Outlook on Climate Change Adaptation in the Western Balkan Mountains

Institutional and stakeholder analysis

• Other local and international experts on climate change adaptation measures and mountain ecosystems (includingrelatedtopicsof biodiversity, land management, hydrometeorology, water, energy, and industry) • International bodies with a strong presence in the country, including international and regional projects and bilateral donors • Private sector (including farming co-ops, and trade unions) • Healthcare • Chambers of commerce • Forest industry • Environmental businesses, including eco-tourism businesses • Forestry associations • Red Cross and Red Crescent organizations (as part of disaster preparedness and response) • Local community representatives • Traditional populations. These stakeholders represent groups that were identified as being directly or indirectly involved in the climate change adaptation regimes of the respective countries, being either responsible for or influenced by the implementation of climate change adaptation measures. It is important, however, to draw attention to other stakeholder groups that are not currently involved in the adaptation regime, but who nevertheless have a stake in adaptation, including the general public, vulnerable groups (e.g. the poor, elderly, children, single parents, and people with disabilities), and private business owners and educational workers.

In order to determine the extent to which a policy framework could support improvements to the adaptive capacities of mountain ecosystems and the people living there, it is necessary to analyse the influence and power dynamics of all the actors in the climate change adaptation regime (Sova et al. , 2013). According to the Multilevel Stakeholder Influence Mapping in Climate Change Adaptation Regimes (ibid), there is a power imbalance between different stakeholders in a variety of contexts around the world. Stakeholder mapping Using the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED) (Sova et al. , 2013) tool and the analysis of the policy and strategic documents in Albania, BiH, Croatia, FYR Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia and Kosovo, 1,21 the main groups of stakeholders and beneficiaries for climate adaptation were identified: • Representatives of national governments, including ministries of environment, agriculture, forestry, energy, water management, health, and spatial planning • Government institutes, agencies and inspectorates for food security, agriculture, forestry, water management, hydrometeorology, environment and related funds, bodies responsible for disaster preparedness and response (including flooding, forest fires, landslides, earthquakes, wind, and hail), and civil security • Management and staff of protected areas • UN conventions & GEF National Focal Points • Representatives of NGOs • Academia

Jezerca Massif, Albania

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