NAP-2: Advancing Moldova’s National Climate Change Adaptation Planning process

The project aims to address the barriers in prioritizing national investments in climate change adaptation and to increase the 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. To accomplish this overall goal, the project’s activities have been designed to address the gaps and barriers identified in the NAP-1 and in the Stocktaking Report. Through the NAP process, Moldova will realize a long-term paradigm shift towards climate resilience in its national and sectoral development planning. 

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

Over the last decade, Republic of Moldova has experienced several 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 droughts of 2007 and 2012 for instance have caused an estimated loss of around USD 1 billion and USD 400 million respectively, impacting 80 percent of the rural population. In addition, the damages from the floods of 2008 and 2010 are estimated at around USD 120 million and USD 42 million respectively. Climate projections indicate further increase in the average temperature, and an additional 12 days with zero precipitation.

In addition to the key implementing partner, the Ministry of Environment, other project partners include the Ministry of Infrastructure and Regional Development, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Health and National Commission on Climate Change.

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.

Project updates:

The NAP2 Project has delivered the Climate Change Capacity Development Plan (CDP) which lays the foundation for strengthening institutional capacities to mainstream climate change considerations into sectorial policies and implementation of the policies. 

In addition, the Climate Change Knowledge Management Roadmap was developed which provides a better understanding of the national capacities needed to produce, collect, and use climate change information and knowledge. This forms the foundation for the Climate Change Information and Knowledge Management Platform, one-stop shop for all climate related information which is currently under development.  

The project supported the assessment of the meteorological and hydrological network which enabled the State Hydro-meteorological Service of Moldova (SHS) to seek further support from Sweden, World Bank and Meteo-France International in terms of data digitalization and improving meteorological and hydrological monitoring. The project finalized market research for introducing new climate services and increasing awareness of the importance of hydrometeorological and climate services. The project is currently supporting the SHS with development of the Law and Regulation on hydrometeorological activity as well as the development of a methodology for calculation of tariffs for climate services.  

The National Climate Change Adaptation Programme (NCCAP) until 2030 is being developed in a participatory manner which will support the alignment of the national adaptation goals with the aims of the Paris Agreement in transport, energy, water, forest, and health sectors. The first draft of the NCCAP was submitted to the Ministry of Environment recently. Throughout 2022, climate change adaptation considerations are being mainstreamed into the sectoral policies. 

Regarding the technology needs assessment (TNA), the ‘Identification and prioritization of adaptation sectoral technologies’ and ‘the Barrier Analysis and Enabling Framework of TNA analysis’ were conducted involving relevant stakeholders from the five priority sector Working Groups (water, transport, energy, forestry, health). As a result, 115 technology fact sheets (TFS) as well as elaborated versions of the 53 TFS were produced and measures to overcome barriers were identified.