near future.
