Portfolio

Main goal: To raise awareness, motivation and to build the capacity of the self-governing cities and regions, for better decision-making processes with regard to the issues of climate change
Partners: the town of Spisska Nova Ves, Union of Cities of Slovakia
Role of the CDI: Project management and expert leadership of the project
Duration: August 2010 – December 2011
Total project costs: 82 712 USD
Funding: United nations office for project services – Global environment facility/Small grants programme; Ekofond; THERMO/SOLAR Ziar Ltd., Slovakia, British Embassy in Bratislava

Project activities:
Activity 1 – Creating the publication – "Guide for local governments"
Activity 2 – Pilot, demonstration project: preparation and implementation of the first changes in the functioning and actions of a selected local self-government, the town of Spisska Nova Ves, with consideration of the climate change
Activity 3 – Increasing awareness and building capacities of the local self-governments

Project events:

Energy security and Climate change, expert seminar, September 22nd, 2011, Kosice
The goal of the seminar, as defined by its organizer- Slovak Foreign Policy Association, was to discuss the energy security of the Slovak Republic in the framework of common EU energy policy with emphasis on energy supplies, energy efficiency, use of renewable energy sources and measures how to combat climate change.

Seminar consisted of two panels:

1. Energy security, energy policy of the Slovak Republic and regional experience were discussed in the first panel among others by the representatives of The European Commission Representation in the Slovak Republic, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Slovak Republic and regional self-governments.



2. The second panel called “Climate change”, facilitated by Andrej  Steiner (CDI), raised the topic of climate change in the context of renewable energy sources, water management and influence of climate change on development activities of local and regional self-governments.

You can download the presentation “Climate change and development of cities, regions” delivered by  Ladislav Hegyi (CDI) here (only in Slovak).

Workshop, 6.9.2011, Kosice
Associated with the need of opening of broader discussion and initialization of cooperation in the application of expert knowledge into practice, the Carpathian Development Institute, in cooperation with the Economic Faculty of the Technical University Kosice and the Faculty of Public Administration of the Safarik University Kosice, organized the workshop „How to mainstream climate change impacts into development planning of regions and cities“ in September 8, 2011. At the beginning three topics were presented: Bridging climate change impacts and development (A.Steiner, CDI); Addressing climate change at the local level (L.Hegyi, CDI) and Combining urban development with climate change adaptation using a systematic approach  (Ch. Walloth, University Duisburg-Essen).



All three lectures presented new procedural and factual findings in multidisciplinary approach to linking the local development and adaptation to climate change impacts. Approximately 30 participants from universities, public administration sphere and from other professional institutions discussed on possibilities but also barriers for mainstreaming climate change impacts into the decision-making process within the Slovak regions and cities. Proposal for establishing of the platform or coalition of organizations dealing with issue to exploit the synergy effect and enforce this topic higher at the agenda of the regional or local policy makers was one of the workshop outcomes.

Expert workshop, 28.4.2011, Spisska Nova Ves
On April 28, 2011 the CDI in cooperation with the town of Spisska Nova Ves organized expert workshop on the topic “Possibilities of climate change negative impactsmitigation in the town of Spisska Nova Ves and its surroundings”. The seminar was designed for representatives of the local government as well as other relevant actors of public administration and business sector acting in Spisska Nova Ves. The aim of the seminar was to enlighten context of the climate change, identify and discuss current and expected impacts/threats caused by the climate change in Spisska Nova Ves and its surroundings, as well as possible responses to face them.
Main points of the workshop program (materials presented are available only in Slovak)

• Climate change, its impacts and related risks in Slovakia and the Spis region – JozefPecho, Slovak leading climatologist, Academy of Sciences, Czech Republic
• Is it possible to prepare for climate change on the local level? – Ladislav Hegyi, CDI
• What should be done in this area on the local level in the future? – Andrej Steiner, PhD., CDI
• Identification of priority threats for the town of Spisska Nova Ves – facilitated discussion

The workshop is the initial activity of further cooperation between CDI and the town of Spisska Nova Ves, which will be the pilot, demonstration example of preparation and realization of first changes in operation of local self-government in connection with climate change impacts.

Breakfast with journalists on the topic climate change impacts and local self-governments, 28.4.2011, Kosice
Within the project’s publicity in the media and raising public awareness about the topic, the CDI has organized information morning in form of “breakfast with journalists” in Kosice. The head guest, Slovak leading climatologist from the Academy of Sciences, Czech Republic, presented up-to-date information about climate change impacts in Slovakia and its regions. Representatives of CDI – Andrej Steiner, PhD. and Ladislav Hegyi informed about importance and roles of self-governments in addressing climate change impacts. Measures for climate change mitigation and adaptation measures to climate change impacts were pointed out, together with tools and instruments usable by local governments.
Media were further informed about CDI approach and main activities to support and encourage local governments’ activities in this area.



Expert meeting, 9.11.2010, Bratislava
On 11.9.2010 at the office of the United Nations Development programme (UNDP) in Bratislava, Slovakia, the Carpathian Development Institute held an expert meeting on the project "Aware self-governments respond to climate change." At the meeting were participating experts and personalities dealing with climate change issues: JozefPecho (Slovak Hydrometeorological Institute), JurajMesik – World Bank consultant, PavolSiroky – Slovak climate coalition coordinator, ZuzanaZaborska – head of the Department of town development of the Town office of Spisska Nova Ves and members of the Carpathian Development Institute’s staff.  



At the meeting the content of forthcoming publication – the guide for local governments in responding to the climate change impacts, which will be background information for later training activities, has been discussed. 

This project is co-financed by the Global Environmental Facility/Small Grants Programme, coordinated by the United Nations Development Programme; by the EkoFond, established by SPP; and by the company Thermo/Solar Ziar, Ltd., Ziar nad Hronom.