Cooperation in the climate change mitigation in forestry and nature protection at different levels of governance

Mirjana Stanisic,Nenad Rankovic,Dragan Nonic,Jelena Nedeljkovic

doi:10.2298/gsf1716099n

Abstract

Climate change mitigation is the responsibility of many institutions and organizations in Serbia at different levels of governance, and therefore, it is necessary for them to cooperate with each other and with other stakeholders. The aim of the paper is to determine the existence of cooperation in climate change mitigation in forestry and nature protection at different levels of governance in Serbia. Primary data were collected in the period November 2016 - March 2017. Thirty-four interviews were conducted with representatives of institutions and organizations in forestry and nature protection at the national, regional and local level of governance, dealing with issues related to climate change mitigation. Three questionnaires were used (for each level separately), composed of five question groups. Various forms of cooperation have been established at different levels of governance, through exchange of information and education, machinery and equipment exchange, financial cooperation, etc. However, there is no systemically organized reporting process between institutions on climate change issues at the national level, nor at the regional level. At the local level, there is a partially established system of cooperation between the national level and local self-government, but it is not exclusively related to the issue of climate change mitigation.

Highlights

Climate change is a global challenge facing the international community in the 21st century (2013)
The analysis found that at different levels of governance, there are different forms of cooperation, such as: -- cooperation through information exchange and education, -- cooperation through the exchange of machinery and equipment; -- financial cooperation
It is concluded that there is no systemic way of communication or cooperation between different levels of governance in relation to climate change mitigation

Summary

Introduction

Climate change is a global challenge facing the international community in the 21st century (2013). Great steps have been taken towards a scientific understanding of human processes that lead to global climate change and their impact on ecosystems. The consequences of climate change in some parts of Serbia were recorded in research by various authors (A l e ks i ć et al, 2006, R a n kov i ć et al, 2014, R a n kov i ć et al, 2016/a), whereby it was noted that the expected increase in the share of damage from natural disasters in total damage in forest ecosystems in Serbia is around 5% annually (R a n kov i ć et al, 2016/a). When dealing with climate change issues, “...complex, coordinated strategic approaches” are necessary (F rö hlich , Kn ieling , 2013). In research related to the combined application of measures for adapting and mitigating[1] climate change, it was concluded that due to the complexity and diversity of climate change issues, a ‘bottom-up’ approach is needed, i.e. involvement of all stakeholders, and local practices in mitigating climate change (L a u k ko n e n et al, 2009)

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