Viewed globally, the state and availability of water resources is acknowledged as the sector hardest hit by climate change. The National Adaptation Programme (NAP) that Serbia adopted last year didn’t include the sector of water, which points to the poor level of understanding of the problem at the national level
The Paris Agreement’s overarching goal is to limit global temperature increases to 1.5°C, in order to provide an opportunity for the global community to adapt to altered climatic conditions in a way that’s timely and pays off economically. Even in such a scenario, not all systems and sectors are expected to adapt and survive in their current form. The devastating impact of climate change is already evident, with losses and damages caused by natural disasters and extreme weather events (the intensity and frequency of which are increasing due to climate change) already high and expected to grow even worse, especially if we collectively fail to achieve the goals of the Paris Agreement.
Adapting to climate change implies action to ensure reduced susceptibility to phenomena like extremely high temperatures and heat waves, intense precipitation and flooding, including urban floods etc. Adaptation should essentially ensure increased resilience, i.e. preventing water supply problems and the appearance of new diseases and the reemergence of eradicated ones, ensuring food production security, combating flooding and biodiversity loss etc. Viewed globally, the state and availability of water resources is acknowledged as the sector hardest hit by climate change. Adaptation measures encompass planting agricultural trees, but also tree varieties and types that have greater resilience in cases of drought and high temperatures, as well as changes in the availability of water. A particularly significant problem is the change in the level of groundwaters (falling to greater depths) that has been observed in recent years and increases the sensitivity of shallow vegetation types in particular.
There is no fund in Serbia that prioritises or even recognises the need to adapt to altered climatic conditions
Alongside the sustainable and coordinated planning of adaptation at the national level, many measures and activities require local implementation and fall under the responsibility of local government units. This requires their knowhow, but also the knowledge of those engaged in practical activities (such as agricultural producers). At its root, adapting effectively to climate change requires coordination and cooperation among numerous institutions and stakeholders at different levels.
The National Adaptation Programme (NAP) that Serbia adopted last year didn’t include the sector of water, which points to the poor level of understanding of the problem at the national level. It is well known that local government capacities lag behind those at the national level, particularly in the domain of the environment and climate. The NAP itself further highlights the lack of knowledge and capacities, as well as the need to improve cooperation, all of which are among the key prerequisites to adapt effectively.
Finally, it should also be noted that there is no fund in Serbia that prioritises or even recognises the need to adapt to altered climatic conditions. Thus, although the NAP has been drafted and this can be viewed as certain progress having been achieved, it is clear that serious work lies ahead, and only time will tell if we’ve become aware of these needs in time.
