Improving institutional framework and organizational solutions for climate change governance in forestry and related sectors at regional and local levels in Serbia

The implementation of climate change governance strategies at regional and local levels encounters significant challenges, including a complex institutional framework, insufficient competence and limited commitment from various stakeholders to adopt appropriate governance measures. In Serbia, the institutional framework for climate change governance in forestry and related sectors (nature conservation, environment, energy) fails to provide sufficient conditions for stakeholders’ involvement in decision-making processes at regional and local levels. This research aims to examine possibilities for improving the institutional framework and organizational solutions for climate change governance at regional and local level in forestry and related sectors in Serbia. Data were collected through interviews with decision-makers and experts from the public and civil sectors in forestry and related sectors, as well as with representatives of examples of good practices of stakeholder collaboration in climate change governance. Respondents emphasized the need to prioritize climate change as a main objective within the mandates of organizations at lower governance levels in forestry and related sectors. All respondents support the proposal to establish a regional bridging organization to facilitate stakeholders’ coordination. Such an organization would serve as a platform for continuous education, training and knowledge exchange through seminars and workshops and would assist stakeholders in defining and implementing climate change governance measures at regional and local levels.