LocationsFocus on Flood Protection
Adaptation Fund Delegation Visits Montenegro
May 30, 2025
Adaptation fund mission with the Mayor of Ulcinj
UNDP Montenegro/Vlado Cvjetić
Ulcinj/Podgorica, 30 May 2025 – A high-level delegation from the Adaptation Fund is visiting Montenegro as part of a regional mission that also includes Albania and North Macedonia. The purpose of the visit is to assess the results of the regional project on flood risk management in the Drin River Basin, implemented with the support of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). During their stay in Podgorica, the delegation met with Resident Representative Ekaterina Paniklova and UNDP country team to review progress on the ongoing project and discuss future perspectives for continued cooperation on climate change adaptation.
In Ulcinj, the delegation visited the reconstructed Gropat-Štodra embankment along the Bojana River – a key intervention worth EUR 700,000, providing long-term protection for 2,000 people and over 7,000 hectares of agricultural land.
Reconstructed embankment on Bojana river
UNDP Montenegro/Vlado Cvijetić
Local communities and emergency response teams shared their experiences with past flooding events, underlining the urgent need for continued embankment reconstruction and stronger local capacity to respond to climate-related risks. The delegation also met with the Mayor of Ulcinj Municipality, Genci Nimanbegu, to discuss local priorities in flood risk management.
Meetings were held with representatives of the Ministry of Ecology, Spatial Planning and Urbanism and the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management. Discussions focused on the importance of continued regional cooperation and efforts to secure additional EU funding for the further protection of the Bojana River area. This visit marks an important step toward strengthening cooperation and opening new opportunities for investments in community climate resilience.
The Adaptation Fund, established under the Kyoto Protocol in 2010, plays a key role in supporting developing countries in adapting to the adverse effects of climate change. Since its foundation, the Adaptation Fund has committed about 1.25 billion for climate change adaptation and resilience projects and programmes, including 183 concrete, localized projects in the most vulnerable communities of developing countries around the world with about 45.8 million total beneficiaries.
The UNDP and the Adaptation Fund have been collaborating on various projects and programs to support more than 100 countries globally in adapting to climate change. and enabling the implementation of concrete measures that protect livelihoods and natural resources.