The negative impacts of climate change are among the most socially discussed topics of the present. Therefore, the creation of strategic documents setting out the long-term approach of municipalities, cities and regions to their adaptation is more than necessary. A new Oslo call funded by the EEA and Norway grants 2014-2021 will help with their preparation. The amount of support ranges from 130 thousand to 1,3 million Czech crowns.
“The Czech Republic already has a National Adaptation Strategy that reflects the issue of climate change in terms of our entire territory. However, it is the individual municipalities and their inhabitants that often suffer the most negative effects of climate change. For example, we are talking about devastating floods, storms, or high summer temperatures, which can rise to high levels in concrete streets, causing serious health problems. Therefore, within the Norway Grants Programme, we decided to focus on the preparation and implementation of adaptation strategies at local and regional level, which will reflect the individual needs of municipalities and regions,“ explains Petr Valdman, Director of the State Environmental Fundo of the Czech Republic.
The grants will help to cover all activities related to the complete elaboration of the adaptation strategy, including the preparation of analytical materials. All entities established in the Czech Republic as legal entities, ie. entities and organizations, public and private, commercial or non-governmental or non-profit, may apply for support. However, the condition for obtaining support is the acceptance of the created strategy by the executive locally competent authority, which decides on its use in the given locality.
“Our goal is not just to create a strategic document. We want to create an effective functional plan that will actually be used in practice and will enable the implementation of beneficial measures that will improve the environment of our communities and their surroundings. Each of the created strategies must contain not only the analytical, design and implementation part, which will map the situation and risks in the given territory, but must also contain an action plan, which will propose concrete measures and approximate timetable for their implementation, ” says Ivo Marcin, head of The Norway Grants Department, and he adds that the following calls will also provide funding for the implementation of these measures.
Applicants may submit their aid applications from 14 January to 15 March 2020 via the online form in the Agenda Information System. Further details of the call and detailed conditions are available on the website of the State Environmental Fund of the Czech Republic.
And why Oslo? The title of the call was chosen with regard to the rich experience of the Norwegian capital in the implementation of many green and blue measures, which can serve as examples of good practice for our communities. It is Oslo, which was chosen by the European Commission as the European Green City for 2019. “Our goal is for the municipalities in the Czech Republic to be as green and resilient as this Norwegian metropolis in the future,” concludes Petr Valdman.
Environmental Resort 