More than 20 experts, including representatives of the Lituanian Ministry of Environmental Protection and Vytautas Magnus University, took part in a comprehensive study tour programme during their 2-day visit to the county in October.

Collaboration on climate effects

The project seeks to strengthen collaboration, exchange experience, and build competence on climate change effects on biodiversity and ecosystems. Along with talks given by the hosts and project partners, WNRI and Sogn og Fjordane County Administration, the visitors were offered presentations by the County Governor, the The Centre of Competence on Rural Development (Distriktssenteret), Jostedalsbreen National Park, and Breheimsenteret Glacier Center. The delegation visited the The Norwegian Glacier Museum & Ulltveit-Moe Climate Centre in Fjærland and Lærdal Grønt. Through a set of workshops and field trips, including a visit the glaciers Nigardsbreen and Bøyabreen with National Park Manager Maria C. Knagenhjelm, the visitors achieved an understanding of how biodiversity and climate change adaptation is handled at the regional level of governance in Norway.

– The delegation expressed great interest in how we handle climate change adaptation and the participants will be bringing these insights with them as they return to Lithuania, says Merete Lunde, the Managing Director of WNRI.

Organization and partners

The international project which provides the framework for this project, is led by Dr. Rimantas Dapkus at the Lithuanian Regional Research Institute, a research institute WNRI and the county administration have worked closely with for more than a decade. Partners in Sogn og Fjordane include WNRI and Sogn og Fjordane County Administration, and Arne Monrad Johnsen at the County Administration has been in charge of planning and carrying out the study tour in Sogn og Fjordane. WNRI has contributed through adaptation talks (Head of Research for Climate and Environment, Carlo Aall) and a field trip in Lærdal (Head of Research for Technology and Society, Ivar Petter Grøtte). The international partners are Vytautas Magnus University and the Lituanian Ministry of Environmental Protection.

Funding

The project is funded by EEA Grants and has the title “Participation of the Vytautas Magnus University, State Service for Protected Areas under the Lithuanian Ministry of Environment and Western Norway Research Institute (Vestlandsforsking) in organized monitoring methodology events and organization of study events on the impact of climate change on biodiversity and ecosystems”.

Along with Iceland and Liechtenstein, Norway contributes to social and economic equality in the EEA. In addition to the support that is channeled to the economically weakest EU states, a strengthening of ties between Norway and the recipient countries is an important objective. Read more at www.regjeringa.no: https://www.regjeringen.no/no/tema/europapolitikk/eos-midlene/id115262/