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Risk of lower productivity and economic
losses in the agricultural sector due to rising
temperatures. Risk of loss of crop yields and
livestock due to water scarcity and droughts.
Subregional initiatives are in place, including the
Drought Management Centre for South-Eastern
Europe (DMCSEE), which monitors and assesses
drought conditions in addition to the general
risks and vulnerabilities connected to drought. All
Western Balkan countries have adopted legislation
regulating a sustainable approach to agriculture,
Background
The recurrent floods of recent years have resulted
in high economic and environmental losses, from
which the affected populations struggle to recover.
The capacities of the Western Balkan countries to
manage and respond to flooding are very limited both
in terms of infrastructure and governance. Hydro-
meteorological data collection and flood forecasting is
hamperedby the absence of adequate gaugingnetworks
and limited resources to operate and maintain them.
A comprehensive regional flood early warning system
does not exist. At the national and municipal levels,
the responsibility for flood risk management (FRM) –
such as flood defense infrastructure development, data
collection, early warning and disaster management
– is spread across multiple authorities. The lack of
clear leadership for FRM, and limited understanding
of how flood risk can be locally managed, pose
significant obstacles for effective FRM.
Objectives
The EU Floods Directive (2007) provides the
comprehensive framework for the project’s activities.
Taking a multilevel approach to FRM, the project
engages on the regional (basin), national and local
levels. It focuses on establishing prevention and
protection measures that cover the entire FRM cycle,
from preparation and disaster management to the
recovery phase. The main objective is to improve flood
management, particularly through non-infrastructure
measures such as early warning, preparedness, spatial
planning, and awareness-raising. Further measures
are aimed at reducing damage to human health, the
(Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit; German Federal Ministry for Economic
Cooperation and Development (BMZ)
Climate change adaptation in theWestern Balkans: approach to flood riskmanagement
environment, cultural heritage, and the local economy.
FRM plans are developed in a participatory process
involving the responsible administrations as well as
other relevant stakeholders. The milestones towards a
fully-fledged FRMPlan have been identified as follows:
• hazard and flood risk maps based on flood extent
mapping and satellite images
• regional and communal risk assessments in a
standard catalogue of measures
• identification of priority measures and
responsible actors.
Results
Through its multilevel approach, the project
has contributed to a more integrated and
transboundary FRM in the Drin River Basin,
which involves all stakeholders. Once operational,
the regional early warning system will enable the
respective national hydro-meteorological services
to issue warnings to their relevant authorities and
affected municipalities, based on catchment-wide
information. By assisting municipalities and cities
to develop and implement FRM Plans in line with
EU requirements, their vulnerability to flooding has
been significantly reduced. Flood risk managers, in
particular at the local level, have reported that they
consider themselves better prepared to provide
more effective FRM to protect the local population.
Source: GIZ, Flood Risk Management an increasing
challenge in international cooperation.
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management, even though legislation may require
this. The cost of such interventions are usually
prohibitive. In terms of non-structural interventions,
the capacities are also very limited. While national
and municipal authorities have poor understanding
of their responsibilities in disaster risk management
and recovery, a comprehensive flood early warning
system is still lacking in the region.
At the national level, risk-sharing and risk-transfer
mechanisms (e.g. weather-indexed insurance) which
could help to reduce overall economic losses due
to flooding, improve resiliency and contribute to
prompt recovery do not appear to be in place in the
Western Balkans.
• Lack of risk-sharing and risk-transfer
mechanisms for flood damage
• Low financial resources available, especially
for infrastructural adaptation measures
• Lack of/limited institutional capacity
and coordination for flood management
regionally, nationally and locally
Key Policy gaps:
GOOD PRACTICES