EIONET workshop on climate change impacts, vulnerability and adaptation,
15-16 June, EEA, Copenhagen
Countries summary information, provided to EEA for the workshop
(See also the MMR reports by EU member states1 and the current country
pages in Climate-ADAPT2)
GREECE
Main and Most Recent Adaptation Activities in Greece
The Ministry of Reconstruction of Production, Environment and Energy, Athens Academy and
Bank of Greece signed a memorandum of cooperation in 2014 towards a “National Strategy
for Adapting to Climate Change". The aim of the memorandum is to tackle the repercussions
of climate change at national level, with specific adaptation actions in all areas. The aim of
their cooperation is to create a mechanism to monitor implementation of the national strategy
and incorporate adaptation policies in all areas.
The National Strategy for Adapting to Climate Change is being developed and it will be
completed by the end of 2015.
Greece already has a National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan for its implementation,
which was taken into action on 2014 (Ministerial Decision no 40332, Official Journal
2383/B/2014)
(http://www.ypeka.gr/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=%2fnY1WSioQWk%3d&tabid=37&language=
el-GR). The aim of the Biodiversity Strategy is to halt the loss of biodiversity and the
degradation of ecosystem services in Greece by 2026, and restore them, as far as it is feasible,
while communicating the value of biodiversity as our national capital, and stepping up the
Greek contribution towards averting global biodiversity loss. The implementation period of the
Strategy on Biodiversity is 15 years, namely from 2014 up to 2029. The Strategy consists of
13 General Targets, which are separated into specific targets that will become increasingly
specialized in the Action Plan for the first five-year period, i.e. 2014–2019.
Although an over-arching adaptation strategy is not yet available in Greece, several adaptation
measures are currently under implementation as part of a broader network of measures that
apply to the specific areas of identified vulnerabilities. These are mainly incorporated in the
Rural Development Programme (RDP) 2007-2013 ‘Aleksandros Mpaltatzis’, the National
Strategy for the Management of Water Resources, the General and the Specific National
Frameworks for Spatial Planning and Sustainable Development, the River Basin Management
Plans 2009-2015, the National Action Plan for Combating Desertification, etc. Adaptation
measures are extensively described in the latest National Communication of Greece (NC6,
http://unfccc.int/files/national_reports/annex_i_natcom/submitted_natcom/application/pdf/nc6
_greece[1].pdf).
Additionally a National Risk & Vulnerability Assessment report has been prepared covering
the period 2014-2020.
1
MS reports on adaptation under MMR due 15 March 2015
http://climate-adapt.eea.europa.eu/countries. Note that these pages will be updated by EEA based on
the MMR reports from MS.
2
POLAND
Implementing of the Polish National Adaptation Strategy
Present and Planned actions:
 Project: Guidelines for the Urban Adaptation Strategy (2014)
Vulnerability assessment of urban areas towards possible risk resulting from climate
change and guidelines for Urban Adaptation Strategy preparation.
 Project: Assessment of the impact of current and future climate change on the
Polish coastal zone and Baltic Sea ecosystem. (2014)
Recommendation and courses of action on adaptation to climate change in the Polish
coastal zone.
 System project involving development of Urban Adaptation Plans for cities with
more than 100 000 inhabitants in Poland pursued by Polish Ministry of
Environment.
Financed with the Infrastructure and Environment Program 2014-2020, within the NAS
2020 implementation process.
Project Goals:
 Determination of vulnerability of the largest cities to climate change
(cities >90 000 with some exceptions) Risk identification, risk assessment
 Planning for adaptation actions at the local level (financing: OPI + ROP’s +
NFOŚiGW/wfośigw)
 Raising awareness of the need for adaptation to climate change at the local level
Introduction
Over 30% of the Polish population lives in cities. This is the first step aimed at
strengthening resistance and adaptation to changing climate conditions. Due to its scale,
this is an innovative and unique project. The result of the project will increase the
resilience of cities to climate change and, consequently, the entire country
 Guidance for beneficiaries of EU funds
Ministry of Environment in cooperation with Ministry of Infrastructure and Development will prepare
guidelines for the beneficiaries of the new financial perspective for correct preparation of
projects taking into consideration the impact of projects on climate, adaptation to climate
change and disaster resilience. Will be based on Methodology for carrying out the cost-benefit
analysis
 Ministry of Environment also is working on checklists for environmental impact
assessments in the field of climate change for projects of NFP 2014-2020
 Ministry of Environment is at the final stage of translating:
„Guidance on Integrating Climate Change and Biodiversity into Environmental Impact Assessment"
"Guidance on Integrating Climate Change and Biodiversity into Strategic Environmental
Assessment"
PORTUGAL
Update on Climate Adaptation Action
Revision of the National Strategy on Adaptation to Climate Change was submitted to public
consultation until 5th June 2015. Legal adoption is foreseen in next weeks.
Programme AdaPT has concluded the selection of sectorial projects and all are ongoing at
the present:
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adaptIS - development of a multi-sectorial platform for private companies to bring
awareness on the need for assessments on risks and vulnerabilities linked to extreme
events and a portfolio of adaptation measures;
AdaptForChange – consists in an innovative approach for reforestation based on
modeling which considers regional climate change impacts
AC:T - development of a model for assessment of resilience to climate change of
touristic infrastructures
GestAqua.AdaPT - implementation of strategies of adaptation to climate change in
the management of multifunctional water reservoirs .
SOWAMO - building of an artificial water recharge system to promote balance
between periods of water surpluses caused by excessive rainfall and periods of water
scarcity.
Under PO SEUR (CF and ERFD funding Programme for sustainability), applications for
projects on adaptation are expected to be presented on 2nd semester of 2015.
SPAIN
The Spanish National Adaptation Plan (PNACC), adopted in July 2006, is the reference framework for
the development of adaptation policies in Spain. It promotes the coordination between all Public
Administrations that deal with the assessment of impacts, vulnerability and adaptation to climate
change. It includes all vulnerable socioeconomic sectors and natural resources, and it’s developed
through specific Work Programmes.
Up to date, we are working on the development of the Third PNACC Work Programme. It comprises
four axes for action and is based on two basic pillars. Within this structure, the main recent relevant
actions are listed below:
PNACC Axis
(i)
Sectoral impacts and vulnerability assessments. Currently there are several active projects
related with Biodiversity, Marine ecosystem, Water Resources, Tourism, Energy, Forests,
Agriculture, Urban planning & construction and in downscaling Climate Change scenarios in
Spain.
(ii)
Mainstreaming climate change adaptation into sectoral regulations and planning tools.
Nowadays there are being developed many Environmental Evaluation Strategies where we
include the adaptation to climate change component, according with the recent 2013
Environmental Evaluation law. Also relevant is the development of the National Adaptation
Strategy in coastal areas, mandated by the Coastal Act.
(iii)
Mobilising sectoral stakeholders. Ongoing process to promote participation of key
adaptation stakeholders and raise awarness among them: Program of PNACC Sectoral
Seminars (last one on Marine ecosystems last April), promotion of specific adaptation sessión
in National relevant events (National Environmental Congress, National Environmental
Assessment Congress), AR5 IPCC diffusion actions recently developed.
(iv)
Setting up an indicator system on climate change impacts and adaptation. Currently in
development, taking into account EEA and MMSS experiences.
PNACC Pillars
(1) Reinforcing the coordination between all the administrative levels with responsibility for
adaptation to climate change. The development and management of AdapteCCa, the
Spanish adaptation platform, and the management of the Working Group of Impacts and
Adaptation (GTIA), that brings together main adaptation stakeholders in Spain (with other
relevant participants such as the EC in the last meeting), are the two main activities in this pillar.
(2) Promoting R&D+I activities. There are public calls for developing research projects of
adaptation in Spain, included the last calls by the National Plan of R&D, the call from the
Biodiversity Foundation and the one from National Parks Authority.