ECNC is coordinator of a project to assist and increase the capacity of five countries in South-East Europe (SEE) in taking the necessary measures to maintain the quality of their biodiversity and to avoid, where possible, further damage to ecosystem services on which local communities depend. The countries are: Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Montenegro, Serbia and Turkey.  ECNC is implementing the project together with the Regional Environmental Centre for Central and Eastern Europe (REC).

The project results could also feed into the discussions on climate change and biodiversity in the framework of the EU, the ‘Environment for Europe’ process and the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD).

A conference will be organized, bringing together experts and policymakers from the SEE region, and experts and expertise from other European countries, in particular Spain. Focusing mainly on the five countries involved, the conference will form the basis for:

• a background document containing easily accessible scientific information about the impacts of climate change on biodiversity and ecosystem services;
• the conference proceedings;
• practical and tailor-made recommendations to mitigate the effects of climate change on biodiversity and to increase the resilience of ecosystems in SEE;
• a platform to increase the networking between stakeholders in order to enhance information exchange and the creation of synergy and innovation;
• the dissemination of project results to the EU, CBD, the Council of the Pan-European Biological and Landscape Diversity Strategy (PEBLDS) and other relevant forums and stakeholders.

Links or cooperation will also be established with other relevant and active networks and communication vehicles in the region with the aim of utilizing them as the basis for a self-sustaining network for the exchange of written information and knowledge.

The project started in September 2007 and will run until 1 December 2008. It is funded by the AECI (Spanish Agency for International Cooperation) through the Azahar programme.

To learn more about this project, visit: http://www.ecnc.org/ImpactsOfClimateChan/Index_765.html. For more information, contact Ana Nieto, Project Manager; nieto@ecnc.org.