The Government of Albania is working on a project to mobilize funds to enable the implementation of adaptation policies in six of the country’s most vulnerable cities to climate change. On October 3 in Tirana, stakeholders from different levels of government met to learn more about the project, which aims to raise USD 50 million, mostly through grants, for a long-term strategy for climate-smart, resilient cities.
Launched in 2015, the Albanian National Adaptation Plan (NAP) process identified 15 priority actions. The 12th action, an “Initiative for Municipal Climate Change Adaptation Plans,” focuses on adaptation in some of the largest and most vulnerable cities in Albania, including Tirana, Elbasan, Durrës, Shkodra, Vlora and Fier. According to the WorldRiskReport 2018, Albania is among the most vulnerable to changing climate patterns in Europe, experiencing more frequent and severe natural events such as floods and droughts due to increasing temperatures and decreasing precipitation.
The meeting in Tirana aimed to obtain high-level political support for this resource mobilization effort for adaptation, ensuring long-term commitment for adaptation from political decision-makers and senior public management.
The project’s goal is to enable municipalities to address increasing climate risks through the integration of climate change into city planning, the development of human and institutional capacities, and the initiation of pilot actions aimed at improving climate resilience—such as the development of a Heatwave Plan or the implementation of green roofs for new public buildings.
Technical assistance to the Albanian government to develop the funding concept note and organize the meeting has been delivered via the NAP Global Network’s Country Support Hub.