Advancing climate change adaptation in Greece: development and implementation of a national monitoring and evaluation system
D. Assimacopoulos, Ioannis Sebos, Despoina Chioti, Pipina Katsiardi
Abstract
Abstract The development of a Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) system for assessing Greece's adaptation to climate change impacts is a critical step towards achieving the objectives outlined in the National Adaptation Strategy and Climate Law. This system aims to substantially enhance the decision-making processes for the planning, implementation, review, and updating of actions aimed at increasing the country's resilience and adaptive capacity. The system's development was informed by a consultative process involving key ministries and agencies, ensuring that the final set of indicators was comprehensive and aligned with the national strategy's goals. The system's objectives include monitoring and evaluating adaptation actions, contributing to the provision of data for reporting obligations, developing synergies between monitoring frameworks, and supporting decision-making through the collection of climate and other relevant data. The indicators, developed through a consultative process, are a mix of qualitative, quantitative, and hybrid types, chosen based on availability, potential availability, representativeness, and continuity. The consultative process faced several challenges, including the complexity of identifying relevant indicators across various sectors of vulnerability, the large number of potential indicators, and the National Strategy’s lack of specific measures. In addition, difficulties in communication with responsible services due to their busy schedules and a lack of data collection structures were encountered. Despite these challenges, the process was critical in finalizing the indicators, which will be tested over two cycles during the LIFE IP program before being handed over to the Natural Environment & Climate Change Agency (NECCA) to operate as the climate change adaptation monitoring observatory, as mandated by Greek climate Law. This paper presents the consultative process for indicator selection, the challenges faced at each phase, and the system's expected role in facilitating informed, resilient, and socially just adaptation strategies. The lessons learned from this process and the initial testing phases will provide valuable insights for similar initiatives globally, highlighting the importance of collaboration and data-driven decision-making in climate change adaptation efforts.