Project Summary:

Climate change is already profoundly impacting the conditions for resource availability and agricultural activities. Over the last decade, the country has experienced a number of extreme events, such as droughts and major floods, along with the incremental effects caused by increased mean temperature, and the uneven distribution of precipitation through the year, which have had negative consequences on the country’s economy, and its population wellbeing and health. Severe droughts are recurring more frequently causing significant economic losses. The increasing scope and intensity of extreme events has also resulted in increased frequencies of high-risk situations.

The Government sees the National Adaptation Planning (NAP) process as key to achieving the adaptation objectives outlined in its 2014 Climate Change Adaptation Strategy of the Republic of Moldova, and its Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC), as well as the continued mainstreaming of climate change considerations into its policies and budgeting processes. The Government launched its NAP process in 2014 through consultations with national stakeholders and with the support of the Austrian Development Agency (ADA) and UNDP.

The NDC contains a strong adaptation component that relies upon the NAP process to inform the development and implementation of adaptation goals. The linking of the NAP process with the establishment of NDC targets provides a constructive feedback loop between national and international decision-making processes on climate change for the improved congruency between the implementation of the Paris Agreement, the Sendai Framework and the 2030 Agenda. In addition, Moldova is a signatory to a series of agreements with the EU that provide much needed support for the enhancement of its national policies, as well as a monitoring and reporting component, that drive many of the recent changes to its legal and regulatory framework. The Association Agreement has an accompanying Activity Program of the European Integration: Freedom, Democracy, Welfare 2011 – 2014 [Governmental Decision 289 (2012)] that sets the framework for congruency of Moldovan policies with European ones.

Objectives:

To support the Government of Moldova in advancing the second cycle of its iterative national adaptation planning process. The project aims to address the barriers to prioritization of national investments in Climate Change Adaptation, and to increase the availability of human and financial capacity for the implementation of the priority actions identified during the NAP-1, and those that will emerge under this NAP-2 initiative.

The project objective will be achieved through three outcomes that relate to strengthening national capacities for mainstreaming CCA considerations. Outcome 1 focuses on strengthening the national steering mechanisms for CCA; Outcome 2 supports improvements to long-term CCA capacity to plan and implement adaptation actions; and Outcome 3, focuses on continuous improvements to adaptation related financing, implementation and monitoring systems.

Expected results:

• National Climate Change Adaptation Strategy updated with the NAP-2 overarching goal and sector-specific adaptation objectives articulated in the Climate Change Adaptation Action Plans of health and forestry sectors, and in the Development Action Plans of the transport, energy and building sectors;
• Monitoring and Evaluation system with improved data analysis to support decision making developed;
• Climate Change Adaptation Capacity Development Plan updated and adopted by the five key sectors;
• Climate change information and knowledge management portal that supports the NAP process and mainstreaming of climate change adaptation considerations launched;
• Adaptation Plans for seven district towns developed;
• Technology Roadmap for each key sector (transport, energy, water, forestry and health) developed based on Technology Needs Assessment;
• 5 investment project ideas developed to be submitted to Green Climate Fund.

Accomplishments:

• The National Climate Change Adaptation Programme until 2030 and its Action Plan developed by the project was approved by Government Decision no. 624 from 30 August 2023;
• The Law No. 368 on hydrological and meteorological activity developed by the project was approved by the Parliament in the second lecture on 30 November 2023;
• The methodology for calculating the tariffs for the delivered services, the Nomenclator and tariffs for the services delivered against payment and the Regulation on the manner of formation and use of the revenues collected by the State Hydrometeorological Service were approved, by Government Decision 494 on 12 July 2023;
• Two guidelines (in line with the IPCC 5/6AR) for assessing systemic risks in the priority sectors, at local and organizational levels were developed. The proposed evaluation mechanism considers the interrelation between hazard, exposure, vulnerability, and adaptive capacity which leads to a more comprehensive risk assessment method;
• Climate Change Information and Knowledge Management Portal as one stop shop for all climate related information with GIS and MPay system for accessing climate and hydrometeorological services developed;
• 8 district towns benefited from climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction plans and the project has extended its support for additional 4 district towns and one village;
• 5 Technology Needs Assessment Reports developed for key sectors energy, transport, water, health and forestry.