Outlook on climate change adaptation

of the Carpathians have made similar progress in adaptation, due to the European harmonization of laws and guidelines. However, there is generally less funding and policy frameworks in Ukraine and Serbia, which are not EU members. There is already a strong commitment to protect mountains, visible through the Carpathian Convention signed by all seven States. However, there could be more emphasis on mountains in national strategies. Until now, climate change impacts are mostly addressed in the tourism sector, due to the already perceptible reduction in snow cover. Better data collection and effective availability of information about local mountain specific impacts are necessary for targeted adaptation in this sensitive area. The framework of the Carpathian Convention is already a strong basis for sub-regional coordination of sustainable development in the region. Methodology This outlook is a synthesis and an analysis of existing climate change adaptation responses in the Carpathians and the extent to which they address key climate risks. It builds on information stemming from existing projects, reports and research literature. In addition, the latest climate change scenarios from the EURO-CORDEX initiative (Jacob et al. 2013) for temperature and precipitation were analysed. Identified key risks show the priorities that must be addressed by adaptation policies. Finally, it was examined how the existing measures respond to the key risks and which possible gaps remain for efficient adaptation.

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