Boosting the implementation of adaptation policy across Greece

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

BACKGROUND

The Greek national adaptation strategy that was adopted in 2016 has a 10-year time horizon and outlines broad policy directions and adaptation actions in vulnerable sectors. These include natural ecosystems and biodiversity, agriculture and food security, forestry, fisheries and aquaculture, water resources, coastal zones, tourism, human health, energy and industry (including mining), transport, the built environment, cultural heritage, the insurance industry and the banking sector. The core objectives of the strategy are to improve decision-making for climate change adaptation; link adaptation with a sustainable development model through regional and local action plans; promote adaptation policies in actions in sectors identified as vulnerable; establish a system of monitoring the effectiveness of adaptation policies and actions; and make Greek society more resilient to climate change impacts through increased awareness. The 13 regional authorities of Greece are obliged to develop regional adaptation action plans and are able to make use of European Structural and Investment Funds (ESIF) to implement the national strategy. It should be noted that although more than 40 Greek cities have already committed to the Covenant of Mayors for Climate & Energy-2030, interventions to address climate-related risks are poorly integrated due to the limited capacity of some local authorities involved.

OBJECTIVES

The overall goal of the LIFE-IP AdaptInGR project is to support the implementation of the national adaptation strategy in Greece. To this end it will build national and regional capacity for coordinating, prioritising, monitoring and mainstreaming adaptation policy actions. Pilot projects will be developed in priority sectors for 3 regions and 5 municipalities. This replication pool of real world experiences will form part of a knowledge base of resources to guide and support national, regional and local authorities in the detailed planning and assessment of adaptation-relevant actions. Awareness campaigns will seek to win the commitment of public and private sector stakeholders to effective adaptation action. The project will also identify suitable funding schemes and programmes for the further implementation of the adaptation measures at local, regional and national level. In addition, it will develop and disseminate strategies, guidelines, and best practices to transfer and replicate lessons learnt throughout Greece, at EU level and in the Eastern Mediterranean region. Finally, it will frame the next cycle of adaptation planning through an evidence-based review of the national adaptation strategy and regional adaptation action plans to identify emerging adaptation priorities and measures to feed into the post-2020 ESIF programming period. Expected results:

acceleration of the implementation of regional adaptation action plans in the 13 Greek regions;

implementation of streamlined monitoring and evaluation adaptation methodologies and use of common thematic indicators across Greece;

a national adaptation hub for stakeholder groups and the general public, gathering all project resources, as well as additional good practice examples;

increased resilience to climate change in priority sectors in 3 regions of Greece, achieved through the implementation of specific pilot projects, to befurther scaled up through complementary actions;

implementation of climate resilience commitments through adaptation projects in 5 Greek municipalities; increased resilience of towns and cities to climate change (built environment, coastal zones, flood management) through the application of green infrastructure and ecosystem-based approaches;

integration of adaptation and mitigation synergies, objectives and trade-offs within the framework of Greeces 2050 long-term low emission strategy of Greece and revised national adaptation strategy;

pilot climate change impact assessments and guidelines for the selection of adaptation measures for landscapes and land use to guide the implementation of adaptation measures in regions/areas with similar characteristics and vulnerabilities (Greece and EU);

guidelines and best practices for climate change adaptation for regions and municipalities;

increased knowledge and experience-sharing on (a) adaptation options for implementing climate change adaptation in the EU and the Mediterranean, (b) quantification of the environmental output (benefits and impact) for specific adaptation actions, (c) good adaptation practices for priority sectors in the Mediterranean;

enhanced public and stakeholder awareness on climate adaptation policy and action at national and regional level;

refinement and coordination of funding priorities for implementing climate change adaptation in the current and post-2020 (new ESIF) period;

review of the Greek national adaptation strategy, revised national adaptation strategy and regionally-specific terms of reference for the 7-year review of the regional adaptation action plans;

support the update of the regional adaptation action plans after 7 years.

In addition to the IP budget itself, the project will mobilise up to approx. 446 million from EU, national and private sector funds.