• The National Conference "Adaptation to Climate Change in Urban Environments - Unfolding Local Capacities and National Policies" will be held on 22 July 2024 in Sofia, Europe Hall, Park Hotel Moscow, as part of the satellite programme of the 61st Session of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).

On 22 July 2024, in the lead up to Bulgaria's hosting of the 61st Session of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the National Ecofund Trust gathers supporters from universities, ministries, municipalities, NGOs, and professional organizations for a national conference "Climate Change Adaptation in Urban Environments - Unfolding Local Capacities and National Policies".

The conference will be opened by the Minister of Environment and Water Petar Dimitrov in the company of the Chairman of the Board of Fund prof. Dimitar Nenkov, the Executive Director of the National Association of Municipalities Silvia Georgieva, a representative of the Norwegian Association of Municipal and Regional Authorities (KS), and the Head of the Programme Operator of the Environment and Climate Change Programme of the European Economic Area Silvia Rangelova. The moderator of this session is Julian Popov, Minister of Environment and Water (2013 and 2023-2024).

There will be a lively discussion on two topics that are important to be on the agenda of Bulgarian municipalities in the coming years.

The presenter of one of the topics - Usable Science - is Associate Professor Steliyan Dimitrov, founder of the National University Center for Geospatial Research and Technology at Sofia University "Kliment Ohridski". Also featuring Svetlana Zhekova, a member of the Expert Board of the EC Adaptation Mission, the panel will help us understand how scientific information can be made accessible and user-friendly when making important decisions about investments to protect against urban flooding or the heat island effect. There are already many examples where we have missed the opportunity to make informed decisions by referring to 'usable science'. It is time to learn from our mistakes and make use of the scientific knowledge that is available at our fingertips.

Urban rivers are an important factor in adapting to climate change. The mayors of Samokov and Troyan and a representative of the CSO Sofia Rivers will discuss with experts their plans for the development of urban rivers. The panel discussion will be moderated by Julian Popov, Minister of Environment and Water (2013, 2023 - 2024).

A conference luncheon is organized to allow the 70+ participants from municipalities, universities, companies, students will be able to interact with the discussion leaders.

Between the two panel sessions, the hosts of the conference in partnership with the start-up company "Circle", who were the first to provide a bike-sharing service in Sofia, have prepared a surprise for the participants - a bicycle cinema. Ten volunteers would have to pedal bicycles in order to screen a film, whereby the energy for the screening will be produced by the bikes. Urbanisation and climate change are two powerful forces shaping the modern environment. Urban rivers, which are an integral part of urban life, are greatly affected by these dynamics. The discussion aims to outline a framework for future efforts to restore and sustain urban river ecosystems.

The conference is the kick-off event of Fund's new initiative to build capacity and implement innovative practices at the local level for climate change adaptation in urban areas under the European Economic Area Programme's Bilateral Fund on Environment and Climate Change.

The National Ecofund Trust was established in 1995 through the first debt-for-environment swap deal between the Republic of Bulgaria and the Swiss Confederation. Since then, for almost 30 years, the fund has financed environmental projects with funds coming from intergovernmental agreements with the USA, Austria, Germany, Switzerland, Malta, and European greenhouse gas emissions trading schemes. Over the last ten years, the Fund has contributed to the development of environmental policies, including those for municipal energy management, the implementation of behavioural approaches to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and adaptation to climate change.