A delegation from different Ukraine Institutions visited Ecologic Institute to talk about projects of the Institute concerning climate change adaptation measures. The visit was part of an informational trip organized by the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES). The project RADOST - Regional Adaption Strategies for the German Baltic Sea Coast - was at the heart of the meeting.
On their information trip, the Ukraine delegation visited a number of governmental and non-governmental institutions dealing with climate change. The delegation consisted of
- Irina Trofimova (Advisor to the Head of the State Environmental Investment Agency of Ukraine on climate change adaptation, alternate member of the Adaptation Fund Board);
- Anatoliy Shmurak (Head of the Department of Maintenance of the National Registry of GHG emissions in Ukraine, the State Environmental Investment Agency of Ukraine);
- Inessa Medvedenko (State Expert of the National Security and Defence Council of Ukraine);
- Volodymyr Bilokin (Deputy Head of the Department of Environmental Policy and International Cooperation, Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources of Ukraine);
- Vira Balabukh (the Head of the Synoptic Meteorology Department of the Ukrainian Hydrometeorological Institute) and
- Zoriana Mishuck (Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung Kiew).
Daniel Blobel, Susanne Altvater and Nico Stelljes talked about activities and experiences in the field of adaptation to climate change. Besides the project RADOST, the projects Baltadapt and "'ClimateProofing' of key EU policies" were presented.
At the center of the discussion was the question as to whether or not lessons learned from past experiences could be transferred to Ukraine; for example the case of the Black sea region.
According to the delegates, there are ambitious efforts to set up a strategy for climate change adaptations in Ukraine, but there is a lack of recognition on regional and local levels. Hence, it is a challenge to convince decision makers that action for adaptation and cooperation across sectors is needed. Despite the differences between both countries, these aspects also raise controversy in Germany. Using the example of RADOST, it was made clear, how important and productive it can be to involve stakeholders from the very beginning of a research project.