Climate services for resilient climate planning of the natural heritage—Serbian experiences

Abstract

As a signatory of all relevant international documents that support climate change issues, the Republic of Serbia is conducting a continuous process of harmonization of the legal and planning framework. The expected adoption of the National Climate Change Strategy, together with the Action plan will accomplish an important step toward establishing the needed strategic framework to combat climate change and promote adaptation. In the context of climate change, throughout the planning process there is a need for accurate climate services coming from not only national but also international sources (WMO Climate Services, FAO climate change resources, UNESCO’s climate change actions, etc.), covering data on rainfall, temperature, soil moisture and wind, as well as analyses and assessments within risk and vulnerability, together with projections and scenarios. Due to the increasingly visible effects of climate change, there is a need to enhance the level of protection of the natural and cultural heritage, and for the formation of appropriate databases. Thus, this paper gives an overview of the international and national framework regarding the climate services needed within the planning process and stresses their importance in achieving resilient climate planning of the natural and cultural heritage. Further, by presenting a selected case study, this paper outlines the main gaps as well as the advantages within the current framework in Serbia. The paper concludes by stressing that, within the planning process, climate services are playing a significant role in formulating adequate measures to cover mitigation and adaptation.