Integrating climate change adaptation policies in spatial development planning in Serbia: A challenging task ahead

Abstract

Climate change adaptation policies integration process adds a new dimension to spatial planning. National planning systems need to be reviewed for their capability to incorporate new procedures and implementation tools with a view to upgrading general efficacy of public response to climate change. The Spatial Plan of the Republic of Serbia (SPRS) adopted in October 2010 devotes special attention to issues of climate change, mitigation and particularly adaptation. This paper argues that regional level of governance is key to considering climate change vulnerability and setting a framework for specific actions on the local level. In the absence of the regional level, great responsibility is on the national planning level to lay out detailed guidelines and regulations as a guidance for spatial planning practice. What problems may be expected in the SPRS implementation with respect to climate change adaptation? How the adaptation policies adopted in the plan will be integrated into subordinate plans, regional and local? What limitations will the overall system face in policy harmonization? Although this brief paper cannot answer all of these questions, it will try to explain them and indicate the necessary transformations to the planning system to be discussed in the coming period.