Lessons (not) learned on climate change adaptation policy: qualitative research on the case of floods in Western Balkan countries

Abstract

In this paper we present the findings of our qualitative research on adaptation to climate change within the context of the major floods that hit countries in Central and SouthEastern Europe in 2014. Adaptation here refers to the response of any given social system regarding existing and expected impacts of climate change and extreme climate events. The effectiveness of the response depends on how vulnerable or how resilient a particular system is, and this includes not only technical and biophysical aspects, but also social, cultural, political and economic ones. We conducted empirical research in order to describe how actors in environmental governance structures in three countries-Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia and Serbia-viewed the climate change adaptation process, and whether they recognized climate change as a trans-sectoral problem during all the phases of the 2014 flood crisis. The results show that even though most interviewees are aware of the connection between climate change and the 2014 floods, they are unable to properly address these kinds of crises. Given that in all three countries climate mitigation and adaptation measures are divided between different ministries and departments, which are not complementary, this lack of interconnectedness is thus reflected in the interviewees' observations.

Toward Flood Resilience in Serbia: The Challenges of an (Un)Sustainable Policy

“…The analysis conducted in this article also represents an insight into specific regional problems which have not been studied extensively, especially within the framework of resilience. For example, the study by Pudjak [18], conducted in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia and Serbia (all exposed to the 2014 floods) detected policy issues in the governance of climate change adaptation resulting in increased and destructive occurrences of floods. They demonstrate the lack of capacity to tackle negative impacts of climate change on both the national and local level.…”

Youth Participation for Sustainable Value Creation: The Role and Prioritization of SDGs

“…The youth period is commonly perceived as a stage of life characterized by good health, and it is true that a majority of individuals in this age group enjoy a state of wellbeing. Nevertheless, it is projected that more than 1.3 million individuals between the age range of 15 and 24 years die annually from preventable conditions [67,68] On the other hand, interpersonal violence ranks as one of the four most prevalent causes of death amongst individuals aged 15-29 years [69].…”