Terms of Reference

for the Working Group on Adaptation to Climate Change

Mandate

The Second Meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP2) to the Carpathian Convention (Bucharest, Romania, 17-19 June 2008) by its Decision COP2/3 paragraph 2 welcomed the “Report on water resources and natural disasters (climate change) and flood risk mapping” produced by the INTERREG IIIB Carpathian Project.

Decision COP2/3 paragraph 5 requested “the Interim Secretariat to consider in consultation with the Parties the further development and joint programming in the area of integration of water resources and land use planning, in particular concerning wetlands, natural water resources, springs, lakes and ground water resources, as well as biodiversity conservation and adaptation to climate change, taking into account experiences made in sustainable and integrated water/river basin management and land use planning of the relevant river basins of the Black Sea and Baltic Sea catchment areas in the Carpathians”.

In 2010 the European Commission, DG Environment, launched the invitation to tender “Preparatory action on climate in the Carpathian Region” focused on vulnerability of water and ecosystems to climate change and adaptation.

In May 2011 the European Commission – DG Environment, requested the Secretariat during Third Conference of the Parties to the Carpathian Convention (COP3) to consult with the Parties and Observers of the Carpathian Convention a possible proposal for the establishment of a Working Group on Adaptation to Climate Change under the Carpathian Convention supported by the project CARPIVIA (Carpathian integrated assessment of vulnerability to climate change and ecosystem-based adaptation measures, that is funded by the European Commission under the above mentioned preparatory action.

The Third Meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP3) to the Carpathian Convention (Bratislava, Slovakia, 25 – 27 May 2011) by its Decision COP3/15 para 3 decided to establish a Working Group on Adaptation to Climate Change and adopts its Terms of Reference.

The Fourth Meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP4) to the Carpathian Convention (Mikulov, the Czech Republic, 23 – 26 September 2014) by its Decision COP4/10 para 1 adopted the Strategic Agenda on Adaptation to Climate Change in the Carpathian Region. It further welcomed the outcomes of the CARPIVIA, CarpathCC and CarpathClim projects and gave mandate to the Secretariat to participate and to promote the Carpathian Convention during the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change COP20 at the Mountain Pavilion, in Lima (Peru in December 2014). Furthermore it welcomed the outcomes of the Workshop on Adaptation to Climate Change organized in the frame of the Alpine-Carpathian Partnership, in Vienna(Austria in March 2014).The COP4 further encourages future cooperation activities with the International Commission for the Protection of the Danube River on climate change adaptation. Furthermore, welcomes the support of Hungary to the Working Group on Adaptation to Climate Change.

Tasks

The Working Group shall aim at supporting the Parties to the Carpathian Convention in their cooperation for the implementation of relevant articles of the Convention and its Protocols, including the Protocol on Sustainable Forest Management and its Article 1 on General objectives and principles, and Article 14 on Forestry and Climate change, and Article 21 on Education, information and public awareness.

The Working Group shall in particular focus on ensuring proper follow up to the implementation of the Strategic Agenda on Adaptationto Climate Change and developing new projects and concepts in follow-up to “CARPIVA”, “CARPATCLIM” and “CarpathCC” projects. In its work, the Working Group shall consider and consolidate the background documentation made available within these projectsas well as other relevant project where appropriate with the overall aim to:

  • Move the Carpathian Space towards a climate-proofed future
  • Benefit national, local and regional authorities of the Carpathian Region
  • Support policy and project development and implementationin line with the EU Strategy on adaptation to climate change and the objectives of the Carpathian Convention
  • Contribute to sustainable use of national resources in the Carpathian Region[KK1]
  • Contribute to a Carpathian and EU Information System on Climate Change Vulnerability and Adaptation

The Working Group, in light of theseproject results, will review its tasks and make proposals on its future role and contribution to climate change adaptation in the Carpathian region.

The Working Group shall make recommendations for and develop possible future projects and initiatives in the field of vulnerability to climate change and ecosystem-based adaptation measures.

In this respect, the Working Group shall establish a Project Development Platform for climate change in the Carpathiansin order todevelop- in cooperation with respective Ministries, regional authorities, NGOs, and other relevant stakeholders such as the EEA,project ideas and accelerate elaboration processes in various Carpathian Conventionrelated sectors.

Field of activities

1. Cooperation with relevant stakeholders

-The Working Group shall consider strengthening scientific cooperation, support research activities and its dissemination;

-In order to facilitate the research coordination across disciplines and national boundaries, the Working Group shall foster the dialogue with the Science for the Carpathians (S4C) to promote research collaborations and further develop the cooperation with the Science for the Carpathians Initiative.

-The Working Group shall stress the importance of regional co-operation on adaptation measures in mountain regions among governments, national and local stakeholders, civil society organizations and the private sector;

-In order to achieve the tasks of the Working Group, it shall strengthen cooperation activities with the International Commission for the Protection of the Danube River (ICPDR) on climate change adaptation;

-The Working Group shall explore ways of cooperation with other relevant institutions such as the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), World Meteorological Organization (WMO);

-The Working Group shall extend the Partnership Agreement with the European Environment Agency (EEA) on the implementation of the Carpathian Convention, as it was welcomed by the COP4;

-The Working Group shall strengthen the cooperation with the Secretariat of the Alpine Conventionits expert groups on implementation of the "Joint Alpine-Carpathian Statement" since the recognition of the need to promote capacity building at the local level for designing and implementing coherent adaptation measures and sharing the regional experience developed in the field;

-The Working Group shall foster collaboration, experience and knowledge exchange with other mountain (sub)regions and relevant networks and initiatives at the European and global level.

2. Provide guidance, recommendations, support for preparation of actions

-The Working Group will assure the gathering and synthetization of information and data on climate change [KK2]shall collect and synthesize information and data on climate change in the Carpathian Region, will analyse the available information and identify gaps requiring further research;

-The Working Groupshall support and promote (sub)regional dialogue and co-operation on climate change and adaptation in the region in the context of the Strategic Agenda on Adaptation to Climate Change, in particular by sharing information and experience at the transboundary leveland promote regional coordination through regional meetings and transboundary projects;

-The Working Group shall support the Strategic Action Plan for development of project ideas in the Carpathian Region, based on the Strategic Agenda on Adaptation to Climate Change in the Carpathian Region to facilitate the project developments in the Carpathian Region;

-The Working Group shall support co-operation among countries in developing climate change adaptation strategies in mountain regions and in implementing already existing ones;

-The Working Group shall in particular provide contribution guidance and actions with regard to the contribution to the European Climate Adaptation Platform (Climate-ADAPT), anEU information system on climate change impacts, vulnerability and adaptation;

-The Working Group will provide guidance and recommendations for the development of policy proposals in line with the EU Strategy on adaptation to climate changeand the objectives of the Carpathian Convention,; and give advice how to integrate them into the national adaptation strategies, where there is the case

[KK3]

-The Working Group can provide guidance and recommendations for the development of follow-up projects in the area of vulnerability to climate change and ecosystem-based approaches to adaptation.

3. Establish a Project- and an Adaptation Platform for the Carpathian Region

-The Working Group shall establish a Project Development Platform, whichshall accelerate elaboration proccesof projects related to adaptation to climate change process of adaptation to climate change related projects in the Carpathian region;

-The Working Group shall establish a local Adaptation Platform for the Carpathian region which provides an inventory of possible adaptation actions at the local level in various sectors;

-The Working Group shall improve the environmental assessment/information system, monitoring and early warning, for the implementation of the Article 12 of the Framework Convention on the Protection and Sustainable Development of the Carpathians;

-The Working Group shall strengthen the awareness raising, education and public participation for the implementation of the Article 13 of the Framework Convention on the Protection and Sustainable Development of the Carpathians;

-The Working Group shall consider the Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) approaches in all relevant activities and developments to be undertaken;

-The Working Group will assess the opportunity to connect the adaptation platform for the Carpathian Region to the European Climate Adaptation platform (Climate ADAPT) and evaluate the efficiency of this connection[KK4]

4. Contribution to the Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Carpathian Convention

The Working Group shall propose inputs for Fifth Meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP5) to the Carpathian Convention (Hungary, 2017), of the Carpathian Convention, such as inputs to the ministerial declaration to be considered by COP5.

The Working Group shall consider elaboration of tangible results of its work to be presented at the COP5.

List of results based on the field of activities

-Cooperation with relevant institutions and partners strengthened

-Cooperation with other relevant mountain (sub)regions in the context of climate change and adaptation in mountain regions

-Synthesized information on climate change in the Carpathian Region collected

-Ecosystem-based approach to climate change adaptation supported by the countries

-Guidelines on cContribution to the European Climate Adaptation Platform (Climate-ADAPT) provided

-Recommendations for the development of policy proposals provided

-Identifiedpriority Priority areas and sector for future intervention and actions identified

-List of relevant projects and ideas (Project Development Platform) established

-Strategic Action Plan for development of project ideas in the Carpathian Regionelaborated

-Inputs for proposals for follow-up activities and projects in the area of vulnerability to climate change and ecosystem-based adaptation measures provided

-List of recommendations (Adaptation Platform) for the development of policy proposals in the field of adaptation to climate change in the Carpathians established

-Awareness raising, education and public participation improved

-Inputs for the COP5 delivered

Composition and organization of work

Organization of joint Working Group meetings, where possible and appropriate for interaction and cooperation issues, is highly recommended.

The Working Group is composed of the National Focal Points for the Carpathian Convention and/or persons nominated by them. In accordance with the Rules of Procedure of the Conference of the Parties, the meetings of the Working Group are open for observers.

At each meeting, the Working Group will elect its Chair and Co-Chair; theSecretariat will act as Rapporteur. In conducting its business, the Working Group will base itself on the applicable Rules of Procedure of the Conference of the Parties.

The Working Group members shall consult in the context of the activities of the Working Group with the national, regional and local stakeholders (public administration, NGOs, private sector etc.), where appropriate.

The Working Group shall exchange information and foster communication with other relevant WGs of the Carpathian Convention (e.g. Working Group on Conservation and Sustainable Use of Biological and Landscape Diversity, Working Group on Sustainable Forest Management, Working Group on Spatial Development) and might seek cooperation with other institutions and stakeholders within and beyond the Carpathian Convention.

The Working Group will report to the Conference of the Parties through the CCIC.

1

[KK1]Task proposed by Romania

[KK2]Change proposed by Romania

[KK3]Added by Romania

[KK4]Paragraph added by Romania