The Government of Albania launched its national adaptation plan (NAP) process in February 2015, with the support of GIZ and UNDP, through consultations with national stakeholders and a stocktaking exercise. The NAP process is framed within the National Adaptation Framework Document and a multi-sectorial coordinating mechanism (the Inter-Ministerial Working Group on Climate Change, or IMWGCC) headed by high-level authorities.
The analytical exercises carried out so far highlighted the existing weaknesses and demonstrated the prevailing barriers to climate change adaptation (CCA) planning in Albania. The results confirmed that to adequately address climate change vulnerabilities, Albania must overcome information gaps, vulnerability assessments and strengthen capacity development for implementation of a NAP, mainstreaming of CCA, raising awareness and institutional capacity to address climate change risks – both at the national and subnational levels. In addition, climate change is not integrated into existing environmental and development policies, or their associated budget priorities, and financing appropriations for funding CCA are absent.
This project is designed to help the Government of Albania to build and strengthen capacities for mainstreaming CCA, produce actionable climate risks and vulnerability assessments, and implement effective methods, tools, and information systems to better inform decision-making on climate risks and catalyse and direct climate investments. It will also support the formulation of financing strategies and mechanisms for scaling up adaptation in the mid- to long-term.
The main beneficiaries in this first cycle of NAP development are the Ministry of Tourism and Environment, the National Environment Protection Agency, and the Albania Institute of Geosciences, Energy, Water and Environment (IGEWE). Indirect or secondary beneficiaries include other ministries and local governments receiving capacity development support (within the priority sectors listed above), as well as all other entities associated with CCA in Albania such as academia, NGOs, civil society organizations, and private companies.
Reducing Albania’s vulnerabilities to climate change requires greater investments in data management and capacity building, and greater integration of CCA and disaster risk reduction (DRR) into on-going development programs, and therefore this project will result in a variety of deliverables including an improved hydrometeorological database, a NAP Strategy document, and curricula and tools to improve capacity for climate adaptation planning, budgeting, and gender mainstreaming within the CCA.
The project will also help local municipalities work towards incorporating CCA into up to 8 municipal development plans, including through taking steps to enable the development of evidence-based local level risk and vulnerability assessments. The project will also help local municipalities work towards incorporating DRR and long term CCA into up to 8 municipal development plans, including through taking steps to enable the development of evidence-based local level risk and vulnerability assessments that will inform the DRR strategy, civil emergency plan at local level. The number of ‘up to 8 municipalities’ has been chosen to maximize impact and firmly establish capacity building and communication lines on CCA between subnational and national entities, while maintaining a manageable cost and capacity requirement for this first round of the NAP process (with the intent to scale to other areas in the future). The ‘up to 8 municipalities’ will be selected during the project inception phase utilizing a multi criteria analysis approach and the consideration of all priority sectors, consultations with experts, and review of the vulnerability assessments already completed as part of 3rd National Communication.
Ensuring availability of capacity and technical skills to address the challenge of climate related analysis and interventions is a key component of ensuring that the NAP process is successful. UNDP is seeking for a Capacity Development Expert to provide technical assistance and guidance on assessing and addressing short-term capacity needs, and to support capacity building at sub-national levels.